A first-class science graduate from Rohtak’s Maharishi Dayanand University, Mehul* had dreamt of becoming a lawyer. The 23-year-old was in LLB first year when his father Ramesh Malik*, a farmer, died by suicide on October 7 last year. Mehul found his father’s body inside his room adjacent to the main gate of their humble two-room dwelling in Rohtak’s Atayal village.
Ramesh owned around 10 hectares of farmland. He had also taken agricultural land on lease to augment his earnings. Two years ago, he took a loan for his daughter’s marriage but could not repay it with his meagre income. The outstanding loan now stands at ₹14 lakh, including the interest.
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The sudden death of Ramesh turned the life of his family — his wife and three children — topsy-turvy. The most affected was Mehul, whose priorities suddenly changed from pursuing his dreams to earning a living for his family. He dropped out of the law course to work as a “beldar”, a Group D job, in Haryana government’s irrigation department.
Though the family owns a large parcel of land, it cannot grow anything on it as it has turned infertile because of moisture caused by increase in groundwater level and salinity.
“For almost five years now the land has become completely barren. Similar problem exists in several neighbouring villages. Crop production is just 10-20% of what it ought to be. Ramesh also took land on lease, but could not even recover the input cost,” said his wife Jyoti*.
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Earlier, Ramesh had taken a loan of ₹8 lakh from Punjab National Bank in Sampla and had to sell a plot to repay it.
Notices from bank
Several days before his death, Ramesh had stopped talking to his family members. He had received notices from the bank to repay the outstanding loan. “He was worried about the mounting debt,” said Jyoti.
The 45-year-old said Ramesh always wanted to provide quality education to their children.
The family has been getting reminders and phone calls from the bank even now, but they have no means to return the huge loan. Mehul said that if the loan is not waived off, they would be forced to sell their land.
Jyoti regretted that no help had come their way even seven months after Ramesh’s death. “I have not got a single penny from the government. We knocked at every door, even met Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar,” she said. Jyoti is yet to get the widow pension.
She said her family may have been a victim of “political power play” as the local MLA and MP are Congress leaders Bhupinder Singh Hooda and his son Deepender Singh Hooda respectively, and the State is ruled by the BJP. Even the Sub-Divisional Magistrate has not completed the judicial probe into the matter.
“The government only seems to pay lip service to the farmers. The increase in the Minimum Support Price has been offset by the multifold increase in input cost. Even as farmers die unable to make both ends meet, the government sells the dream of doubling their income,” said Mehul, summing up the plight of the farmers in the State.
(*All names have been changed)
Suicide prevention helpline: Sanjivini, Society for Mental Health, 011-4076 9002, Monday to Saturday (10 a.m.-7.30 p.m.)