Haryana’s Crane Bedi can’t contest

Rahti Devi is not merely an outgoing sarpanch here. For many in Santori village in Karnal district, Haryana, she is like a JCB machine (which is used to raze encroachments). According to rough estimates, she has removed encroachments from at least 10 acres of panchayat land, which has a market value of Rs 3 crore. She got an anganwadi centre and a marriage hall constructed on the vacated land, and is now planning a big park.But that may not materialize because the 62-year-old has become ineligible to contest the panchayat election this time going by the new eligibility rules.
She studied up to class 4 while the law mandates that only a woman who has completed middle school or passed class 8 can contest the polls.
Rahti Devi got married soon after securing admission in the government school at her parental village Barsana (Yamunanagar).
“I was just ten when I was married. My village had only a primary school (up to class 5). For further study, I would have had to go to a school in a neighbouring village but it would have been tough as I did not know cycling,” she says.
Rahit Devi’s enthusiasm to free public land from encroachment has not met with approval from all quarters. Many complain that the land she got vacated is being used to store bitora (heap of cow dung cakes). Many say her demolitions were politically motivated. But Rahti Devi is unfazed by the criticism. “The encroachers even assaulted me twice during demolition drives but I did not stop the drive, because I wanted to send a message that I am not like the previous sarpanches,” she adds.
Many village women laud Rahti Devi’s courage. “She had already warned villagers not to encroach on panchayat land by making loudspeaker announcements,” says Kiran Kamboj, who, like Rahti Devi, is from the Kamboj caste which falls in the category of backward classes in Haryana.
Rahti Devi admits that education has its advantages but stresses that illiterates should also be allowed to contest the polls. “Sometimes, illiterates are more intelligent than literates,” she maintains.