A view of Solang Nala valley in Kullu district near Manali.
City Air News photo: Author
Dharamsala, May 10, 2014: There is a famous tourist place Solang Nala valley in Kullu district near Manali. It is a small village has a skiing stripe in the state, is being visited by thousands of tourist daily irrespective of the rapid climate change in the area. This small but highly educated village, which has, nearly 350 voters did not participate in the Lok Sabha elections, for which the voting took place on May 7 in the state. It is not the first time when the villagers avoided the polling. Earlier too, these villagers boycotted the Lok Sabha bye elections held in 2013, when Himachal CM Vir Bhadra Singh vacated the seat for his wife. During that time also people made a massive boycott.
The main reason for this boycott is the non-connectivity of village through a bridge to the tourist spot. The village was connected by a small “pully” (a wooden laid bridge) but in the floods of 2005 the road and the bridge connecting the village were destroyed and since then these people are crossing, through this semi broken bridge at great risk.
According to reports the people of this tiny village were informed about NOTA and were made aware to use it, but people opted not to go for poll and made a massive boycott. Residents of the village say that all political parties promised now and then to give priority to make the bridge in question, but after every election nobody even bothers for the same.