Power of Indian Democracy

This is power of Indian Democracy or Indian Culture. Nobody knows but this story is telling truth about India’s most marginal community, women (especially from lower caste). This story is telling about lifetime struggle of a woman, but she never lost her hope and passion. She is struggling with her life for livelihood to clean cloth. But she never forgot to caste her vote in any type of election. She is thinking, one day a man will come in her village and will win votes and election. Then her life also would be changed. Her name is Manni Devi is living at Mirzapur District in a small hut with two kids.

Now, 55 years old, Manni Devi raised her children with the money from her husband’s daily wage at a nearby carpet factory. When her husband suffered a stroke that left half of his body paralyzed, Manni Devi took a Rs. 30,000 loan for medical treatment from a local landowner at 10% monthly interest. Despite the treatment, her husband soon passed away, leaving Manni Devi with two children, a large loan and no income. Ever since, she has been making fried snacks of rice and potato that she sells at the local market. Her income is 10 kg of food grains per month, which is the equivalent of approximately 500 rupees, insufficient to cover her monthly expenses and interest payments. Towards this end, she works at marriages and other social events in the village, for which she is compensated with cloth that she uses to sew clothes for herself and her children.
Additionally, she is able to rely on the government for some help. Because she belongs to a Scheduled Caste, her children receive Rs. 300 each year to help to cover the cost of attending school. The school also provides the children with uniforms. Manni herself is uneducated, but she knows that her vote is important and votes in every election. Manni admits that she doesn’t know what are the possible benefits from voting, but she knows that her vote “makes the government and the government is helping us to survive.” She dreams that “one day a good MLA will come to our village and erase our problems.”