Missing in the Margins

The Katkari community in Raigad district has been facing issues like cyclic migration, no rights over forest land, and a dearth of basic facilities. But these concerns don’t find mention in the high-pitched political debates

- Abhik Bhattacharya

AROUND 180 km from Mumbai—the commercial capital of the country—it’s a different world. Beyond the last concrete stretch of the Pradhan Mantri Grameen Sadak Yojana, there are no motorable roads. One must walk. Apart from the silence and the salty breeze of the Konkan region—a respite from the climbing heat on an April noon—there is hardly anyone on the road. For quite a long stretch, there is dried grass, sand, dust and stone. But after a few minutes, one starts spotting mud huts. A few men peep out of the doors and stare at you curiously, as if asking—who are you and why are you here?

This hamlet in Wave Diwali village in Raigad district rarely finds a mention in the electoral map of the state. The Katkari community, which has been living here for centuries, is hardly counted as a ‘vote bank’. They form 11 per cent of Raigad’s population, and hence do have a considerable electoral significance, but the ground reality is contrary to the numbers. “The leaders throw money at them just 48 hours before the polls and take them away, but no one comes here after the elections,” says a local political activist.