In Mandsaur, a town in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, an elderly farmer named Shankarlal was seen rolling on the floor of the local collectorate office, pleading for help. The office, located about 670 kilometers from New Delhi, witnessed this unusual scene as Shankarlal repeated, “What should we do now?” His distress drew the attention of visitors who looked on with concern.
Shankarlal, dressed in a rugged and worn-out dhoti, was desperate to bring attention to his plight. He claimed that his land had been illegally occupied by a local mafia, and despite multiple complaints, the authorities had taken no action. This lack of response pushed him to this extreme act of protest within the halls of the collectorate’s office.
In his appeal, Shankarlal expressed his frustration and suffering. “I am troubled by the land mafia,” he said. “The Tehsildar makes a mistake, and the farmer suffers. They make mistakes, and I suffer the consequences. I am unhappy with the government and the administration. The officers here are corrupt. We are so troubled… farmers are being cheated.”
मंदसौर के बुजुर्ग किसान हैं, कहते हैं कहीं सुनवाई नहीं हो रही आरोप है कि ज़मीन फर्जी दस्तावेजों के जरिये कुछ लोगों ने हड़प ली है … कलेक्टर दफ्तर से यूं निराश होकर लौटे … pic.twitter.com/bpAHfHp2NH
— Anurag Dwary (@Anurag_Dwary) July 17, 2024
Efforts to get a response from the Mandsaur collectorate office by the news channel were unsuccessful. However, the local administration later clarified that Shankarlal and his family still officially possess the disputed land. The land in question is located in Sukhad village and comprises two areas: one measuring 2.5 hectares and another 1.01 hectares.
This 1.01-hectare plot is jointly held by Shankarlal and his family members, including Anokhilal, Bhagwan Bhai, and Resham Bhai, sons of Phoolchand, as well as Baba Ghasiram, Karu Lal, Ramlal, Prabhu Lal, Mangi Bai, and Parvati Bai. According to reports, half of this land was sold to an individual named Ashwin on December 31, 2010, as per a sale deed.
However, the sold land remains in the possession of some family members, including Karu Lal, Ramlal, Prabhu Lal, Mangi Bai, and Parvati Bai, who are unwilling to transfer it to Ashwin.
It is not clear whether Shankarlal sold the land under pressure or if there were other factors involved. The ongoing dispute has left him and his family in a state of distress, highlighting the challenges faced by farmers in dealing with land issues and bureaucratic inefficiencies.
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