It is almost 40°C and slight sun exposure and activities cause depletion of water and salt in the body. Given the weather condition majority of people prefer to remain inside. However, there is a group of people who sweat it out under the blazing sun and scorching heat pressing for their demand at Jantar Mantar.
With a ray of hope, these protesters have come from across the country and have been braving the Delhi summers for days or even for weeks. like their ethnicity and origin, their demands are also assorted. There are 40 odd Dalits who have been protesting against the police’s inaction for months and others are fighting for due respect for Indian languages. Several are demonstrating against labour rights violation and inequality. Despite their dissimilar issues, their concern is common — simmering heat.
“When rain hit a few days back, we had nowhere to find shelter. The tents that we are staying are barely any help in such situations,” said Jagdish Kajla, resident of Bhagana village of Haryana. He and 40 others of his Dalit community, mostly women and children, have been on a continuous dharna for past one month. They are protesting for four minor girls who were allegedly raped by the village sarpanch’s kin and cronies.
“We have to fight the heat; we can’t leave without getting justice for the girls. A few women and children have already fallen ill because of the heat. It seems that we don’t exist to them. Although we have met the Home Minister, gheraoed UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s residence, nobody has paid slightest attention to our cause,” he said.
Kajla further said, “Drinking water is another problem that we are facing here. A water tanker is sent here after every 2-3 days, which is not sufficient most of the times. We have to dial 100 whenever we need water; we even had to threaten them of protest in front of Rashtrapati Bhavan if water was not provided on time.”
Chandraveer Singh, who is a member of Bharatiya Bhasha Andolan, said they had been surviving on food served from a gurdwara. “We have been sitting here for more than a month. It is not easy for us to commute from one place to another in Delhi, just to get some drinking water. Some of the members cannot afford frequent travelling. So, we go to the nearby gurdwara to feed ourselves. The Government has not only showed indifference to our cause but also to basic needs of the people protesting here.”