Ex-Gujarat farmer uses RTI to seek his land back decades after family migrated to Rajasthan fearing reprisal

By Pankti Jog*
Abdulla Akelbhai has crossed 70. Yet, he decided to travel all the way from a village called Faikaron Ka Nihaan, from the border areas of Barmer district of Rajasthan to our Saturday legal clinic in Ahmedabad. The Mahiti Adhikar Guajrat Pahel (MAGP) had just returned from its campaign, with Right to Information (RTI) On Wheels, in the area from where Abdulla hails.
“I had gone to Jaipur the day your van visited our area”, Abdulla said. “I got your RTI pamphlet that you had left on the tea stalls and dhabas, which were useful. I came to know that I can track my forefathers’ land in Gujarat using RTI.Thus, I have come here”.
On returning from the border areas of Rajasthan, we were somewhat familiar with a dialect of Sindh area. Miyana, Vagher and Sandhi communities of Gujarat, and people in the boarder villages of Barmer, Bikaner, and Jaisalmer, speak this language. It is also spoken in the entire Sindh area, which now lies in Pakistan.
Abdulla told me, “My grandfather Abdulla Maulena used to live in a Mankol village of Sanand State. I got my name after him. Ruler Prabhatsinh Vaghela, known as Darbar, gave him 52 bighas of land for tilling (tenancy). He used to cultivate wheat, which was famous in this area.” He didn’t know the exact year, but said it was certainly about years ago. Maybe 1915..."
He recalled: “My grandfather and Prabhatsinh Vaghela were more like a friend, There were not many Muslim families in my village. Once villagers asked the ruler why he had given this fertile land to a Muslim family. Prabhatisinh was very angry. He pointed his gun towards the villagers. This land-related issue was sought to be turned into a sort of Hindu-Muslim conflict in the aftermath of Partition.”
“It was against this backdrop that my grandfather decided to shift to the border area Rajasthan, a Sindh area”, Abdulla went on. “With time, our families spread out to several villages. A few of them went to Pakistan, while others remained in Rajasthan. Till 1995, the borders were not wire-fenced, and people did not realize the difference of being in two countries. Times have changed. Now we can’t meet our brothers.” Abdulla was in tears.

The 1946 receipt on the basis of which Abdulla is seeking information

“Did you ever try to locate your land after migrating to Rajasthan?” I asked Abdulla. His reply was: “My grandfather died in 1955. In 1954, we remember visiting Gujarat to meet our ruler Prabhatsinh and his son. They welcomed us, and asked us to stay and continue tilling the land. But by then, we had heard very scary stories of relationship between Hindus and Muslims in Sanand State, and were were scared to return.”
“How come you thought of tracking your land now, after almost 60 years?” I questioned. Abdulla replied, “After settling down in Rajasthan, which is a dry area, my grandfather always missed his lovely wheat fields and the area with ample of water. He use to tell us stories. It was his wish that we should once again cultivate that land. I did not inquire about it because we were apprehensive.”
“But now I am old, and my sons, too, have settled down in their life. Hence, I decided to find my own way, return to farm. When I heard of RTI, the first thing came to my mind was to locate documents of my land”, he asserted.
Abdulla has studied up to 4th standard, but has very good understanding about laws and policies. He already has read our small booklet on RTI, and I was surprise to find that he knew exactly which documents he should seek from the government. He had receipts of the rent paid to the then Inamdar – Ambalal Sarabhai – for tilling this land, which was to become the basis of his RTI query.
“In the year 1946, my grandfather paid 8 rupiya and 12 ana towards ‘vighoti’ (rent for tilling). He told us that he paid in silver coins”, Abdulla quipped.
Abdulla’s RTI application was drafted for seeking copies of the documents of the land from 1915 till 1947. Land records of pre-Independent time are in the archives, and can be sought under RTI. It is also possible to know the current status of the land, by getting access to documents VII and XVI from the block revenue officer.
“What you will do, after knowing the status, your land must have been transferred to many people by now”, I queried. He replied, “After independence, during the first survey, the powerful person from the village put his name as the owner, and today his family is cultivating it. But If I get access to documents, I will be able to tell your government that ‘this land belongs to us’.”
He regretted, “I could not come here for tall these years to get my land due to to family responsibilities.” But now he realises that “forgetting your farmland is like forgetting your mother.” Ha adds, “It’s my duty to come back to my land. I will give those documents to the heir of Prabhatsinh – Tikubapu.”
Abdulla may have planned to put up a case against the new owner, but does not have the time to fight a long battle the court. But he is sure that RTI will help him fulfill his grandfather’s dream, of locating the land, and proving their ownership… He has begun the process of locating 100-year-old document of his farm through RTI.
---
*Senior activist, Mahiti Adhikar Gujarat Pahel, Ahmedabad

Comments

US-China truce temporary, larger trade war between two economies to continue

By Prabir Purkayastha The Trump-Xi meeting in Busan, South Korea on 30 October 2025 may have brought about a temporary relief in the US-China trade war. But unless we see the fine print of the agreement, it is difficult to assess whether this is a temporary truce or the beginning of a real rapprochement between the two nations. The jury is still out on that one and we will wait for a better understanding of what has really been achieved in Busan.

