Eighty-four-year-old Kalavati Devi has been accused of extortion and booked under IPC section 383 and a few others last December. This octogenarian from Jodhpura village, around 19 km from Kotputli town in Jaipur district, has to travel to Kotputli court at least once every month to pursue her legal battle.
“My only fault was that I supported my fellow villagers in a protest movement held in December 2022 against a private cement firm that was carrying out mining activitiesright next to our village.On that day, the police arrested around 75 villagers, including 30 women, and imposed IPC section 151 on all. A few villagers, including me, were accused of extortion,” said Kalavati Devi.
Since December 2022, around 2,000 Jodhpura residents have been protesting a cement firm for carrying out mining close to their village. The villagers alleged that as a result of the blastings carried out by the firm, almost all houses in the village have developed cracks and most villagers – from the age nine to 90 – are developing complex ailments like primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and bronchial asthma. Skin allergy has also become a common problem among the villagers. Villagers claimed that they have to travel to Jaipur or to Rohtak in Haryana for their treatments.
“The cement factory was set up in 2007. At that time, we were informed that the company would carry out mining activities in forest areas adjacent to our neighbouring village Mohanpura and would set up a factory and other facilities for workers in our village. Accordingly, villagers sold acres of lands to the company, which set up the factory in Jodhpura, rehabilitated the 1,200 villagers of Mohanpura to carry out the mining activities there. But, over the years, as mining opportunities were getting exhausted, the company started shifting mining activities closer to our village,” said Hariram Yadav, a senior resident of Jodhpura village.
“We went to ministers, MLAs and government administrations but no one paid heed to our problems. Finally, for the last one year we are staging an indefinite dharna. In the election (2018), we voted for minister sahib Rajender Singh Yadav (state’s junior home minister) but he betrayed us,” said Kailash Yadav, another resident from the village.
As assembly elections are knocking at the door, candidates have started reaching out to villagers with a promise to solve their issues, if voted to power. BJP rebel and independent candidate Mukesh Goyal and Congress rebel and BSP candidate Prakash Chand Saini have already visited the village.
“The problem is not confined to the village only; it is having a toll on the city as well. Everyday hundreds of trucks are reaching the plant from the city, causing much inconvenience to commuters and damaging the city roads. The government is not responding,” Goyal stated.Sitting MLA of Kotputli, Yadav was unavailable for a comment.
“My only fault was that I supported my fellow villagers in a protest movement held in December 2022 against a private cement firm that was carrying out mining activitiesright next to our village.On that day, the police arrested around 75 villagers, including 30 women, and imposed IPC section 151 on all. A few villagers, including me, were accused of extortion,” said Kalavati Devi.
Since December 2022, around 2,000 Jodhpura residents have been protesting a cement firm for carrying out mining close to their village. The villagers alleged that as a result of the blastings carried out by the firm, almost all houses in the village have developed cracks and most villagers – from the age nine to 90 – are developing complex ailments like primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and bronchial asthma. Skin allergy has also become a common problem among the villagers. Villagers claimed that they have to travel to Jaipur or to Rohtak in Haryana for their treatments.
“The cement factory was set up in 2007. At that time, we were informed that the company would carry out mining activities in forest areas adjacent to our neighbouring village Mohanpura and would set up a factory and other facilities for workers in our village. Accordingly, villagers sold acres of lands to the company, which set up the factory in Jodhpura, rehabilitated the 1,200 villagers of Mohanpura to carry out the mining activities there. But, over the years, as mining opportunities were getting exhausted, the company started shifting mining activities closer to our village,” said Hariram Yadav, a senior resident of Jodhpura village.
“We went to ministers, MLAs and government administrations but no one paid heed to our problems. Finally, for the last one year we are staging an indefinite dharna. In the election (2018), we voted for minister sahib Rajender Singh Yadav (state’s junior home minister) but he betrayed us,” said Kailash Yadav, another resident from the village.
As assembly elections are knocking at the door, candidates have started reaching out to villagers with a promise to solve their issues, if voted to power. BJP rebel and independent candidate Mukesh Goyal and Congress rebel and BSP candidate Prakash Chand Saini have already visited the village.
“The problem is not confined to the village only; it is having a toll on the city as well. Everyday hundreds of trucks are reaching the plant from the city, causing much inconvenience to commuters and damaging the city roads. The government is not responding,” Goyal stated.Sitting MLA of Kotputli, Yadav was unavailable for a comment.
