Jaisalmer: A 725km long Oran Bachao foot march from Jaisalmer to Jaipur began from Tanot Mata temple complex Wednesday. The main demand is registration of Oran grazing lands in govt revenue records.Organisers said the march is expected to reach Jaipur in about 30 days, with large public assemblies planned in towns and cities along the route. They expect participation to grow into thousands by the time the march reaches the state capital, where the group plans to register a protest before the govt. The first assembly is scheduled in Jaisalmer city on Jan 25. A member Sumersingh Sawanta said the march began after worship and prayers at Tanot temple. He said the district administration had earlier sought three months to complete registration of Oran land in revenue records, but the deadline ended on Jan 19 without concrete action. “After the assurances were not fulfilled, people decided to go to Jaipur and present the demand strongly,” he said. Sawanta said a movement launched in Jaisalmer three months ago did not yield results despite assurances from public representatives and officials. The group expects to reach Jaipur around Feb 21 and plans to meet chief minister. If the govt does not respond positively, organisers said they will stage a sit-in in Jaipur. Environmentalist Bhopalsingh Jhaloda said Rajasthan has around 25,000 Orans, including about 100 in Jaisalmer district, but only a small portion of the land is officially recorded. He alleged that traditional community rights in “verbal” Orans are being ignored. He said proposals for 17,562 bighas of Oran land have been sent to the state government with recommendations for approval. Organisers said rallies are planned in Pokhran, Jodhpur and Ajmer to build wider support.
