Barmer, May 25 -- Shiv MLA Ravindra Singh Bhati, who has been sitting on a dharna with workers in Giral village for the past 20 days, wrote a three-page letter, purportedly written in blood, to Union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday, raising concerns over the ongoing protest by mining workers in Barmer district. The workers have been protesting for the last 45 days, demanding implementation of an eight-hour work shift instead of 12 hours, along with basic facilities such as safety kits and identity cards. Bhati said the workers' legitimate demands were not being heard despite continuous demonstrations in the scorching desert heat. Bhati said hundreds of workers in Barmer's Giral village had been protesting in harsh desert conditions for basic rights, including an eight-hour workday, safety equipment, identity cards, and job security for local residents. He wrote that many workers belonged to Dalit and backward communities whose families had given their land for the mining project and later became labourers themselves. Bhati accused authorities of ignoring the workers' grievances, attempting to divide them on caste and religious lines, and removing local youths from jobs instead of addressing their demands. Addressing the media during the protest, Bhati said people from all communities had united in support of the workers and even wrote to theShah using their blood to highlight their suffering. He urged the government to understand the workers' pain and resolve the issue. Bhati said several rounds of talks had taken place with the administration, where agreement was reached on some issues, but many demands remained unresolved. He added that the workers had submitted a 23-point charter of demands and claimed no official paid attention to the agitation for nearly 40 days until local residents surrounded the collectorate.The MLA also criticised a recent High Court order related to the matter, alleging that important facts were not properly presented before the court. According to him, many workers once owned the land acquired for mining operations in 1994, but this background was not brought before the court. The protest is linked to lignite mining operations being carried out by Rajasthan State Mines and Minerals Limited in Giral and nearby areas....