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In Photos: An Island Village in Uttar Pradesh ‘Nobody Cares About’

You need a boat to reach this village, and that’s why probably politicians gave it a miss, even during UP Elections.

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“Why should I vote, when nobody even comes to ask for it?”

Faujdaar, a farmer in his late fifties, asks with a face of familiar dejection. He has grown accustomed to this feeling perhaps. And the sentiment is largely uniform in his village, Pachisa, a settlement of 350 families, approximately 80 kilometres from Uttar Pradesh’s Sitapur district. The village is surrounded by two rivers – Sharda, and Ghaghra.

You need a boat to reach this village, and that’s why probably politicians gave it a miss, even during UP Elections.

The topography of this village makes it almost invisible, even to the local administration.

You need a boat to reach this village, and that’s why probably politicians gave it a miss, even during UP Elections.
UP Elections 2017: Puti Ram (second from left, in purple kurta), stands with his relatives, who double up as crew members while Ram captains the boat across the river Ghaghra. (Photo: Aaqib Raza Khan/The Quint)

The village is accessible through a boat ride only. We drove for almost 2 hours from Sitapur, and then a slight detour from the pucca road, followed by another half an hour’s drive, and then 20 minutes walk to reach the boat boarding point.

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You need a boat to reach this village, and that’s why probably politicians gave it a miss, even during UP Elections.
UP Elections 2017: On certain stretches, the ‘crew members’ pull the boat from raised landmasses, for ‘added acceleration’. (Photo: Aaqib Raza Khan/The Quint)

And often, the river can be seen inside the boat too. “The base is a little damaged, hence the water seeps in,” says Puti Ram calmly.

You need a boat to reach this village, and that’s why probably politicians gave it a miss, even during UP Elections.
UP Elections 2017: And the boat rower takes up the responsibility to maintain the balance water in the boat. One bucket at a time. (Photo: Aaqib Raza Khan/The Quint)
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You need a boat to reach this village, and that’s why probably politicians gave it a miss, even during UP Elections.
UP Elections 2017: Suresh rows the boat, as he takes us across the shallow, and calm Ghaghra river (Photo: Aaqib Raza Khan/The Quint)

“It takes almost an hour to cross the river on this boat. Across the river, I have almost four acres of of masoor farms,” says Suresh while rowing the boat through shallow water. He has one of the 11 odd boats in his village of 350 families.

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Crossing Ghaghra, on the boat to Pacheesa. - Spherical Image - RICOH THETA

360 view: The Quint’s Aaqib Raza Khan and Neeraj Gupta on the boat to Pachisa.

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You need a boat to reach this village, and that’s why probably politicians gave it a miss, even during UP Elections.
UP Elections 2017: A fisherman waits for his catch on the banks of the calm Ghaghra river, seen halfway on the the boat-ride to Pachisa. (Photo: Aaqib Raza Khan/The Quint)
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You need a boat to reach this village, and that’s why probably politicians gave it a miss, even during UP Elections.
UP Elections 2017: Pachisa village, home to 350 families, has an eerie silence with no major towns, or automobiles around. (Photo: Aaqib Raza Khan/The Quint)
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You need a boat to reach this village, and that’s why probably politicians gave it a miss, even during UP Elections.
UP Elections 2017: Thatched huts line the village, because every time the water level rises in the river, they have to relocate to higher grounds. (Photo: Aaqib Raza Khan/The Quint)

“What problems do you face personally, in this village?”
Saegar hain. Kaisan batayi? (There are many. How should I tell?)”
“May I know your name, please”
“In our village, we don’t tell the name of women”

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You need a boat to reach this village, and that’s why probably politicians gave it a miss, even during UP Elections.
UP Elections 2017: Faujdaar, a farmer sits inside his hut, and lives with bare essentials. (Photo: Aaqib Raza Khan/The Quint)

Faujdaar sits in his thatched hut. “Why should I vote for anyone, when nobody even comes here to ask me for my vote?,” he rues.

