Lal, a native of Mahamaya Nagar district, has been sitting on an indefinite dharna in front of the Vidhan Sabha since November 8, 1994. He is protesting against the sudden termination of his job.

“The most precious years of my life have been spent sitting on a dharna here. Now, I will not move until I get justice,” he says.

A father of two daughters and three sons, Lal has gone home just twice in all these years. The most recent trip was a few years ago when his elder daughter refused to get married without his presence. The other time was seven years ago on his brother’s death.

A typist in the irrigation department at Barabanki, Lal was sacked from his job in 1989 without being given a valid reason. Till 1994, he ran from pillar to post to get himself reinstated. But all his pleas fell on deaf ears, following which, he decided to sit on a dharna.

Lal subsists on whatever his family members, who visit him from time to time, give him and some friendly passers-by. “Itne salon mein ab to intna vyavahar ban gaya hai ki log apne ap madad kar dete hain (Now it has become a habit with people to help me),” he says. Not a single minister has visited Lal in all these years.

Sanjay Mukhi is treading the same path. He is on a dharna for the last five years, demanding employment. Despite Supreme Court orders of employment of apprentices trained at Power Corporation, Mukhi says there are over 20,000 such unemployed apprentices like him in the state but none were this dedicated to fight for their rights.

After his mother and wife died three years ago, Sanjay never went home. His social life revolves around dharna site — asking newcomers about their problems and suggesting ways to protest. Like Lal, he is also dependent on whatever other protesters give him to eat. “I had a electronics business but that suffered a major loss six years ago. I have spent all my money on this endeavour. I have just one mission in my life and will fight for justice till my last breath,” says Sanjay.

As they watch people leave the dharna sthal just after a few hours, days or weeks of protest, Sanjay and Lal still hold on to the hope that someday some minister will lend them an ear.