Residents from two separate villages in Ajmer district, Rajasthan, took to the streets on Thursday, voicing strong opposition against administrative decisions that they claim threaten their safety and access to essential services.
Chundari Villagers Decry Dangerous Panchayat Relocation
Villagers from Chundari in the Silora block gathered at the Ajmer district collectorate to protest a recent government notification. The order shifts the headquarters of the Silora gram panchayat from Chundari to Badgao. The community submitted a formal memorandum to the District Collector and warned of escalating demonstrations if their demand is not met.
The protesters highlighted that Chundari has served as the gram panchayat headquarters since 2005. They argued that the move to Badgao poses a significant safety risk. "Badgao village is located on the opposite side of the national highway," explained one villager. "To reach the panchayat office, people will have to cross this busy highway, which is extremely dangerous as there is no underpass."
They emphasized that the specific stretch of road is officially listed as a black spot for accidents, and forcing villagers to cross it regularly would inevitably lead to more tragedies.
Pachhipala Fights to Keep School Within Village
In a parallel demonstration on the same day, residents of Pachhipala in the Arai block staged a protest at the office of the Central Block Education Officer. Their grievance was against the decision to shift their local government school to Motipura.
The villagers submitted a memorandum requesting that classes be allowed to continue in the village community hall. They stated that while the original school building in Pachhipala is dilapidated and was closed by the education department, merging with the Motipura school is not a viable solution.
According to the memorandum, Motipura is approximately 3 kilometers away. The villagers fear that the traffic on the connecting road will deter young children from attending school regularly, effectively denying them education.
Broader Demand for Accessible Education
The protest in Pachhipala found support from neighboring communities. Residents of nearby Jayoni ki Dhani also submitted a memorandum concerning their primary school. They demanded that the school, which currently operates from a rented building in their village, should be allowed to continue functioning there, ensuring education remains accessible to local children.
Both protests underscore a growing tension in rural Ajmer between administrative reorganization and the ground realities of village life. The core issues of physical safety and easy access to governance and education are driving these communities to threaten larger agitations if their concerns are not addressed promptly by the district authorities.
