Umaria , Frustrated by a 30-year wait for a motorable road, residents of a remote village in Madhya Pradesh's Umaria district staged a unique protest by planting paddy along a dangerous, mud-caked stretch they use for commuting.
A video of the unusual demonstration, held in Karigadhari village under Manikpuri gram panchayat in the Bandhavgarh Assembly constituency, has gone viral on social media over the last two days.
Carrying paddy saplings, villagers, including women, children, youngsters and elderly, gathered on the muddy stretch and planted them as a mark of protest against prolonged neglect.
"We have only seen this muddy stretch since our birth. Unseasonal rains make it extremely difficult for us to step out. Our fathers pleaded with the district administration, sarpanch, government, and local MLA, and now we are doing the same. But now, we are tired of begging them," Suresh Singh Gond, a resident of Karigadhari, told PTI.
He added that because the stretch is unfit even for pedestrians, residents decided to cultivate crops there instead.
"Maybe now the government will feel ashamed and finally build us a road," Gond remarked.
{{/usCountry}}"Maybe now the government will feel ashamed and finally build us a road," Gond remarked.
{{/usCountry}}According to villagers, the road becomes particularly dangerous during the rains, as two-wheelers frequently skid on the stretch and riders get injured.
Children, the elderly and other villagers also face difficulties in commuting, they said.
Last week, the village came into the spotlight after a video showing children crossing a river to reach their homes went viral on social media, residents said.
When contacted, Karkeli Janpad Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Himanshu Singh said officials had seen the protest video.
"We have seen the video. We will send an engineer to inspect the site and, based on the estimate, we will get the road constructed soon," he told PTI.
The protest has once again brought into focus the lack of basic infrastructure in the tribal-dominated area.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.