Since yesterday plenty of rumours are floating around. With tremendous pain, I thought of sharing yesterday’s unfortunate and tragic incident of Jantar Mantar. In a “Kisan Rally” organised by AAP, a farmer named Gajendra Singh from Dausa district of Rajasthan ended his life. The sole motto of writing this is to bring out the truth from an eyewitness. After reading series of events in both mainstream and social media, I am presenting here what I saw, without any“Mirch-Masala”. One is free to form his or her own opinion though.
AAP volunteers using carpet to help Gajendra
The rally place appeared very crowded. Gajendra must have climbed the tree at very start. To get a better look of the stage, people usually climb upon the trees here. It’s a common sight at Jantar Mantar. So nobody cared that much, though Delhi Policemen posted here for security reasons should not let anyone do it. Another noticeable thing I found that there was no checking as such at the entry gate. I found no policemen carrying metal detector. Having attended Mundka and Karawal Nagar rallies of Delhi CM recently, I found it a bit surprising. But at that time I didn’t mind much.
Anyways, as soon as Manish Sisodiya, Arvind Kejriwal and Kumar Vishwas arrived on the stage, people in the name of “Guest teachers” started creating chaos. Incidentally, they were sitting under the same tree Gajendra had climbed. They stood up at their place and started their hullabaloo. Gajendra started doing these activities too sitting on the tree. Few AAP volunteers saw him there and informed the stage. At first, everybody thought Gajendra was a guest teacher too. Kumar Vishwas started appealing to guest teachers on mic and requested them to calm down and take their places, since CM and Deputy CM had already met them so many times and accepted their demands. Still if they wanted to meet CM, Arvind Kejriwal will grace them, he told.
Kumar Vishwas repeatedly asked Gajendra to come down, but he didn’t. Vishwas even appealed, “You can come to the stage and meet CM now,” but he didn’t respond. Then Vishwas asked Delhi Police umpteen times to bring him down. But Delhi Policemen didn’t move their muscles and stood firm on their places just like a mute spectator. Eventually Vishwas became angry and started questioning Delhi Police, “How come they let him climb on the tree at first hand?”
Then Sanjay Singh took the mic from Vishwas and repeated the same things many times. Sadly the result was no different. Policemen were not ready to listen at all. Meanwhile Vishwas got the news that BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri had raised the question on Guest teachers issue at the same time. Vishwas became more aggressive and started speaking, “Ye BJP karwa rahi hai. Agar kuch gadbadi hoti hai to Delhi Police jimmewar hogi…”.
It continued for some time. Meanwhile, Gajendra wrapped his “Gamchha” around his neck and everybody got the impression that he is attempting suicide. Seeing Delhi Police in denial mode, Manish Sisodia told volunteers to climb the tree and bring him down. After repeated requests, guest teachers didn’t sit down. Risking their own lives, 2-3 volunteers somehow started climbing that tree. Volunteers under the tree were requesting Gajendra with folded hands to come down. Two 3-star police officers (Read Dhirendra P Singh & Rajendra Meena) along with 4-5 constables were standing near the tree.
Volunteers were literally begging before policemen, saying- “Sir Kuch Kariye”. But policemen replied with, “Apna Kaam Karo.” This indicated Delhi Police were mere spectators and bystander all through this incident.
Nevertheless, as soon as volunteers reached up there on the tree, Gajendra had hanged himself. Volunteers untied or teared his “Gamchha”, but lost the balance and Gajendra fell down. Volunteers standing under the tree were holding the carpet (on which they were sitting) in their hands. Still, Gajendra’s body hit the ground. But he was still breathing. Volunteers rushed him to RML hospital as fast as they could. All this while the rally was stopped. Leaders from the stage were making announcements to make way for those carrying Gajendra. Finally at RML hospital, Doctors declared him brought dead.
Few MLAs and health secretary were also sent to RML, so that Gajendra could get instant treatment, but alas! he was no more. People at Jantar-Mantar became angry with Delhi Police for their inactivity and started sloganeering, “Dilli Police Haay-Haay”. Leaders from the stage somehow controlled the situation.
Through media reports and tweets, leaders on the stage got to know later that Gajendra was a farmer from Dausa and had left a suicide note behind him.
Guest teachers (who weren’t looking like teachers from any angle to me at least) kept shouting and beating Dholak etc. They continued this Tamasha even after being told that it was a matter of someone’s life and death. The chaos also restricted people from focusing on Gajendra earlier, and it hints towards some conspiracy.
PS: Everything I wrote here can be verified from any media person present there at Jantar-Mantar to cover the “Kisan Rally” of AAP. A video of entire rally proceedings is also available on Youtube.
