The Shompen Tribe, a member of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG), brought by the Indian Election Commission (ECI), cast their vote for the very first time for Lok Sabha Elections on 19th April in Great Nicobar Islands. The context of the past two years has given more spotlight to the inclusion of PVTG communities among all tribes, which has been facilitated by themselves enrolling to be voters and participating in the voting process on nationwide as well as local levels during phases 1 and 2 of the general election in 2024.
8.6% of India’s tribal population is spread around 75 PVTG communities. The ECI has reported that the addition of new polling booths in remote areas that were previously hard to reach has had a positive impact on turnout, especially for PVTGs.
In the past 11 state legislative elections, approximately 900,000 eligible voters belonged to 14 PVTG communities, including Kamar, Bhunjia, Baiga, and others. The ECI emphasized that its dedicated efforts, under the leadership of Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, ensured 100% enrollment of PVTGs through extensive outreach and intervention initiatives.
According to the whole number of voters in the Union Territory (UT), it stands at 3,15,148, which have 1,64,012 males, 1,51,132 females, and 4 voters in the third gender category. This includes 39 Great Andamanese, 68 Onge, and 98 Shompen tribes, reflecting the diverse nature of our community.
A much stronger voter turnout was noted at Dugong Creek, which was settled by the Onge tribe, as 91% of voters came. Strait Island, which is exclusively specialized for the Great Andamanese tribe, showed 100% attendance. The 12 candidates who competed for that lone Lok Sabha seat came from nine major political parties, two women among them and five independents. Their campaign covered 412 polling stations.
The two starting stages of general elections for Lok Sabha ended on 19 and 26 of April. They will be followed by the third phase, which is scheduled for the 7th of May. There will be a voter count on the 4th of June.
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