I filled a bottle of it and took it to the new Chief Minister. I wanted to see if things had changed, so I stopped in the same bazaar as before and asked if dirty water was still pouring out of local handpumps. A group of youths gave me a suspicious stare before saying that the water was now clean but they had not had either pani or bijli for a month, which is why they had blocked the road to Alwar last month. ‘‘There was a lathicharge, a woman’s head was broken open, people were arrested. But now we get water and electricity for six hours a day,’’ said Ramesh Singh, among those who were arrested.

I asked the usual questions. What was the school like? Good, they said, and teachers came regularly. They also had the oldest and best hospital in the district, but here the governing committee which charged exorbitant rates was driving away good doctors. Can you have them all sacked? I explained that I was merely a reporter but surely they should be making these complaints to their MP or MLA. They laughed in my face.

Did I notice any changes since I was last here? Yes. There were several new houses, a brand new temple, a new road was being built, television had brought them enough information for them to be able to have a cogent discussion on OBC reservations. They were divided on reservations, liked Dr Manmohan Singh and Vasundhara Raje but made the usual complaints about vikas. When I asked what kind of development they had in mind they seemed unsure.

... contd.