All three sons and daughters in law of Pardesiya Devi gave voting a miss on Monday. Resident of Bijupara, Pardesiya, who was casting her vote in Lohardaga Lok Sabha constituency said, “All of them live far away, they cannot afford wasting money to return to the village and cast their votes.”

Bijupara falls in Mandar assembly constituency of Ranchi and Lohardaga LS segment. Pardesiya is not the only old age woman in her village whose children have migrated outside State for a better income opportunity.

On being asked where her sons are working she said, “They work in brick kilns. They say it’s very far and the tickets to come to Ranchi costs around Rs. 700 to Rs. 800 per head. It will be foolish if they spend so much money to return.” Another woman in her village, Jhalo Devi also informed that her adult children have migrated outside State to work in brick kilns and did not return to cast their vote. “There is no source of income here, how can they survive? They have to take care of the education of their children,” she said. Similar is the situation in many villages of Gumla and Sisai blocks which also fall under Lohardaga LS constituency.

Parvati Devi, a resident of Sisai block informed that many families from her village have migrated, leaving behind only the old people. Those migrant labourers have not returned to cast their votes. “Sons of two of my neighbours have gone to Uttar Pradesh to work at construction sites and brick kilns, they come only once during the harvest time. Now that the harvest time is over, they did not show up to cast their vote,” she said. Onkar Vishwakarma, an activist informed that lack of job opportunities in Jharkhand and very low income forces people, especially from rural areas to migrate to other States and work at construction sites, brick kilns or households.

“Returning to cast their vote is not important to them as coming back home would not just be spending unnecessary money on tickets but also loss of daily wages for at least four to five days a week,” he said.