Rural Self-Rule

Many villages in Telangana are overriding the official guidelines and enforcing their own lockdowns

- Rahul Devulapalli

These days, there is no way one can travel through rural Telangana without encountering hostile inquiries, blockades and vigilantes. The sheer impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in the state has led to the creation of thousands of bordered territories within it. In the aftermath of the lockdown, many villagers are following a shift system to guard the entrances to their villages, in order to prevent the entry of “foreigners”.

Madanapuram in Nalgonda district, a village of just 1,500 people, is headed by the youngest sarpanch of the state, 23-year-old Akhila Yadav. With a scarf over her nose and mouth, and a stick in hand, Akhila stands guard at the village entrance.

Almost every day of lockdown has been hectic for her. No vehicle or people are allowed to enter the village without her permission. “People from surrounding villages come here to drink toddy,” she says. “I want to stop them. Since it is lockdown time, I felt that we should do our part to help the police.”

Akhila’s shift is during daytime; her father and other elders guard the entry points at night. She says that some visitors had argued with her for stopping them. “But the moment they realise that I am the sarpanch, they listen,” she says.