The wives of farmers who ended their lives owing to mounting debts took part in a protest organised by Mahila Kisan Adhikar Manch (MAKAAM) at Azad Maidan on Wednesday. Most of the participants hailed from Marathwada and Vidarbha.
Chhaya Vitthal, a protester, said, “My husband killed himself 18 years ago. I am struggling to educate my daughter who is in Class XII. I don’t have a ration card and depend on daily wages to support my family.” Several protesters said that the names of their husbands were not mentioned in the list of suicide victims. One woman said that she was denied compensation from the State government because traces of alcohol were found in her husband’s blood.
Mandha Alona, a native of Wardha, said it was important to fight for their rights. She said, “My husband committed suicide two years ago. He had taken a huge loan to treat his dislocated hip, but the bank deducted the amount from the pension I received. The matter was resolved after I met the Chief Minister and sought his intervention. It taught me that if you raise your voice, you will be heard.”
A survey conducted by MAKAAM covering 505 families from 11 districts showed that 33% of widows have not submitted an application for the pension scheme, 26% applied but did not get an approval and 34% got their pension approved. After the death of their husband, 29% of women were unable to get their land transferred to their name.
Ravi Duggal, independent researcher and consultant, said, “There is a basic problem with budget allocation. Very less amount has been allocated to rural development. Even in the allocated funds only half of it is actually spent. Maharashtra ranks at the top when it comes to per capita income. But there is a huge gap between urban and rural population. The tax rates are the same in both urban and rural areas and it becomes unfair given the difference in income. The same tax of 4% in urban areas effectively amounts to 28% in rural areas when compared with the income of rural families.”
