In a heart-wrenching case of social injustice, 85-year-old Dalit widow Santara Devi has been fighting for her 2 bigha land in Machwa village for the past 11 years. The land, which was allotted to her late husband by the government, has become a painful symbol of exploitation and government apathy. Santara Devi and her 20-member family have been evicted from their land by powerful local strongmen who have occupied the property and built 23 shops on it. The land, valued at around Rs 23 crore today, now belongs to the influential figures in the area, while Santara Devi and her family are left homeless, living on the road.
Santara Devi’s land, allotted under a government scheme for landless Dalit families and legally protected from sale or transfer, has been illegally occupied. The land, legally protected under the law, cannot be sold or transferred. Despite this, powerful local figures, allegedly including Machwa Sarpanch Rajendra Sherawat and another Sarpanch from the Sarna Panchayat, have managed to illegally occupy the land by forging documents. According to Santara Devi, the occupiers created fake institutions, such as the Vijaypura Grih Nirman Sahakari Samiti and Sirohi Grih Nirman Sahakari Samiti, to facilitate the land grab.
The ordeal began over seven years ago when Santara Devi and her family were forcibly evicted from their land. When they tried to build a small hut on the property, the accused allegedly burned it down. Now, the family is forced to live on the road, with no home or land to call their own. Santara Devi’s son and family members have to work as labourers to survive.
In July of this year, Santara Devi lodged a complaint at the Kalwar police station, clearly detailing how the land was usurped through fraudulent means. Despite appealing to the police, district administration, and even the Chief Minister’s office, no action has been taken. In a press conference held on Thursday, Santara Devi shared her painful story with the media, exposing the social and legal neglect she and her family have faced.
Legal experts like Advocate Ramesh Kumar have called this an organised crime and a clear case of fraud against Dalit families. Social activist Swapna emphasised that this case is not just about Santara Devi but highlights the broader issue of exploitation faced by marginalised communities. She urged the authorities to take immediate action to prevent such injustices from continuing.
The continued apathy from authorities and the systematic exploitation of vulnerable Dalit families like Santara Devi’s paints a grim picture of social inequality that needs urgent attention from both the government and society.
