Chansad: Fifteen kilometres from Alkapuri town lies Chansad village. It stands out because it is one of the very few villages on the bullet train's path that have given their consent to land acquisition. Located in Padra taluka, Chansad was also the first village to seek the consent award, under which villagers got seven times the land price.

It's 5 pm when we reach Chansad, and the residents have gathered at the local kuldev temple for an evening prayer. We join in for the aarti which is being done to the beat of drums. It's a daily practice here. After 20 minutes, members of the panchayat assemble under a giant tree, located in the centre of the village which has a population of 3,500; most of them upper cast Patildars (landowners). Meeting up here and discussing matters concerning the village, they say, is a ritual.