The villagers of Sissen village under Pangin Assembly Constituency in East Siang district has reiterated their stand not to participate in voting or any other democratic process of the Centre as well as the State government until their demands are met. Protesting the State government’s indifferent attitude in fulfilling their demand for better road connectivity, the villagers boycotted the April 9 simultaneous polls for Lok Sabha and State Assembly and the re–poll on April 19 last. The villagers from Sissen along with nine other nearby villages during a meeting on Sunday last made their stance clear that they would not participate in any democratic process until a road from Pongging to Riew village was constructed which would cover Pongging, Sissen, Pangi, Karo, Komsing, Jorsing, Rasing, Beging, Riew and Rebo Perging villages, a press release said here today. “We will boycott any election till our demands for road connectivity are not met,” the villagers made it clear. “If the Government of India can approve road projects under same Pangin–Boleng Assembly Constituency like ‘Yemsing to Tarak, Yemsing to Mirem and Yemsing to Tadun’ etc where there is no any village in between to link through, then why roads are not being proposed and constructed in populated villages like Sissen, Pangi, Karo, Komsing, Jorsing, Rasing, Beging, Riew and Rebo–Perging,” they questioned. While appealing to the State government to redress their problem on priority, the Sissen Welfare Society said, if the government is incapable to construct road for Nugong Banggo region, then it should privatize the road construction sector and let an efficient company to construct road from Pongging to Riew with a total length of 65 km. “We are also ready to buy road projects from DoNER Ministry if certain per cent of amounts are to be deposited to get a project sanctioned and approved by mortgaging our own lands,” added the villagers. Sissen is a very old village with rich historical backgrounds. Though it boasts of 140 voters, the village has strength of around 250 including 8 youths who are serving the Indian Army. A War Memorial at Kekar Monying, near the village, is a testimony of that to which the then President of India R Venkataraman paid a visit during 1987. The narrow foot track and a hanging bridge is the only medium of their surface communication to Sissen.