Bettiah: While Bihar achieved a notable 68 percent voter turnout in the second phase of the Assembly elections on Tuesday, Don Panchayat in West Champaran experienced a contrasting situation — not a single voter participated. Nearly 15,000 eligible voters across 22 villages in Don Panchayat, part of the Ramnagar Assembly constituency, collectively boycotted the elections. Their demands were straightforward: essential services such as roads, bridges, electricity, and mobile connectivity. The protest was so resolute that the villagers imposed a self-declared ‘lockdown’ from 6 AM to 6 PM, closing all shops and markets. At the polling stations in Don, security personnel and election staff waited in vain, with only one symbolic vote cast in the entire Panchayat.
‘We have seen governments change, but nothing has changed for us,’ stated Jitendra Sah, a resident of Sherhwan Don village. ‘We have completely boycotted the vote. There is total lockdown here. Everything is closed. We have witnessed changes in government, but our roads, bridges, and electricity remain absent.’ Villager Sujit Kumar added, ‘We are in the 5G era, but we don’t even have 2G here. Sick people are carried on cots to reach a doctor. If roads existed, lives could be saved.’ The villagers voiced their frustration over years of unfulfilled promises. ‘The BDO came and urged us to press NOTA. But we declined. There’s no point in pressing a button when no government listens,’ said Jitendra.
Don Panchayat, situated about 60 km from Ramnagar and 115 km from Bettiah, lies within the Valmikinagar Tiger Reserve. Of the 60 km route to Don, only 15 km is paved; the remainder consists of a dirt trail riddled with potholes and mud. During rainy seasons, it becomes nearly impassable. ‘The road disappears into the forest,’ remarked villager Shankar Kumar. ‘Even phone signals vanish. In five or six villages, there is no mobile network at all.’ Villagers assert that road construction is halted due to restrictions imposed by the Forest Department within the Tiger Reserve. ‘When the Chief Minister visits, the forest department clears the way for him, but not for us,’ Satyendra Sah stated.
‘If we had a proper road, we would vote. Otherwise, it’s pointless.’ Before polling day, villagers displayed handwritten posters on walls and shops throughout Don Panchayat, stating: ‘No road, no vote. No electricity, no network, no healthcare, no vote.’ Despite repeated efforts by officials to convince them, the boycott persisted. Ramnagar Block Development Officer (BDO), Circle Officer (CO), and Jeevika Block Coordinator visited to appeal to voters. Later, Bagaha Superintendent of Police Sushant Kumar Saroj also arrived in the area, but no one budged. Polling officials distributed slips at doorsteps, but villagers returned them in protest — a video of which has gone viral on social media.
Don Panchayat, home to a significant population of the Tharu tribal community, has long faced challenges related to connectivity and infrastructure. Villagers claim that despite 78 years of independence, they still lack proper roads, electricity, healthcare, and educational facilities. ‘Leaders visit only before elections,’ lamented Bhup Narayan Mahato. ‘They promise development, but once elected, no one returns. This time, we decided enough is enough.’ While much of Bihar celebrated democracy through voting, the silence in Don served as a stark reminder of the state’s uneven development, where segments of the electorate continue to await basic rights before exercising their voting privileges.