Hassan: It has been proved once again that the people’s leaders who rule us today, they work only for the sake of assurance.

Chikkaiah and Basavayya, of taluk’s Pacchemane village are two Dalit families living in this village, and have been living in the dark for the past 30 years with no electricity in their house.

Chikkaiah and Basavaiah of this family, who shared their plight, said that “since our ancestors had given us a small piece of land, we have built a house here and are living our lives under the light of a kerosene lamp.”

“But when our children were born and brought up, it was difficult for them to study here and we used to leave them in the hostel. But we were reluctant to come here because our children were educated and not like us. Our difficulty here is such that both of us are in a situation where we are unable marry off our three daughters. Even though it is only two km away from Dabbe Gram Panchayat, electricity is not being supplied here.

“People’s leaders come to us for asking vote but no one is responding to our plight,” the family said.

Tejpal and Sunil, the children of the family, said, “We have not grown up playing under the lights and we have been living in darkness since we were born and our mothers don’t even know how to grind spices in the mixie.”

We cannot get our sisters married because no one is coming forward and agreeing to the marriage because there is no electricity in our house.

When we submitted a memorandum to the gram panchayat, Dantosh, the President there, gave us two solar lights.

“We have installed solar lights in two houses by working as labourers and borrowing money, but what will be our situation during the rainy season. We have to leave our house and live in a relative’s house,” he said.