Guwahati: Braving dense forest, river channels and the constant threat of wildlife, nearly 2,400 voters from Dodhia village inside Assam’s Dibru Saikhowa National Park will set out for polling stations on Thursday in one of the state’s most unusual election-day operations.Here, the security cover will not be led by police alone. Inside the 340 sq km national park spread across Tinsukia and Dibrugarh districts, the forest department will take charge of monitoring the safety of both voters and polling staff, turning election duty into a carefully coordinated mission through one of Assam’s most challenging landscapes.Apart from Dodhia, hundreds of villagers in will vote under similar circumstances in Laika village loicated inside the national park. These villages existed long before the area was declared a national park. Home to families displaced by river erosion, these communities have remained in the forest for decades, even as relocation and rehabilitation continue to hang unresolved.On polling day, armed forest officials will patrol jungle routes and river channels, watching for wildlife movement and any other disruption that could threaten the journey to the booths. In Dodhia, villagers are expected to move in groups at first light, navigating forest stretches, a river and a smaller rivulet before reaching the polling station.Debasish Dutta, range forest officer of Guijan, said the arrangements have been designed for rapid response and constant surveillance. “Separate boats have been arranged for the two locations, and forest staff will stay ready to respond immediately if any situation arises in Laika and Dodhia. Guijan Range headquarters will maintain constant communication with anti-poaching camps, patrolling teams and polling stations to ensure smooth conduct of voting. Around seven to eight forest personnel will be stationed on each boat to be deployed for Laika and Dodhia,” he said.For residents, the act of voting begins long before they reach the booth.Thirty-year-old Pranjal Kachari, president of the Dodhia Youth Society, will travel about three kilometres through the forest to cast his vote at Dodhia Upper Primary School. His route includes crossing the Dibru river and a smaller stream from Dodhia Mohmara, one of the deepest settlements inside the forest. It is also an area where elephants are known to move even during daylight hours. Among the four villages that make up Dodhia Village, this one has one of the largest voter populations.Pranjal plans to leave at 5 am with his parents, both in their 70s, to give them enough time for the difficult walk. Villagers have arranged four mechanised boats for the Dibru river crossing and another four for the smaller rivulet, allowing people to travel in groups and return before dark. “Wildlife movement becomes more uncertain after dusk, making an early return essential. Moving together can keep some wild animals away,” he said.Even the polling station has not escaped the region’s instability. The booth where Pranjal had voted since turning 18 was washed away in 2024 by the Brahmaputra. Yet for many residents, the journey to vote is also a reminder of what remains unchanged.Pranjal said development has been severely restricted because the villages fall within a protected forest area. With relocation still pending, residents are now pressing for immediate support in education and healthcare. He said there is no high school in the area, forcing students to travel long distances to Chabua and Dibrugarh. He also called for financial support for student accommodation and demanded a health centre for the four villages of Dodhia from the next MLA.The larger issue remains unresolved. For years, villagers have demanded relocation and rehabilitation outside the park, but no permanent solution has been implemented. Until that changes, polling stations will continue to be set up inside the national park itself, including the two booths at Dodhia Upper Primary School and in Laika village.
