‘If you can’t give a road then give a helicopter’, why did the people of the tribal village of Sukma write a letter and make this touching appeal to Amit Shah?

Chhattisgarh Tribal Village Asks Amit Shah for Helicopter Over Incomplete Road: A news has come out from Sukma district of Bastar division of Chhattisgarh, which has raised a big question on the claims of development. The people of Maruki, a remote tribal village here, Union Home Minister Amit Shah Have written a letter to the government saying, “If you cannot give us a road, then give us a helicopter.”

At first glance this demand may seem strange, but the helplessness and pain hidden behind it is now attracting the attention of the entire country.

The village gets cut off from the world as soon as it rains.

Villagers say that for the last 10 years, promises have been made to connect the village by road. Road construction had also started, but the work stopped midway. At some places, pits were dug for culverts, at some places only gravel was left on the road. Now the situation is that this road almost gets closed during the rainy season. Maruki village is located in the interior areas of Sukma, where hilly roads and poor connectivity still make life difficult for people.

People carry patients on cots

Villagers told that when someone falls ill in the village, the situation becomes worst. Pregnant women, elderly people and seriously ill patients have to be carried on cots for several kilometers to reach a road. Somehow a vehicle is found from there and the patient is taken to the hospital.

The village sarpanch said, “For 10 years, we have been hearing only assurances. We went to everyone from officials to the collector, but no hearing took place.”

Even free ration turns out to be ‘expensive’

The pain of the villagers is not limited to roads only. Suka, a resident of the village, said that even to get ration one has to walk about 11 kilometers. If you find a tractor on the way, you have to pay a fare of Rs 100. He said, “The government provides free ration, but money is also spent in bringing it.”

Maoist violence reduced, but development still incomplete

Till now, Maoist violence has been said to be the main reason behind halting of development work in this area. But now the government itself is claiming that Bastar and Sukma are gradually becoming free from Naxalism. In such a situation, villagers are raising questions that when the situation is improving, then why has the road not been built till date? This is the reason why the villagers’ ‘helicopter demand’ has now become not just a joke but a big symbol against the system.

Letter went viral on social media

This appeal of Maruki village is now becoming increasingly viral on social media. Many people are calling it ‘ground reality’, while some users say that it shows the difference between development and government claims in remote areas of the country.