Capital’s rural folk press for demands at Jantar Mantar

Residents from Delhi’s rural areas gathered at the Jantar Mantar demanding their long-pending rights and solutions to unresolved issues.

Warn of protest

We have given the government 15 days to address our issues. If not, we will launch an indefinite protest. — Chaudhary Surender Solanki, Palam 360 Khap, head

The mahapanchayat was attended by residents from all 360 villages in Delhi.

Under the leadership of Chaudhary Surender Solanki, the mahapanchayat was a show of discontent with the government's handling of rural concerns. Solanki, head of the Palam 360 Khap, addressing the crowd, expressed frustration at the continued neglect faced by Delhi's rural communities.

“Delhi's villages have become neither cities nor villages, but rather slum areas. The apathy of successive governments towards the long-standing issues of Delhi's rural population is no longer tolerable,” he said.

The mahapanchayat demanded for the resumption of the land mutation processes, ownership rights to poor farmers and alternative plots for those whose lands were acquired by authorities.

“We have been raising these issues with the Lieutenant-Governor and the Chief Minister for over a year now. Apart from addressing few minor concerns, the majority of problems remain unresolved,” Solanki said.

“We have given the government 15 days to address our issues. If not, we will launch an indefinite protest,” he warned.

Among other demands was the development of villages into “smart villages”, repealing outdated land laws, halting demolition and sealing drives and removing encroachments by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and electricity companies in rural regions. Another major problem raised was the reinstatement of home guards with full benefits until the age of 60.