Government Bows at Dawn: Hanuman Beniwal’s Overnight Highway Protest Forces Acceptance of Farmers’ Demands

Jaipur/Nagaur, Jan 14:
In a major political and agrarian development in Rajasthan, the state government bowed to mounting pressure early Wednesday morning after an all-night protest led by Nagaur MP and Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) chief Hanuman Beniwal. Following intense overnight negotiations, the administration accepted all 15 demands raised by farmers, prompting Beniwal to call off the agitation at around 5 a.m.

The protest was launched against alleged inaction on illegal sand mining (bajri mafia) and a range of farmers’ issues. Beniwal, along with thousands of supporters, had begun a march from Riyanbadi towards Jaipur. Late at night, the massive convoy—comprising over 2,000 vehicles—was halted at Badi Ghati toll plaza, the last village on the Nagaur district border, after district authorities sought talks.

Overnight Talks, Morning Breakthrough

Negotiations were held in multiple rounds after midnight between Hanuman Beniwal and senior officials, including Nagaur District Collector Arun Kumar and Ajmer Range IG Rajendra Kumar, along with other administrative and police officers. After nearly nine hours of discussions in freezing cold conditions, the talks concluded successfully at dawn.

Addressing supporters around 6 a.m., Beniwal announced, “The government has accepted all our demands. This is a historic victory for farmers.” He said that had the talks failed, a massive sit-in (mahapadav) would have been staged in Jaipur later in the day.

Key Decisions Taken

According to Beniwal, the administration has given written assurances on all 15 points. Major decisions include:

• Immediate action against sand mining mafias in Riyanbadi, starting Wednesday.
• Deployment of mining department survey teams, establishment of permanent checkpoints, and installation of surveillance cameras.
• Strict action against officials found colluding with illegal miners.
• Disciplinary action against the SDM accused of changing land use of grazing land (gochar).
• Special compensation package for farmers whose land is affected by the Merta–Pushkar Ras railway line project.
• Adequate compensation for crop losses due to excessive rainfall.

Beniwal displayed the written agreement to the crowd, stating that the government had formally committed to implementing the decisions.

Massive Public Support

Thanking supporters, Beniwal said the movement succeeded because of public unity. “In biting cold, thousands of farmers and RLP workers stood on the highway for nine hours. The government had to bow before the people’s strength,” he said, adding that the protest remained peaceful throughout.

Earlier, the convoy from Riyanbadi stretched for several kilometres, with only farmers’ vehicles visible on the highway. On the administration’s request, the procession was halted near the district border to avoid escalation.

A Movement Built Over Days

The agitation was the culmination of sustained protests in Riyanbadi over the past 36 hours, during which two massive rallies were held. Beniwal had first reached the protest site on Sunday and staged an overnight sit-in. After giving the administration a two-day ultimatum, he resumed the agitation on Tuesday evening and announced the Jaipur march late at night when talks failed to begin.

With the acceptance of demands, Beniwal appealed to supporters to return home peacefully, declaring the Riyanbadi farmers’ movement a complete success.

The episode has once again underscored Hanuman Beniwal’s political clout in agrarian Rajasthan and highlighted the growing pressure on governments to act decisively on farmers’ issues and illegal mining.