DO OR DIE STRUGGLE TO SAVE SANDESH PLAYGROUND

DO OR DIE STRUGGLE TO SAVE SANDESH PLAYGROUND

22-FEB-ENG 6

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA------------------------------There is widespread anger in the Sandesh block headquarters complex of Bhojpur district these days. Local villagers have been protesting for several days to save the playground, the future of the region's youth and the only haven for sporting talent. Ironically, even after so many days of the protest, no representative of the government or administration has considered it appropriate to address the protesters, further deepening public anger.

In his address, Bhagwati Chaudhary, who presided over the protest, strongly criticized administrative apathy. He said that this playground is not just a piece of land, but the future of the children and youth of this region. It is our moral duty to protect it. He questioned the officials' intentions, saying that despite the Block and Regional Office having sufficient land available, construction work is deliberately being carried out in the middle of the playground. We have been continuously protesting this injustice, but officials and public representatives have fallen on deaf ears.

Sonu Gupta, who was conducting the program, raised the issue of the area's plight, saying that Sandesh Block has been a victim of neglect for decades. The administration and government have consistently ignored public interest and acted arbitrarily. Today, the people of this area are struggling for basic amenities like clean drinking water, proper drainage, and sanitation, but no one steps forward to address these problems. Now that the future of the youth is being compromised, the residents will not tolerate it at all.

The protesters have now hardened their stance with a "do or die" resolve. The villagers have clearly warned that if the government and the concerned department do not immediately intervene and stop the construction work, they will block National Highway-81 (NH-81) indefinitely. This decision is a collective resolution of all the villagers, and they are not willing to back down until their demands are met.

The unity of the area is clearly visible in this protest. A large number of local residents and youth, including Mananjay Singh, Ravinath Ram, Sanjay Kumar, Aftab Shahabadi, Lalababu Singh, Ranjay Kumar, Sudhir Kumar Gupta, Vikas Kumar, Rahul Gupta, Saroj Singh, and Vijendra Kumar, attended the protest. They unanimously demanded that the administration preserve the original structure of the playground.