Agra: Woman Who Was Demanding Road, Drainage System Dies After Protesting For 81 Days

Agra Woman Protester Dies: A 48-year-old woman from Vikas Nagar area of Agra in Uttar Pradesh died at a protest site on December 2, yesterday. Rani Devi was participating in the Siroli-Dhanoli road protest which demanded a road and proper drainage system in Dhanoli, Ajeejpura and Siroli villages of UP. The woman had been part of the protest for the last 81 days.

Rani Devi's "cold and stiff" body was found by her 22-year-old son, who works as a labourer. He had gone to give her mother morning tea when he found her in that state and called a doctor, who declared Rani Devi dead. The deceased woman's 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 stiff and cold. We called a doctor who declared her dead. The district administration is solely responsible for her death."

Rani Devi was a regular protestor at the site ever since it began on October 13. The protesters are mostly local residents who have been demanding proper road, sanitation and drainage systems for nearly three months now. The area's Sub Divisional Magistrate Lakshmi N has confirmed that the woman died at the protest site and said that the body has been sent for post-mortem. As per Lakshmi N, the woman's family will be provided with "monetary assistance from chief minister's relief fund and benefits under other government schemes."

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Along with Rani Devi, an 85-year-old woman Kirti Devi, who used to sleep beside her, also fell unconscious and was taken to hospital. On December 5, she along with Chaudhary Prem Singh had dug up land near the protest site and observed a sit-in protest.

Social activist Savitri Chahar, who is leading the protest said that issue such as lack of sanitation and hygiene, waterlogging and poor road has been raised in the past three years. While the local authorities there ensured the protestors to resolve the waterlogging issue, nothing happened.

As per District Magistrate Prabhu N Singh, development works worth Rs 43 crore was proposed for Dhanoli and nearby areas. The construction of the road was initiated and temporary arrangements were made to solve the waterlogging issues as well. The administration was also working on a permanent drainage system. Singh added that help will be provided to the deceased woman's family.

The protesters, in the last 81 days, have removed their hair, sat inside potholes and waterlogged streets, gone on hunger strike, amongst many other things to get the administration's attention. They also placed boycott posters for the upcoming Assembly Elections in Uttar Pradesh.

The Legislative Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh are scheduled to be held from the month of February to March 2022, for 403 seats. The term of the current assembly will end on May 14, 2022. In order to form the new government, a party or coalition will need 202 seats for a majority. The prominent political parties in UP elections are Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) and Congress, amongst others.

Image Credit: NDTV