Mergers and privatisation: The Finance Minister’s misguided banking agenda

By Thomas Franco The Finance Minister has once again revived talk of merging two or three large public sector banks to make them globally competitive. Reports also suggest that the government is considering appointing Managing Directors in public sector banks from the private sector. Both moves would strike at the heart of India’s public banking system . Privatisation undermines the constitutional vision of social and economic justice, and such steps could lead to irreversible damage.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Rajiv Shah Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Political misfires in Bihar: Reasons behind the Opposition's self-inflicted defeat

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The Bihar Vidhansabha Election 2025 verdict is out. I maintained deliberate silence about the growing tribe of “social media” experts and their opinions. Lately, these do not fascinate me. Anyone forming an opinion solely on the basis of these “experts” lives in a fool’s paradise. I do not watch them, nor do I follow them on Twitter. I stayed away partly because I was not certain of a MahaGathbandhan victory, even though I wanted it. But my personal preference is not the issue here. The parties disappointed.

Celebrating 125 yr old legacy of healthcare work of missionaries

Vilas Shende, director, Mure Memorial Hospital By Moin Qazi* Central India has been one of the most fertile belts for several unique experiments undertaken by missionaries in the field of education and healthcare. The result is a network of several well-known schools, colleges and hospitals that have woven themselves into the social landscape of the region. They have also become a byword for quality and affordable services delivered to all sections of the society. These institutions are characterised by committed and compassionate staff driven by the selfless pursuit of improving the well-being of society. This is the reason why the region has nursed and nurtured so many eminent people who occupy high positions in varied fields across the country as well as beyond. One of the fruits of this legacy is a more than century old iconic hospital that nestles in the heart of Nagpur city. Named as Mure Memorial Hospital after a British warrior who lost his life in a war while defending his cou...

New RTI draft rules inspired by citizen-unfriendly, overtly bureaucratic approach

By Venkatesh Nayak* The Department of Personnel and Training , Government of India has invited comments on a new set of Draft Rules (available in English only) to implement The Right to Information Act, 2005 . The RTI Rules were last amended in 2012 after a long period of consultation with various stakeholders. The Government’s move to put the draft RTI Rules out for people’s comments and suggestions for change is a welcome continuation of the tradition of public consultation. Positive aspects of the Draft RTI Rules While 60-65% of the Draft RTI Rules repeat the content of the 2012 RTI Rules, some new aspects deserve appreciation as they clarify the manner of implementation of key provisions of the RTI Act. These are: Provisions for dealing with non-compliance of the orders and directives of the Central Information Commission (CIC) by public authorities- this was missing in the 2012 RTI Rules. Non-compliance is increasingly becoming a major problem- two of my non-compliance cases are...

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

Shrinking settlements, fading schools: The Tibetan exile crisis in India

By Tseten Lhundup* Since the 14th Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959, the Tibetan exile community in Dharamsala has established the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) as the guardian of Tibetan culture and identity. Once admired for its democratic governance , educational system , and religious vitality , the exile community now faces an alarming demographic and institutional decline.

N-power plant at Mithi Virdi: CRZ nod is arbitrary, without jurisdiction

By Krishnakant* A case-appeal has been filed against the order of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and others granting CRZ clearance for establishment of intake and outfall facility for proposed 6000 MWe Nuclear Power Plant at Mithi Virdi, District Bhavnagar, Gujarat by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) vide order in F 11-23 /2014-IA- III dated March 3, 2015. The case-appeal in the National Green Tribunal at Western Bench at Pune is filed by Shaktisinh Gohil, Sarpanch of Jasapara; Hajabhai Dihora of Mithi Virdi; Jagrutiben Gohil of Jasapara; Krishnakant and Rohit Prajapati activist of the Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a notice to the MoEF&CC, Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Gujarat Coastal Zone Management Authority, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and case is kept for hearing on August 20, 2015. Appeal No. 23 of 2015 (WZ) is filed, a...

Search This Blog