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Vidarbha farmers still in the red

Meena Menon

Prime Minister’s package provides little relief

YAVATMAL (Maharashtra): As the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Shiv Sena set out to woo voters in suicide-hit Vidarbha, the farmers there continue to battle for survival even after the initial promise of the Prime Minister’s package.

BJP president Rajnath Singh completed a whirlwind two-day yatra on Friday in Vidarbha while the Shiv Sena held a farmers’ rally at Shegaon on Saturday.

In Bothbodan village, about 12 km from here, 18 farmers committed suicide in the last 18 months, according to Anup Chavan, former sarpanch. It had the highest number of suicides for any village in the area, he added and 11 of them followed crop failure. There were 400 families, most of them belonging to the Banjara community. The entire village was in debt. “All of us are defaulters,” said Kashinath Rathod.

Benefit that was not

The Prime Minister’s package benefited 11 persons in the village. Tukaram Rathod, who owned five acres, said: “I was among those selected and the government gave me a diesel pump. I have a well so I thought the pump would help me.” However, he ended up paying Rs. 4,000 as a “contribution” to the cost of the pump. “It did not work even once. I started it and the whole thing burnt out,” said a dejected Tukaram.

Under the package, he said he was to be given a diesel pump worth Rs. 10,000 and pipes worth Rs. 5,000. Tukaram took a loan to contribute for the pump. “The official said he would not give me the pump if I did not pay Rs. 4,000,” he said.

His woes did not end there. In 2007, he bought 32 bags of Bt cotton seeds on loan from the Krishi Kendra at Kini, a nearby village. Not a single seed germinated, he said. “The seeds cost Rs. 17,000 but I had no luck. I planted it on 15 acres which I took on rent but I got no crop,” he said. He later learnt these were fake seeds.

Now the Krishi Kendra, a private seeds and fertilizer shop, was harassing him for money everyday. “I told them if I am alive, I will repay you the amount for seeds and fertilizers,” said Tukaram. “I am on the brink of committing suicide. I have a debt of Rs. 80,000 now and I don’t know how to repay it, specially after my entire crop failed in 2007. The Kendra charges an interest of 5 per cent per month.”

In 2006, Tukaram’s 60-year-old mother Parvati killed herself. She was one of the three women from Bothbodan who committed suicide. “We got no compensation as the land was not in her name. So many people came from Delhi even and promised me some money but nothing happened,” said Tukaram. Parvati took loans to get her two daughters married and for her crop but she could not repay them in time.

“My mother did not tell us to what extent she was in debt. She said if I tell you, you will end your life,” said Tukaram, worried about how he would educate his three children. The other villagers stood around while Tukaram spoke. He kept repeating that he had no future and he wanted to end his life. “People are telling me to continue living but I really don’t know what to do,” he said helplessly.

The villagers pointed to him and joked. “It is his turn now to commit suicide. We all take turns here. I could be next,” said Devrao Rathod, a Shiv Sena worker. Everyone laughed. Like Tukaram other farmers lived in uncertainty, plagued by crop losses, poor quality seeds, lack of irrigation and poor cotton prices. This year already 35 farmers have committed suicide in Vidarbha, according to Kishore Tiwari of the Vidarbha Jan Andolan. While the BJP said it did not want to make the suicides an issue for electoral gains, the people felt no political party could really help them.

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