JAIPUR: Sriganganagar district of Rajasthan continued to be on the boil on Saturday as thousands of farmers led by leaders of the Congress and Left parties kept their vigil over the body of Chandu Ram Saran in the wilderness near DD 6 village on the way to Gharsana town along the Anupgarh-Gharsana road.

Chandu Ram of 10 LM village, a victim of police lathicharge on farmers on October 16, had succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday and the farmers are demanding compensation for his family from the Government prior to the cremation of the body. Information reaching here from DD 6 village said there had been no intimation from the State Government about any negotiations on the issue.

On Friday the BJP Member of Parliament from Sriganganagar, Nihal Chand, had offered to "arrange" Rs.4 lakhs for the family of the deceased, which was promptly rejected by the Kisan Mazdoor Vyapari Sangarsh Samiti (KMVSS), which is spearheading the agitation for irrigation water in the Indira Gandhi Canal Project Phase I area. The BJP-led State Government has also sent Additional Chief Secretary D.C.Samant to the area.

Pradesh Congress Committee president B.D.Kalla, vice-presidents Chandra Bhan and Raghu Sharma, former MP Ramnarain Dudi, CPI (M) State secretary Vasudev, party MLA Amra Ram, CPI leaders Tara Singh Siddhu and Nisha Siddhu and KMVSS leaders Sant Lekha Singh and Vallabh Kocher are at the farmers' "padav" (siege), fed by the inhabitants of neighbouring villages.

According to Sant Lekha Singh, the farmers might consider the option of making a "kooch" (march) to Delhi via Jaipur with the body of Chandu Ram. They have called for a closure of agricultural markets and a roadblock in the districts of Bikaner, Sriganganagar and Hanumangarh on Monday.

The ruling BJP received a jolt on Saturday as its maverick MLA from Sriganganagar, Surendra Singh Rathore, joined the squatters vehemently criticising the anti-farmer policies of the Vasundhra Raje Government.

"We have not heard anything from the Government yet. So far no senior elected representative or a Minister has been deputed for talks," Tara Singh Siddhu said talking to The Hindu from the `padav'. "We are determined about the battle ahead for water. However, the immediate need is a decision on the body which is waiting for an honourable disposal," he said betraying the discomfiture of the leadership over the macabre situation.

The KMVSS leaders Hetram Beniwal and Sahibram Punia, who were brought to Japur Central Jail to facilitate negotiations a week ago, were sent back on Friday to the district jails they were brought from.

Talking to journalists here, PCC spokesperson Param Navdeep Singh blamed Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria for making an "irresponsible" statement on the cause of death of Chandu Ram. "Mr.Kataria said the victim had died after a heart failure. How does he know when no autopsy has been done on the body?" She asked. Mr.Kataria's was a pre-emptive attempt to influence any future enquiry into the death of Chandu Ram, she alleged. Referring to the memorandum submitted to Governor Pratibha Patil the other day demanding dismissal of the Government, Dr. Param said the Congress was "fully" involved in the farmers' agitation.

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