Have criminal record, become a village pradhan

The three candidates, out of a total 11 in the fray in Pyavali, have cases of abduction and murder registered against their names. At Jarcha police station, hardly four km away from the village, two constables guard a cache of 217 licensed firearms — a massive stock for such a small area — which was confiscated for the election period. Every second household in the village boasts of country-made illegal firearms.

So the silence is forced and peace synthetic. Terror reigns in this region infested by agrarian violence and dominated by Gujjars who hold the maximum land.

“Violence breaks out at slightest provocation here. And now when the three big men are fighting, we can only hope for the worst when the village goes to poll on Tuesday,” says a worried villager.

True to the character of the village, the candidates wear `all-is-well’ expressions while making confident claims about their victory. Surrounded by their loyal men all the time, they talk of everything but themselves.

“I am a holy man. I have have little interest in politics. But I had to oblige my wellwishers who forced me to contest for the Pradhan’s post,” says Jayveer Bhati, booked for kidnapping and murder in 1997.

The village is painted with his banners and posters, but Bhati denies any expenditure in campaigning. “I have just spent Rs 500 so far, of which half the amount was used for the election deposit,” he says. He gets agitated at the mention of the word violence or allegations that he is distributing free liquor to villagers. “I have no connection with it at all. As I already said before, I am a simple holy man,” he insisted.

But Ramphal Singh, father of another contestant Kallu Ram, is very candid about the entire affair. “Violence, of course. Only those who have wealth and power can fight Panchayat elections. It is not a game of ordinary people,” he declares. “It is sort of a tradition in the village, that the losing party unleashes violence. We are sure to win and also prepared to face any attack,” he adds.

Tarachand Verma, booked for kidnapping and murder in 1992, says that he believes in simple living. But his lifestyle defies his words. A sitting member of the Block Development Committee, he drives a Maruti on the bumpy village roads. “I am the most honest person in this village. I have not spent a penny on any publicity material. I just pay door-to-door visit for my campaign,” he says.

Tarachand faces a challenge from his brother Nandkishore, also booked for kidnapping and murder in 1992. “My brother is just a dummy candidate for me,” says Tarachand.

The allegations fly thick and fast. As for people of Pyavali, there is little hope in store for them. Development is hardly visible, education is scarce and prosperity confined to a few households.

So with all the silence and terror, the villagers now feast on the free liquor being served to them by candidates. “This the only benefit we get out of the elections and we enjoy it thoroughly,” says Ramakant.