Despite Multiple Complaints to the Collectorate, Farmer Takes Extreme Step After Being Denied Access to His Field
Pichhore: A farmer from Umrikalan village in the Pichhore subdivision climbed a mobile tower on Wednesday to protest against being denied access to his farmland. The farmer, Jagat Singh Lodhi, had previously lodged complaints with the Collectorate twice, seeking intervention to open the path to his field, but with no resolution. Frustrated with the lack of action, he resorted to this extreme measure.
Allegation Against Forest Department for Blocking Access
Jagat Singh Lodhi’s wife, Deepti Lodhi, explained that their 14-acre farm is adjacent to forest land. Last year, the land was demarcated, but the only access to their field was through a path that runs through the forest land. In addition, there was another route to their field. However, forest officials allegedly had some people plant peanut crops on that path, effectively blocking it. Whenever they tried to access their field, they were met with threats and violence from local thugs.
Spreading Peanut Seeds at the Collectorate
It is noteworthy that Jagat Singh Lodhi had previously raised this issue at the district headquarters during public hearings held on July 14 and July 30. At that time, he was eager to sow peanut seeds in his field but was unable to reach it. Out of frustration, he scattered peanut seeds in the Collectorate premises on both occasions. Although he received assurances from the authorities, no action was taken. This led him to climb the mobile tower on Wednesday, hoping to draw attention to his plight.
Family Blocks Manpura-Khod Road
According to reports, when Jagat Singh Lodhi’s demands were not met, he climbed the mobile tower in the village at around 2 p.m. on Wednesday. About an hour and a half later, the administration arrived on the scene and attempted to persuade him to come down, but he refused, insisting that he would not descend until his path to the field was cleared. Despite several attempts to negotiate, including the involvement of Forest Ranger Anurag Tiwari, Tehsildar Shivmangal Singh Gurjar, and Bhonti Police Station In-Charge Gitesh Sharma, the farmer remained adamant. The officials also visited the disputed land where others had encroached upon the path but were unable to resolve the issue by late evening.
Family Lies Down in Front of JCB
When the administrative team arrived at the disputed site and began removing the encroachments on the forest land, the family members of those who had encroached on the land lay down in front of the JCB machine. They insisted that they would not vacate the land, threatening to end their lives if the machine moved forward. The encroaching family argued that they had no other land to sustain their livelihood and that the crop on the encroached land was their only means of survival. They further insisted that many others in the area had also encroached on forest land and demanded that the authorities remove all encroachments before touching theirs.
As of the time this article was written, Jagat Singh Lodhi had not come down from the tower, and the administration had not succeeded in removing any encroachments. The administrative team remained on site in the forest, continuing their efforts late into the night.
Quote:
“We have been at the site since 4 p.m., trying to open the path and persuade the farmer to come down from the tower.”
– Shivmangal Singh Gurjar, Tehsildar, Pichhore
