00:00If you press the button next to the print, the blue button will be there.
00:07If you press it, you will be able to vote.
00:09Then the light will turn on.
00:16Spread over 55 km and located in the remote hilly regions of Bastar is the Naxal bastion of Buddha Pahar.
00:24The 27 villages in this region have had a difficult history with elections.
00:28Many years ago, about 19-20 years ago, there used to be a protest here.
00:36But due to party politics, it was closed for 19-20 years.
00:44In 2022, security forces declared Buddha Pahar region to be free from red terror
00:50and it was believed that about 5000 voters here would cast their vote for the first time in the 2024 elections.
00:57I believe that Mawadi will end.
00:59Why do you think so?
01:01Mawadi will end.
01:03In my village, there is no ticket in Tungare, Labhar, Karamdee and Buddha Pahar.
01:13When I was young, there was Mawadi.
01:16There was a hole here.
01:17I used to roam around with a rifle.
01:20But since I came to know about it, there is no Mawadi.
01:24The reality, however, remains grim in Bastar, where voters in core Naxal areas remain unconvinced.
01:31We will give water and electricity.
01:34There was a party from Muhiram.
01:38They were protesting for the Modi government.
01:42They had come for Sarnath Dharam.
01:45Sarnath Dharam was in Sarhul.
01:47They came on the day of Sarhul.
01:50Someone had called them.
01:53They called us.
01:56They didn't listen to us.
01:59They started talking about pressure.
02:02Across villages, voters complained of unfulfilled promises of land or rehabilitation.
02:08When we went to Daltan, there were people from DCUP.
02:12We kept this in mind.
02:15If the government doesn't give us 5 acres of land,
02:22we won't leave the village.
02:26We will fight for our lives.
02:29Lack of basic resources like cooking gas and conflict between Naxalites and security forces.
02:35If we don't have wood, we can't cook.
02:38We have to keep washing.
02:41No gas.
02:44We have to keep washing our hair.
02:47We have to get gas.
02:50We have to get married.
02:53That's why we don't get gas.
02:55We have a lot of problems with water.
02:58It's boring here.
03:00We have a lot of problems.
03:02We have a lot of problems with rice.
03:05Water.
03:07Electricity.
03:09We don't have electricity.
03:12Despite an increase in polling booths in sensitive zones,
03:15voting remains difficult as voters often have to travel many miles to cast their vote.
