Angry & Helpless

Surendra was a cotton farmer in a small village near Anji area in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra. He had a family owned land which was used to produce cotton. Over the years Surendra produced cotton from the land and was taking care of his family comprising a wife and three children.

Surendra woke up in the morning with the sound of heavy rainfall. His heart sank. It was mid of October and rains at this time were not common in Maharashtra and also were not good news. He was hoping that it stopped raining immediately or sooner but not later. He looked up to the skies and said a silent prayer to the rain gods to stop.

The story in Vidarbha region had been consistent. The weather had been completely unpredictable. It would either not rain or it would rain out of the season ruining the crops.

Surendra was worried because last year had been a complete disastrous year for the crop due to famine and this year will continue to be disastrous if it doesn't stop raining. Surendra's wife joined him on the porch of their house with teary eyes. She knew the kind of stress that Surendra was under due the loans taken from banks and from money lenders. She patted him on the shoulder and told him it will all be ok and he shouldn't worry.

As luck would have it, Rains didn't stop for a lot of time. Heavy rains kept lashing the Vidarbha region and floods washed off the crop completely. Surendra could only think of how to repay the loans and how he will feed his family for the coming days.

The subsidy and famine relief fund which was to come from the government for the last year had not come on time. He kept visiting the gram panchayat and talking to the authorities without any solution.

To make one more attempt, Surendra again went to the gram panchayat and enquired about the funds but the response was same, no one from the government has any clue when would the funds come in or whom to talk to. Surendra got very angry but he knew he couldn't help getting angry with the system. He headed to the money lender from whom he had been borrowing money for the crops and farming equipment. All that he got from the money lender was abuse for not repaying the earlier loan.

Surendra was furious. He was angry about the system, he was angry with the money lender who was only lending a cold shoulder for the moment. He was angry with the weather, he was angry with himself that he couldn't give a good life to his children to his wife.

He reached home that evening drunk with whatever money he had. He had his dinner and quietly slept off. But within his head he was still very angry and he had slept with a resolve. A resolve which would end all his family's sorrows.

Two days later, Surendra and his entire family was found dead in their hut. Surendra had killed his children, his wife and then hanged himself by the roof of his hut. In the bout of anger, disappointment and helplessness Surendra had committed this unthinkable act.

Every year Vidarbha in Maharashtra sees many such cases of farmer suicides! November 2019 saw 300 or more farmer suicides. In last 5 years over 7700 farmers have committed suicides in this region.

Yes the weather has been uncertain, yes it is act of God but what leaves everyone angry is how mercilessly the money lenders still exploit these farmers. Even more horrendous are the stories of indifference and neglect by the Government, the elected representatives of these regions - the ones who remember to make this a election agenda and never remember to get a resolution to it. It serves the purpose - it serves the next election agenda!

Image Source - Economic Times