Arish mujawar
As India celebrates its 76th year of independence, a small village in Mahabaleshwar taluka of Satara district, which happens to be the home turf of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, is still struggling for its basic rights and dignity. The villagers of Ghonsapur have been living in a state of deprivation and despair for decades, as they have been denied access to a proper road and a functional health center by the government.
The village, which is located at the foot of Madhu Makarand fort, has a rich history and culture, as it is inhabited by the hereditary owners of the temple land and the local residents for generations. However, their heritage and identity have been ignored and eroded by the authorities, who have failed to provide them with any development or relief.
The villagers have to face numerous hardships during the monsoon season, when the nearest ghat road gets closed due to landslides and they have to walk for hours through muddy paths to reach Mahabaleshwar. They also have no access to a nearby health center, which has been approved but not operational due to pending relocation permission from the ministry.
The villagers have expressed their frustration and anger over the government’s apathy and indifference towards their problems. They have contrasted their situation with that of rich people and companies who get easy permission from the forest department to build lavish cities like Sahara City and Lavasa City on forest land.
They have also appealed to the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who belongs to their region, to intervene and solve their issues. They have expressed their hope that he will bring some development and relief to their area.
The villagers have also shared their plight on social media using #Manghar_to_Dudhgaon_road hashtag, hoping to get some attention and support from the public. They have also shared some heartbreaking pictures of their village, where a 65-year-old paralyzed woman had to be carried on a wheelbarrow for 12 km to reach a clinic in heavy rain.
The villagers of Ghonsapur are not asking for much. They just want a decent road and a working health center that can make their lives easier and safer. They want to enjoy the fruits of independence that their fellow citizens take for granted. They want to be treated with respect and dignity by their government. They want to be free from neglect and injustice. Is that too much to ask?
