Today the people of Himachal Pradesh’s tribal belt -a mountainous region comprising the constituencies of Kinnaur, Lahaul-Spiti and Bharmaur -will be exercising their voting rights. They will do this a month ahead of the state’s remaining 65 constituencies. The excitement in a region dotted by apple orchards and hamlets atop steep hillsides is palpable. Elections are held earlier in order to beat the snowfall. Passes like Kunzam and Rohtang, connecting the cold deserts of Spiti and the snow-bound belts of Keylong, will soon be under a blanket of snow and will be closed for the next six months.

The tribals here, who constitute 3 per cent of the state’s population, are neither “primitive” nor underprivileged. Unlike their counterparts in Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and Chhattisgarh, they are prosperous, innovative and well educated. Given this, it may not be possible for the main political parties in the current fray, the Congress, the BJP, the BSP, to take them for a ride. This time, there are nearly 1.28 lakh voters, some of them located in places like Hikkam — the highest polling booth in the Spiti Valley.

Economic activity, especially in Kinnaur, has grown almost 200 times in less than two decades — and this despite natural calamities like flash floods and landslides. Tribal families here send their children to the best professional institutions, both within and outside the country, for their education. More than three dozen families have relatives occupying senior positions in the civil services. They also don’t stint on personal consumption, as testified by their homes and luxury cars. Says Soman Negi, a branch manager with the State Bank of India at Reckong Peo, “In just four years, the deposits in the branch have increased to Rs 18 crore and customers now ask for facilities like internet banking. We have now installed an ATM. Our annual transactions borders Rs 35 crore even in this small place.”

The region, already known to produce the best varieties of apples in the country, is now witnessing huge investments in the hydro-power sector. A broad estimate puts the likely investment in hydel power alone at Rs 36,000 crore. The district will be producing nearly 6,000 MW of power over the next 10 years. The developers of the hydel sector are required to offer 1.5 per cent of the capital cost of their projects for the local area development fund.

In the adjoining Lahaul-Spiti district, apple cultivation has just picked up. The agriculture economy — mainly green peas grow in Spiti — is bringing nearly Rs 20 crore returns to the farmers. Cultivation of high-value medicinal herbs and seed potatoes is also proving to be a cash-spinner and is popular both here and in neighbouring districts. Meanwhile in Bharmaur the cultivation of cut flowers is a big business.

What the local people want is better infrastructure and access to the service sectors. And that is what they demand of the politicians whom they will vote for today.