Fast forward

“I am here from 7 in the morning till midnight,” says Mapari as he points to the ground in front of the Yadavbaba Temple,Ralegan Siddhi’s Ramlila Maidan,where hundreds of people have been sitting and protesting since August 16.

His cellphone rings every couple of minutes. Callers from across the state inform him about the protest schedules in their places. He meets groups of Anna supporters who visit the village in groups. “Anna is not here. These people have taken the trouble to come here. They should at least be able to meet the sarpanch,” he says.

As the crew of television channels approach him for “sound bites”,he leads them to an elderly villager and says,“Talk to him,he’s very good on TV.”

At the gram sabha meeting,Mapari waits patiently as a rather bellicose youngster talks about “blocking the highway”. Mapari then stands up and addresses the villagers,“Do not make the mistake of thinking that a battle can be won by blocking roads and burning buses.”

Mapari,who took charge as sarpanch of Ralegan Siddhi in August 2010,lives with his parents,wife,and three children. His 19-year-old daughter studies in an engineering college in Pune while his younger son is in class XII. The eldest son assists Mapari in farming.

Before the anti-corruption agitation started,Mapari’s days would start at 5 a.m. with a morning walk. After breakfast,he visits his farm—30 acres of irrigated land with four cows—where he instructs labourers about the work that has to be done.

He then goes to his office,where he has to deal with files,meet people and solve disputes. He goes home at about 7 p.m. and has dinner with his family. “I like to watch old Hindi films. When I have time,I attend kirtans in nearby villages,” says Mapari.

Though the sarpanch’s term is for five years,Mapari says he will resign after completing two-and-a-half years and give a younger member the chance to take over. “This will set an example for others. Besides,who says you need a post to serve society,” he asks.