Guwahati News Desk: A female protestor named Rani Devi, who had been protesting for 81 days in Agra, died at the protest site on Sunday.
According to sources, Devi had been protesting demanding a road and proper drainage system in the villages of Dhanoli, Ajeejpura and Siroli in Agra for the past 81 days.
During the protests, the 48-year-old Devi was accompanied by other local people, who shouted slogans at the district headquarters, sat inside potholes and waterlogged roads, went on a hunger strikes, and placed posters to boycott the upcoming Assembly elections.
The social activist Savitri Chahar, who is leading the protest, said, “In the past three years, we have raised issues such as lack of sanitation and hygiene, waterlogging, and poor road and drainage. We had staged a protest over these issues last year as well following which the local authorities told us they will resolve the issue of waterlogging, but nothing has been done so far.”
Regarding Devi, she was a resident of Vikas Nagar who was living with her 22-year-old son in a rented house. She had been regularly protesting at the Siroli-Dhanoli road protest site since October 13.
Expressing grief over Devi’s death, her son said, “I used to tell my mother to not go to the protest site at night but she was adamant. She had slept there on Saturday. She did not wake up when I went to give her tea on Sunday morning. Her body was cold and stiff. We called a doctor who declared her dead. The district administration is solely responsible for her death.”
Meanwhile the District Magistrate Prabhu N. Singh said, “Development works worth Rs 43 crore have been proposed for Dhanoli and nearby areas. Following the demand of locals, the construction of roads was initiated. Earlier, temporary arrangements were made to clear waterlogging. We are also working to develop a permanent drainage system. Suitable help will be provided to the deceased woman`s family.”
