On July 27th, when the Rajasthan Chief Minister, Ashok Gehlot was singing the praises of his own government at Bhadara Panchayat Samiti in Hanumangarh district, Vice President of Lok Raj Sangathan Hanuman Prasad, who was sitting in the Press Gallery got up to interrupt the Chief Minister to draw his attention to the problems of power and water faced by the people.
On July 27th, when the Rajasthan Chief Minister, Ashok Gehlot was singing the praises of his own government at Bhadara Panchayat Samiti in Hanumangarh district, Vice President of Lok Raj Sangathan Hanuman Prasad, who was sitting in the Press Gallery got up to interrupt the Chief Minister to draw his attention to the problems of power and water faced by the people. It was only when the Chief Minister assured him that he would resolve the problems listed in the charter of demands presented to him did Hanuman Prasad return to his seat.
It is a known fact that on July 25,26 & 27, the Chief Minister and his cabinet were making a big show of distributing beneficiary forms for the CM’s BPL Awas Yojana and Indira Awas Yojana. The Chief Minister had issued orders to the District Collector, Sub-divisional Officials, Development Officials, Pradhans, Zilla Parishad Officials, Panchayat members such as the Panch, Sarpanch and Congress leaders and cadres to specifically gather a crowd of women in the hot and humid weather.
Hundreds of people demonstrated under the banner of Lok Raj Sangathan to protest against this kind of wasteful spending of crore of rupees. Slogans such as “Stop this political drama”, “Build Lok Raj”, Long live Socialism, “Down with capitalism”, “Stop land acquisition”, “Give us water in the canals” and “Eliminate the influence of capitalists and brokers in government” rent the air.
The same afternoon, hundreds of Lok Raj Sangathan activists marched under the leadership of Hanuman Prasad to demonstrate against yet another drama, where the Parliament Secretary and Hanumangarh Minister-in-charge, Nimalal Nimama was trying to score political points by handing out beneficiary forms to women of BPL families at the Nohar stadium ground where thousands of BPL men and women were made to gather.
Madan Beniwal – President of the Mazdoor-Kisan-Vyapari Samiti, Om Sahu – State Minister of Sarpanch Union, Niyamat Ali – President of Brick Kiln Workers Union and Nohar Mazdoor Ekta Committee, Mehboob – President of Progressive Muslim Sangathan of Nohar, Manoj Chotia – Students’ Joint Action Committee, Kaniram Beniwal – President of the Bar Association, Santalal Tiwari – President of Committee for Free Legal Consultation were among the dozen speakers who participated in this demonstration.
Com. Ganesh Saini, Secretary of the Tehsil Council of LRS led the delegation to present the charter of demands. The participants vowed to carry on this joint struggle.
The demands presented were:
- Stop land acquisition
- Construct mega highway from Balsamband to Ravathsar
- Desilt the canals so that the Amar Singh branch of Nohar feeder canal will get water
- Enhance the Nohar Community Health Centre to a 100-bed hospital
- Give water and power connections to new applicants
- Stop power cuts
- Upgrade Nohar to a district
- Stop sale of liquor after 8 p.m at the Gogamati festival
- Link the Hanumangarh and Churu District courts to Jaipur High Court Bench
Along with actively supporting the Students Joint Action Committee of the Shrimati Narmada Bihani State College, Lok Raj Sangathan submitted a demand to the Administration to increase the number of seats in all schools and colleges and for filling the vacant posts for lecturers