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You need a boat to reach this village, and that’s why probably politicians gave it a miss, even during UP Elections.
UP Elections 2017: Fuajdaar’s belongings hang from the roof of the hut. (Photo: Aaqib Raza Khan/The Quint)

“Does this torch work?”
Naahi bhaiyya. Ee kharab para hai (No brother. This is out of order),” informs Faujdaar.

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You need a boat to reach this village, and that’s why probably politicians gave it a miss, even during UP Elections.
UP Elections 2017: Chhutku stands with her family’s boat which got damaged when the rivers flooded last year. (Photo: Aaqib Raza Khan/The Quint)

“I have 6 sons, 3 daughters, 3 daughter-in-laws, 4 grandsons, and 1 husband. We had a boat too, but it was damaged after the last floods. It was a source of our livelihood,” says Chhutku, as she adjusts her sari for the photograph.

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You need a boat to reach this village, and that’s why probably politicians gave it a miss, even during UP Elections.
UP Elections 2017: Gulab Rani stands with her kids, and wants to give them a safer place to live. (Photo: Aaqib Raza Khan/The Quint)

“I will vote for anyone who can get us a little more elevated place to stay. I am constantly worried about my kids’ whereabouts. I am afraid they may drown by accident. It gets even worse during the rainy season,” pleads Gulab Rani, aged 35, flanked by her kids (right to left) Raj Karan, 2, Soni, 6, and Ankit, 12.

The kids don’t go to school, because the school is on the other side of the river, and there’s no safe way to commute.

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You need a boat to reach this village, and that’s why probably politicians gave it a miss, even during UP Elections.
UP Elections 2017: From a very early age, the children got involved in the family farming work. When quizzed on what do they like to play, most of them told that they have no interest in playing anything. (Photo: Aaqib Raza Khan/The Quint)
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Inside: Pacheesa Village - Spherical Image - RICOH THETA

A 360 degree view inside Ram Parsaad’s hut in Pachisa village.

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You need a boat to reach this village, and that’s why probably politicians gave it a miss, even during UP Elections.
UP Elections 2017: Ram Parsaad’s hut has a more generous build as compared to most others in the village, with a verandah, a kitchen area, and sacks of pulses lying around. (Photo: Aaqib Raza Khan/The Quint)

“I’m happy,” exclaims Ram Parsaad, while having lunch after a long day of fishing. “Thoda mushkil hai, par kaat lete hain (It’s a little difficult, but we manage somehow,” says Parsaad with a calm smile.

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You need a boat to reach this village, and that’s why probably politicians gave it a miss, even during UP Elections.
UP Elections 2017: Parsaad’s lunch thaali with boiled rice, tomato chutney, and mango pickle. (Photo: Aaqib Raza Khan/The Quint)

“I am enrolled as a voter, but I don’t have my voter card. When I reach the polling booth to cast my vote, I am given a slip by the person who takes us there. Sometimes political parties take us there,” Parsaad says.

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You need a boat to reach this village, and that’s why probably politicians gave it a miss, even during UP Elections.
UP Elections 2017: Parsaad keeps a rechargeable battery for basic electrical purposes, which, as Parsaad tells, is recharged through a small solar plate. (Photo: Aaqib Raza Khan/The Quint)

The village has no electricity and people manage by small jugaads, such as this rechargeable battery pack. “We use small solar panels to recharge the batteries,” Parsaad tells.

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You need a boat to reach this village, and that’s why probably politicians gave it a miss, even during UP Elections.
UP Elections 2017: We found a phone, where we couldn’t even get our network. (Photo: Aaqib Raza Khan/The Quint)

“You have a mobile phone too?,” I ask Ram Parsaad.
Arey, you’ll find more mobile phones in this village than people,” Parsaad grins.

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You need a boat to reach this village, and that’s why probably politicians gave it a miss, even during UP Elections.
UP Elections 2017: A young ‘sailor’ runs with his boat, as we reach back on the bank. (Photo: Aaqib Raza Khan/The Quint)

Elections have come and gone, but Pachisa remains unconnected, and the lives are constantly at risk with the rivers. It may take more than a mere political will to turn the fate around of this secret village of the stream.

Will 2017’s Uttar Pradesh Elections manage to bridge the gap? Comment with your views. Also share this with your friends, and help spread the word.

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