The Congress may well be celebrating the success of All India Congress Committee vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s Kisan Sandesh Yatra in Adilabad district on May 15, but the event has also generated a negative aspect.
The Yatra has caused enormous heartburn among many other farmer families who too had lost their bread winners, but belonged to villages outside the purview of the padayatra.
The curiosity which the Yatra had generated before its start eventually gave way to disenchantment among the families in question, as Mr. Gandhi handed over cheques of Rs. 2 lakh as financial aid to each of the families of five famers he visited. “Why was our case not considered for such financial aid,” questions Barre Bhoja Reddy, father-in-law of farmer Elluri Prabhakar Reddy of Devapur in Talamadugu mandal, who committed suicide on April 1, this year.
“We feel as if we are uncared for,” observes Santosh, younger son of farmer Chilka Bhumanna of Bheemsari village in Adilabad mandal, who committed suicide on January 28, 2015. “The Congress party should have considered us also for the kind of financial aid that was given to the families during the Sandesh Yatra,” he adds.
“As he cannot possibly visit all families of distressed farmers, Mr. Gandhi should have summoned us to the place where the padayatra was held,” said Bhoja Reddy, barely hiding his anger. His widowed daughter-in-law, Vani, gave a subtle nod while Prabhakar Reddy’s mother sat petrified, a condition she has been in since the death of her son.
The news of the AICC leader handing over the cheques to the bereaved families in Nirmal Assembly constituency reached Kalavathi, the illiterate widow of Chikkalwar Vittal of Nirala in Jainad mandal who committed suicide on March 30, only on Sunday. It first evoked some hope only to give way to disappointment when told that the Congress party is done with the succour business.
According to reports, as many as 73 farmers committed suicide between June 4 and December 31, 2014 and 26 so far this year. The government continues to delay conducting inquiries in a majority of the cases which makes the grief of the kin even worse.
Adilabad District Congress Committee president A. Maheshwar Reddy told The Hindu that the issue would be discussed at the TPCC level soon. “We have distributed aid worth Rs. 25,000 to 69 families in November last,” he points out.
“We will be discussing the issue at our mini Mahanadu to be held in Adilabad town on May 20,” discloses Adilabad west district unit TDP president, Lolam Shamsunder. The TDP had also distributed financial aid to the tune of Rs. 50,000 to 72 families in October, 2014.
