In the heart of Beawar, activists and villagers gather late in the afternoon on October 11. They sit on a carpet laid across a triangular section of road between the historic Chang gate and the district’s moderately bustling market. The crowd chants in Hindi, as volunteers hand out fliers for the words that have animated them for decades — “ Hamara paisa, hamara hisab ” (We will account for our money), “ Hum jaanenge, hum jeeyenge ,” (We will know, we will live), and “ Hum ladenge, hum jeetenge ” (We will fight, we will win).

Chang gate is historical, not just because villagers say the structure dates back to the colonial era, but also because of the 1996 protest held here. Then, at least 200 labourers and farmers called officials to “jan sunwayis” or people’s hearings, confronting

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