Prem Lal arrived at the district judge’s office early on Thursday, the icy, chilly morning air auguring the challenges that lay ahead.
As one of 29 polling officials deployed from Kaza to polling stations in the Lahaul-Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh, Lal knew the coming days would be tough.
Wearing sunglasses to protect their eyes from the glaring sun, the trained graduate teacher gathered in a semicircle with others as the SDM held a stack of paperwork held together with a paperclip and called out the names and duties of the polling station workers.
Lal and his team of five visited Trashigang, a tiny village at a staggering height of 15,256 feet in the icy Himalayan ranges that holds the honour of being home to the highest polling station in the world.
Located near the India-China border, Spiti is one of four constituencies in Himachal Pradesh and part of the Mandi parliamentary constituency, India’s second largest, where Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is running against Vikramaditya Singh of the Indian National Congress.
The polling station in Trashigang, which has 62 voters from Trashigang and Gete, has been made a model polling booth.
The hour-and-a-half journey to Trashigang, located on the other side of the mountains from the SDM office in Kaza, is as tough as the scenery itself, with rugged terrain, narrow, winding dirt roads and unpredictable weather.
But for Lal and his team, the mission is filled with a sense of purpose: Facilitating the democratic process in a place where a harsh environment shapes every aspect of life is “both a duty and an honor.”
“I was previously part of the team that conducted elections in Hikkim (Spiti Valley), the second highest polling station in the country, so I have some experience,” Lal said with a laugh as he walked to board his white Bolero car, carrying an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) in his hand.
“There will be some difficulties (Thoda dikkat to hoga),” he added after a brief pause, acknowledging the challenges ahead, especially for people unfamiliar with the difficult terrain with no mobile phone connectivity and limited electricity supply.
But the preparations are thorough.
“The teams will be given satellite phones and runners will be sent out to relay the voting data to the headquarters,” Deputy District Commissioner Rahul Jain told PTI. “The terrain is tough but the teams are putting in all their effort and making all preparations,” he added.
As we began our journey, the paved road quickly turned into a narrow, bumpy dirt road. The brown hills on either side were dotted with white snowdrifts that were slowly melting in the sunlight. In some places, the melted snow had pooled on the dirt road, making it dangerous for vehicles to travel.
The scenery is breathtakingly beautiful, yet completely desolate – only a few brightly coloured houses stand out against a backdrop of brown hills. There is nothing for miles in between, and with no or very limited mobile connectivity, tourists frequently get lost.
The yellow polling station, with the national flag painted on the front, stands high on a hill and has a desolate feel.
There is almost no vegetation except for wild grasses.
“India’s highest polling station, Trashigang – 72. Altitude – 4,650 metres,” read a message inscribed in blue and white on the front wall.
“Swagatam. A heartfelt welcome to all voters to the highest polling station in the world,” reads one welcome board decorated with colorful frills, written in Hindi.
On reaching the polling station, a Gujarat Police personnel accompanying the polling team went outside and tried to call home but the network did not work.
“Lag nahi raha hai (I can’t get through on the phone),” Thakor Matji chuckled, the smile on his face turning to tension.
“This is my first time climbing to such a height. The temperature here is bone-chilling for those who are not used to such cold. I did not have any warm clothes and bought new ones after reaching Kaza,” Matoji said.
Kumar Prince, an election observer at Trashigang polling station, is a bank employee from Muzaffarpur in Bihar.
“Temperatures are reaching 50 degrees in other parts of the country. It’s a different world here. I hope everyone has enough warm clothes,” he told PTI.
“This is a special and important task that has been given to us. How can we tell the world that we are the strongest democracy if we don’t include people in inaccessible regions in this process?” Prince said.
During summer, temperatures in Trashigang range from 5 to 20 degrees Celsius, but sudden changes in the weather can cause the temperature to drop.
On May 30, poll workers and security personnel walked through falling snow and overnight temperatures that dropped to minus 5 degrees Celsius.
Winters are harsh and difficult to live in, with temperatures dropping to minus 35 degrees Celsius. The hills are buried in snow and the only dirt road connecting Trashigang to Kaza is closed, forcing families to stay trapped in their mud-and-brick homes for six months, said Trashigang resident Tanzin Takpa, 54.
“A pregnant woman who gave birth in February had to be transported on a yak to the hospital in Kaza. She was lucky,” he said.
Trashigang has no hospital, clinic, school or market, and residents commute to Kaza, about 30 kilometers away, for medical and other needs, Takpa said.
Low oxygen levels at high altitudes can lead to breathing problems. The icy cold conditions pose challenges for those who arrive at high altitude. It could take days, if not weeks, to adapt to the local conditions, says Karzan Namgyal, 40.
This will be the fourth time voting has taken place in Trashigang, which has held the record as the highest polling station in the world since 2019.
Jain told PTI that all voters exercised their franchise in November 2022 despite extremely cold weather.
A pink and white tent has been set up on one side of the polling station as seating for voters. The single-story building, which has two rooms on each side, was recently painted bright yellow.
The vehicle was loaded with blankets and mattresses for the polling team and security personnel, and women working for the state’s public works department helped unload the cargo.
On the first floor, male and female PWDs were preparing tea and dinner for the polling team and security personnel.
A young woman had decorated the polling station with colorful balloons, but she was invisible to local residents.
Gaira Raba, a tourist from Israel, came to Trashigang to do volunteer work. “It has been a month since I came to India. I came to Spiti valley a few days ago and found out that it is the highest polling station in the world. I have heard that it is very difficult to get there and the climatic conditions are very harsh. I cannot afford to miss something so amazing. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” said Raba. PTI.
Ranzom (18), the youngest voter from nearby Kee village, gave Raba a hand.
“Seeing our polling teams campaigning in these challenging conditions strengthens my faith in our democracy. We have no hospitals, no schools, no paved roads and no permanent jobs, but we have the highest polling station in the world. This is our chance to make our government aware of our needs,” she said.
Set against the brown of the hills and the blue of the sky, an outdoor selfie spot reads, “My Vote, My Rights,” capturing the spirit of democracy in one of India’s most remote corners.
