They live in extremely harsh conditions in the Rann and often struggle for access to basic facilities. But it is the 'protection' of a nondescript railway line that runs through their territories that is high on their list of priorities.
So much so that about 3,500 agariya (saltpan workers) families of Halvad and Dhrangadhra taluka in Surendranagar district who spend around eight months of their year in the inhospitable Little Rann of Kutch have threatened to boycott the elections if their demands are not met.
The Kuda line for which the families are agitating is the only one that helps the families transport the salt that they produce.
The Western Railways had stopped the only train that ran on the line sighting losses but now their attempts to uproot the railway line is finding stiff resistance from the locals.
"Earlier when they stopped plying the trains, we had held discussions with the Railways and even the state government in 2014 and during the 2017 Assembly Elections the state government had promised that they would begin the service. It never began but recently we came to know that they were uprooting the line. Once the line is uprooted we know the train will never resume service," said Bharat Samera, of Agariya Heet Rakshak Manch that works with Agariyas in the area.
He said earlier the salt farmers would get Rs260 per tonne of salt as they were able to transport the salt by train to markets beyond their local area. "But since the train has stopped plying the routes, the farmers are forced to sell their salt to the local traders for a measly Rs140 per tonne. Salt farming is very hard work and the farmers work in terrible conditions under the harsh sun. The train was their lifeline and now it has stopped forcing them to sell their salt cheap further pushing them into poverty," said Samera.
He further added that with the Election Code of Conduct in place the Railways are not supposed to take such a decision to uproot the lines but it was done nevertheless.
He said the families will boycott the election if the lines are uprooted.
Chandubhai Kudeta, sarpanch of Nimaknagar village said that the work of uprooting the lines have already begun. "We know it is the end of our livelihood as we know it. We have decided to abstain from voting but still 20% agaryas may still end up casting their voter," said Kudeta.
