Other States - Rajasthan   

Citizens for evolving organised resistance

Special Correspondent

Excessive use of force by policemen condemned at the meeting

JAIPUR: Speakers at a citizens' dialogue on violence in Kho Nagorian village over the Jaipur Development Authority's move to acquire a stretch of land used as a burial ground here on Thursday called for evolving an organised resistance to break the alleged nexus which wants to corner community resources.

Nearly 50 persons were injured, many of them seriously, in a clash with the police at Kho Nagorian on the outskirts of Jaipur on Monday when the JDA tried to take possession of the land reserved for allotment to a commercial outfit to start a private university. An accord for its allotment as graveyard for use of local villagers has since been reached.

Civil rights activists, academicians and intellectuals speaking at the citizens' dialogue felt that excessive use of force by policemen -- storming into houses and beating up old men, children and women - sent across signal that the State Government wanted to benefit those close to powers that be.

Sawai Singh of Samagra Seva Sangh said the land mafia and capitalist forces wanted to deprive the people of their resources while police was helping them. He called for building up citizens' capacity to resist `the authoritarian rule' in the State.

The president of the State unit of People's Union for Civil Liberties, Than Singh, said the private universities were being promoted in the State at the cost of people's assets even though they were not adhering to the norms of University Grants Commission.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader, Waqar-ul-Ahad, said the local community had not encroached on the Government land and was only asserting the fact regarding its use as a burial ground. Educationist Prakash Chaturvedi said there was no justification for sending police force to the site except to terrorise the people.

Rohit Dhankar, secretary of Digantar, which is running a community school nearby, pointed out that the school was also facing demolition threat following the JDA decision to reserve the land for the private institution. He said police brutality was an act of vengeance over the delay caused by court cases in allotting the land to the commercial establishment.

Former civil servant Anil Bordia, who was instrumental in launching Lok Jumbish, said the State's response to people's demand should be sympathetic and considerate. M.L. Mehta, former Chief Secretary, felt that tolerance level in the State machinery had reduced and said all aspects of the issue should be analysed by preparing a report on the incident and its background.

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Citizens for evolving organised resistance

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