In a cluster of islands south of Kolkata,the question is one of existence. Chunk after chunk of Sagar Island (Ganga Sagar to pilgrims),Mousuni and Ghoramara is being submerged and scientists have predicted that the Bay of Bengal will wash away a lot more in the years to come. The choice of many voters will depend on how they evaluate promises by each candidate to salvage what is left. Some have made their decision: unconvinced by the promises,9,000 of Sagar Islands 1.57 lakh voters will boycott Wednesdays elections. The three islands constitute Sagar constituency,a dot on the map if represented at all. Sagar Island,with a population of 1.8 lakh,is the largest. Mousuni has 18,000 people,13,000 of them voters. Ghoramara,the smallest with 5,000 people including 3,000 voters,faces the largest threat,with the UNDP report of 2010 predicting the six-square-kilometre island will disappear in 14 years. Jadavpur Universitys School of Ocean Studies has predicted submersion of 30 per cent of Ghoramara by 2020,along with 15 per cent each of Sagar Island and Mousuni. The boycott is in six polling booths of Dhablat Shibpur village panchayat in Sagar Island. The 9,000 voters say no politician has anything concrete for them. Bankim Hazra,Trinamool Congress candidate,has promised a master-plan to save the island. I know everyone here goes to sleep with the fear the island can go into the sea any time, he says. Sitting MLA Milan Parua of the CPM has said no one can stop erosion but has promised to protect as much of the land banks as possible while the island is inhabited. Bishnupada Majhi,52,has changed houses three times in Dhablat Shibpur panchayat. The village had excellent crops of paddy,green chilli and watermelon but this has stopped since four years ago. No one bothers,so why should we vote? he says. He worked as a labourer in Kerala,made some money and has come back to rebuild his home. The government declared Ghoramara abandoned in 2003 but came up with no rehabilitation package for its people. Debendra Nath Das,76,says he lost his tracts of land and shifted with 200 families to Sagar Island,all of them left with nothing.
