Stuck in time — no mobile network, river & jungle only route to Indo-Nepal border villages

The slogan 'No Network, No Vote' is painted on the walls of Bharthapur village in Bahraich district, Uttar Pradesh | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Bharthapur: “We are tormented by sorrows… Nobody is being
able to understand our pain,” says octogenarian Kalawati, standing by the
Kauriala river that flows along the Bharthapur village in Bahraich district of
Uttar Pradesh while looking into the distance.

Kalawati has spent her whole life in Bharthapur village, close to the
India-Nepal border. In the remote village, the sorrows of Kalawati and other
villagers are aplenty.

Kalawati (left), who lives in Bharthapur village, says — 'we are tormented by sorrows'. | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint — Kalawati (left), who lives in Bharthapur village, says — ‘we are tormented
by sorrows’. | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint

The boat traversing through the treacherous crocodile-infested waters of the Girwa river at night. This route connects Bharthapur to India | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint — A boat traverses the treacherous crocodile-infested waters of the Girwa
river at night. This is the only route to Bharthapur village, which lies
close to the India-Nepal border | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint

While it is exceedingly difficult for the residents of Bhartapur village to access basic resources, the police personnel also face challenges in extending timely help to these villages in times of need | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint — While it is exceedingly difficult for Bharatpur villagers to access basic
resources, police also face challenges in extending timely help when the
village needs them | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint

Children finding little joys in their everyday life in Bharthapur while
playing on an abandoned boat | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint

The only way to reach Bharthapur is an arduous boat ride over the
crocodile-infested waters of the Girwa River. After the boat ride comes
another challenge—a long six kilometre walk through the thick of the
Katarniaghat jungle to reach the remote village on the banks of the Girwa
River.

The route is an equaliser. Everybody, from the villagers to the security
personnel and polling parties to be stationed in the Bharthapur village during
the upcoming Lok Sabha elections has to take this route to and from the
village, risking the threat of an ambush by crocodiles in the water and wild
tuskers, tigers, and leopards in the jungle.

Consequently, the teachers, who come from outside the village, often end up
missing classes in the only primary school in the village.

The nearest functioning government hospital is over 50 km away, in Motipur.
The houses do not have electricity and rely on small solar panels to power
their everyday life. The village also gets flooded by the Kauriala river every
year.

On Bharthapur’s side of the Girwa River, five other villages — Kartaniya,
Amba, Bardiya, Fakirpuri, and Bisunapur — near the India-Nepal border remain
in a communication fog as far as the world outside is concerned. These
villages have never had an Indian mobile network, but often get networks from
Nepal instead. So, many of the villagers have Nepali SIM cards on their
phones.

A few months ago, they took matters into their hands and decided to boycott
the Lok Sabha elections if they don’t start getting mobile networks. All walls
in the villages are currently painted with slogans such as
“No tower, No power”
and “No network. No vote”.

The authorities sprang into action, and made the lone BSNL tower near the
villages operational again, leading to a slight reprieve in the village. But,
villagers say their demand for private networks will continue.

These villages are far from dreams and promises of digital India and
development, cutoff from the rest of the country owing to their difficult
terrain. A huge part of this area falls under the Katarnia Ghat Wildlife
Sanctuary— a mosaic of sal and teak forests, lush grasslands, swamps, and
wetlands.

The forests are home to gharials, tigers, rhinos, elephants, Gangetic
dolphins, swamp deers, and vultures, making the terrain extremely treacherous.
The treacherous terrain often cuts off the six villages from valuable
resources, including proper healthcare and education.