Deprived for decades, Tharus choose their own track - Thousands start constructing 20km road connecting 35 villages

of Done region with district headquarters R.N. SINHA Ramnagar (West Champaran), Nov. 9: Each time a new government comes to power, the Tharus wait in anticipation. All they want is proper roads that connect the headquarters at Ramnagar with the Done region around 20km away. Each government pledges to look into their demand. And the promises continue to be on paper only. Tired of such promises and a wait that lasted for six decades since Independence, the tribals have now taken upon themselves the task to build the roads, using their own resources.

Several thousand men and women from more than three dozen Tharu dominated villages under Bankatwa, Naurangia and Karmahiya panchayats of Ramnagar block in West Champaran have started working to build the 20km road connecting the headquarters and their hamlets. The people, under the banner of Akhil Bharatiya Tharu Kalyan Mahasangh, are using every possible resource that is available within the region, which falls along the borders of Nepal and Uttar Pradesh. On the ongoing mission of road construction, the local unit president of Akhil Bhartiya Tharu Kalyan Mahasangh Parmeshwar Kaji told The Telegraph: There has been no development in the region and we have been neglected. Governments have come and gone but no one has paid any attention to our needs. Finally, we have decided to do the work (of road construction) ourselves. He said: We have resolved not to collect or use any material such as stone chips and soil from Valmiki Tiger Reserve Project area for the road construction. Kaji added that the road would benefit about 30,000 people across 35 villages in the region. About three years ago the work for the road construction was started here. However, owing to the obstacles put forth by the forest department, it was stopped midway. After the work finally started, the issue of Valmiki Tiger Reserve came in. As a result, the work was left mid-way and we were deprived of the development that is guaranteed to everyone under the Indian Constitution, Kaji said, adding that the forest issue was used as an excuse. The ones involved in the construction work, including Gagandeo Mahto, Richa Devi, Krishna Mahto, Chinta Mani Mahto, Vijay Mahto, Gauri Shankar Prasad and Shital Mahto, said even the Tharu authority, which was brought up for the welfare of the community, has failed to do anything substantial. They pointed out that as a result, the entire Done region remained entirely neglected. The timing of the move by the Tharus has become a hot topic of discussion among government officials, as it clashes with chief minister Nitish Kumars Seva Yatra, which starts at

People of the Tharu community construct a road in Pipra village. Picture by Munna Raj

Dhanha today. Sources said this would send a message to the chief minister, who has been speaking about development across the state at every public meeting. At every meeting, after every discussion with officials he (Nitish) speaks about the development across the state. The act by the Tharus would show him the exact situation prevailing in places such as these, a villager said.