Condition of kings of Dang more pitiable than their subjects

The Kings of Dang have been getting annual pension since the time of the British rule and continue to receive pension even today. However, the pension that the government gives to the kings is barely enough to meet their daily expenses.

Dang (Gujarat): Dang district is the only place in the country whose five kings still receive political pension as per the tradition that has continued from the time of British Raj. And yet, the condition of these kings is worse than their subjects.

The five kings of Dang district have a unique history. These kings have been getting annual pension since the time of the British rule and continue to receive pension even today.

Dang has been accorded a special status even after the princely states were incorporated into the Republic of India. Forests of Dang are rich in teak wood. These forests are treated as the property of kings of Dang. Like the British, the present government cuts teak trees and sells the wood. In return, the government pays political pension to the kings. However, the pension that the government gives to the kings is nothing but a joke. The condition of the kings is worse than the common residents of the district.

According to the King of Linga, Chhatrasinh Bhanwarsinh Suryavanshi, there are five kings, nine Nayakas, 14 partners and 869 of their relatives. Considering this, the pension they get is very less. The pension they get barely meets their daily expenses.

All the five kings of the district had recently submitted a petition to the district collector stating that the pension of Rs 10 given to them did not even meet their expense on tea and bidi. The collector, on the other hand, is vested with the financial powers with regard to all the social, educational and economic activities.

The resolution regarding political pension provides for a bullock cart for the kings to travel from one place to another, which too, they said, was a joke. The petition demanded the kings should be given at least a Maruti Suzuki Ertigo car at the time of the annual Dang Durbar festival by handing them over the keys to these vehicles as a gesture of honouring them.

The kings also demanded reintroduction of the Patil and Karbhari system. There are in all 312 Patils and 313 Karbharis in Dang district.

The Dang collector rejected these demands. Dejected thus, the kings rued that because of their status, they were not able to take up a job. The amount of pension they get was too meagre to meet the expenses of their large families.

The kings of Dang are honoured only for a day when the Dang Durbar is held. Rest of the year they live like any other ordinary person. They survive on rain-fed farming and live in house made of bamboo.

Dang

The kings lament that they lead a life of extreme hardship and point out that even a peon in a government department gets more money as salary. The kings say by giving them a paltry sum as political pension as compensation for the teak wood harnessed from the forest which they own, the government was actually insulting them.

Annual political pension the kings get:

1. Karansinh Yashwantrao Pawar, Gadhvi Raj

Rs 1,29,898 (monthly Rs 10,574)

2. Chhatrasinh Bhanwarsinh Suryavanshi, Linga Raj

Rs 95,816 (monthly Rs 7,984)

3. Dhanrajsinh Chandrasinh Suryavanshi, Vasurna Raj

Rs. 77,739 (monthly Rs. 6,478)

4. Tapatrao Anandrao Pawar, Daher Raj

Rs. 86,391 (monthly Rs 7,199)

5. Trikamrao Sahebrao Pawar, Pimpri Raj

Rs 1,04,316 (monthly Rs 8,693)