Thread by @hrishirajanand_

#GujaratElections2022
Traveled for a month across Gujarat, went up till last villages before the borders. I did stories ranging from rural belts on caste, minorities to education & unemployment. #Gujarat helped me bring to u what's invisible for TV media
A thread of all stories+

In the city of Ahmedabad, even today, Section 144 is always applicable, and has prevented the activists from protesting.
The police has often quoted laws in the Court, text for which is still not accessible to the Courts.

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The Disturbed Areas Act is known to many. But what has it left the settlements residing in corners of Ahmedabad in? The State sponsored communal divide in these areas are marked by tall boundaries that restrict interaction between Hindus & Muslims

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In past 2 yrs, at least 23 Urdu medium primary schools have been either shut or merged.
What leads to spike in dropout rates?
Schls shut in the name of renovation, while shops cont to run in the same building.

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The saga of water crisis owing to petty politics.
20 yrs ago when Modi was a CM candidate, he promised "tum meri jholi voton se bhar do, mai tumhara sarovar pani se bhar dunga." Promise remains unfulfilled in place where PM's own relatives reside

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Why these 3 villages have done a complete boycott of elections after taking a pledge at the local temple?
For 3 years, villages namely Davol, Dahisana & Varetha do not even have a tehsil rep or a Sarpanch.
People do not vote here. Why?

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A tale of delayed vacancies, students with Masters degree facing Unemployment and a crisis that has stayed for over 7 years now.
This story highlights particular vacancies that have been given alleged 'revdis' right before elections.

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A temple with 2 doors, villages with multiple crematoriums, no share in public spaces, and the Valmikis being the most oppressed of all.

A place named 'Ambedkar Nagar' in clutches of casteism.
Promise of 2017 to end 'casteism' only on papers.

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An abnormal rise in fodder prices, casteism within the dairy hub, & how this generation of small scale farmers are compelled to work 3 shifts at 3 diff places.

How the rise in fodder prices and other factors are milking the small farmers dry.

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While farmers from across the country participated in the farmers protest 2020, farmers from Gujarat were stopped from doing so.

Why farmers shifting to private markets?
The market rates in Gujarat for groundnut and mustard is more than the MSP.
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The canals that were supposed to be inaugurated by PM, broke right the next day after testing.
Contractors and govt engineers do not even respond to the local's msgs.
While PM announced water reaching Rayan, the village is yet to see a supply in fields.

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Last Mile voters before Pak border: End of roads where journey to villages begin, pastors forced to trade dung for water from rich farmers & places where even the govt representatives do not visit.
Clear contrast from villages that lie in Rann Utsav area.
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Freelancing teachers of Gujarat: also known as 'pravasi shikshaks'.
Teachers function at pay around Rs95 per lecture, and no pay for vacations.
All of this while posts in the primary teachers remains pending.

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Relatives in Khoda village get mineral water for their loved ones when they visit instead of sweets.
40-60 year olds in every house remain bedridden due to the high TDS water that they drink on a daily basis.
Youth knows their fate but are helpless.
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Behind the ambitious Bharat Mala Project lie hundreds of farmers whose ancestral land was surveyed and taken without any info to them.

Between the two sides of roads in Vanthadau village lies a big cut where a farm of fruits lie.

A tale of rebellion

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A special thanks to @newsclickin for the constant support & giving a platform to the stories from rural Gujarat.