Their meeting with the state government coming a cropper, nearly 50 farmers from Nindar village, on the outskirts of Jaipur, kept themselves buried neck-deep for the third consecutive day on 4 October to protest against the Jaipur Development Authority’s (JDA) move to acquire their land for a housing project.
Calling it “zameen samadhi satyagraha (land burial satyagraha)”, the farmers have dug holes and buried themselves neck-deep. Women, too, are part of the protest. The farmers said they began this unique form of protest after a 15-day dharna to save their land did not yield result.
After two women, Shanti Devi and Manni Devi, collapsed during the agitation on Tuesday, the authorities called Nagendra Singh, president of Ninder Bachao Kisan Yuva Samiti, which is leading the protest, for talks. Singh’s dialogue with Rajasthan Urban Development and Housing Minister Shrichand Kriplani, on Tuesday evening, however, remained inconclusive.
The land acquisition process was initiated a fortnight ago.
The farmers of the village near Sikar road are up against the JDA’s decision to acquire 1,350 bighas of land. “The JDA is after more than 400 bigha land, which the farmers have not given away yet,” Singh said on Wednesday. “We demand a fresh survey of the land. We had a meeting the JDA commissioner today and the talks will resume tomorrow.”
Singh also said that “51 members participated in the relay protest Wednesday, and this will continue until our demand for a fresh survey is met”.
The farmers have dug up over 40 pits and one trench where the protesters stay. The relay protest is continuing day and night, Singh said. Elderly women sit on chairs placed in the trench whereas male members stand or sit in the pits.