Agartala Aug 3: In a scene that paints a grim picture of neglect and desperation, villagers from South Ghilatali in Khowai district of Tripura staged a dramatic protest today (Aug 3) by sowing paddy saplings on a road so dilapidated it has become unusable. The sowing act transformed a lifeline of connectivity into a muddy symbol of official indifference.
It may be noted, the protest comes in stark contrast to a recent Supreme Court ruling that declared access to safe, motorable, and properly maintained roads as an essential component of the fundamental right to life under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.
A bench comprising Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan observed in its verdict that the right to freely travel within the country – with certain exceptions and restrictions under certain circumstances – was guaranteed by the Constitution. And the right to safe, well-maintained, and motorable roads is recognised as a part of the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution of India.
Ironically, villagers and even local officials seem unaware of the landmark judgment. The lack of awareness, compounded by chronic administrative apathy, has left the community deprived of a basic necessity that is now legally affirmed as a constitutional right.
The road that became the site of this unconventional protest serves as the only route connecting South Ghilatali to nearby areas. Residents allege that the road has been in a deplorable condition for years, with its state deteriorating drastically during the monsoon season. Despite repeated appeals and memorandums submitted to the administration, no visible effort has been made to restore the road to a usable condition.
The crumbling stretch has caused severe disruptions in daily life—affecting school-going children, patients in need of medical care, daily wage earners, and even those accessing essential government services such as the panchayat office.
With patience exhausted and hope diminished, the villagers resorted to this symbolic protest, sowing paddy saplings into the pothole-ridden stretch to make a powerful statement: if the government cannot fix roads, perhaps they should be treated as farmland.
“This was our last option. We have knocked on every door, but our voices were ignored. Now we are showing what our road has become—fit for crops, not commuters,” said one of the protestors.
The protest has stirred local conversations, but residents say what they truly seek is action, not sympathy. Whether this act of defiance prompts long-overdue intervention remains to be seen.
