Sixth-Grader Holds Solo Protest at Panchayat Office
Davangere
In a time when many struggles against injustice are fading, a brave 6th-grade student has caught everyone’s attention by protesting alone. P.B. Sushmita, a student of Devaraj Arasu Primary School in Alur village, Davangere taluk, stood in front of the Alur Gram Panchayat today demanding basic facilities for her village.
Sushmita’s school road is full of potholes and in poor condition. During rains, it becomes impossible to walk, and students and teachers sometimes fall into the mud. She also highlighted the village’s lack of clean drinking water, demanding a water center be set up soon. Additionally, the damaged sewage system causes dirty water to flow onto the roads, creating problems for everyone.
To protest, Sushmita tied a placard with her demands to a plastic chair outside the Gram Panchayat office. Her main requests were to fix the school road, repair the sewage system, and build a clean drinking water facility.
After noticing her solo protest, the Gram Panchayat Development Officer (PDO) came to talk with her and promised to address her concerns. Sushmita then withdrew her protest.
Sushmita said the village lacks basic amenities, but after her protest, work has begun to clean the drains. A tender has been issued to repair the school road. Although the clean water unit was moved to another village due to space issues, the PDO promised to set one up in Alur soon. Sushmita warned she will protest again if her demands are not fulfilled.
