Polling Booth for Floating Manipur village after 30 years of isolation

The Election Commission has officially agreed for a polling station in Champu Khangpok known as the floating village in Manipur’s Loktak Lake. Champu Khangpok was debarred from electoral records for over 30 years.

The decision was taken after a detailed inquiry was done, said Ramananda Nongmeikapam, the Joint Chief Electoral Officer of Manipur. Approval for the polling booth was given on 11th of November.

The residents of the floating village have been registering voter ID, Aadhaar card, and ration cards in the nearby villages since past a decade. To meet basic amenities the residents have to travel by water medium for at least one and a half hours.

Deven Singh  said, “I felt very very happy when I found out (that the polling station had been approved)”. Deven Singh is the President of the All Loktak Lake Fishermen’s Union Manipur and a resident of the village. “People are overwhelmed with happiness because the state government’s plan was to remove the floating houses by hook and crook. So we are now getting our legal rights and people are so so happy.”