Mother hoot
Author: Mamta Sen
Date: 07 Mar 2008
Daughters and widows of Vidarbha farmers are being sexually exploited by local politicians and moneylenders
Laxmi Bhimrao Bhupam (21) is busy juggling her two children. Her two-year-old daughter sits on a floor covered in cowdung to eat her evening meal of dry bhakri (bread made of jowar), while Laxmi feeds her month-old baby. Laxmi wants her kids to sleep before ‘visitors’ begin to arrive at her doorstep. Barely out of her teens, Laxmi is among the growing number of unwed mothers in Vidharbha who have been forced into prostitution for their daily survival after the suicide of their farmer fathers. “I was stupid to fall for a moneylender who helped out my father by lending him small sums. He often came home and promised to marry me, but after my father died he was a changed man. He threatened to throw us out if the money wasn’t returned.” If handing over their eight acres land wasn’t enough, ‘Anna’ as he is called, pressured Laxmi into entertaining his friends. “With mouths to feed, I don’t see any future for myself. Sex for me is the sole means of income,” she says, adding that she gets Rs 20-25 a day for her ‘services.’ Meerabai Meshram (30) from Matharjur village in Yavatmal (which has seven unwed mothers), says that she can’t remember the father of her eight-year-old son. “I can’t even send him to school since they ask for the father’s name for registration,” she said. “A local politician had wished to marry me. But 10 years after he ditched me, I have been ‘entertaining’ his partymen and district officers,” she shrugs. While farmers’ suicides and their widows dominate the headlines, less is written about their daughters. Advocate Vinod Tiwari, who has been fighting on the behalf of these unwed mothers, says Vidharbha has 5,000-odd such women belonging to tribal groups between the age group of 18-30. “We have submitted a list of recommendations to the state government which includes allotment of a single parent status and free education,” he said. “These uneducated women have been exploited by moneylenders and politicians. The least they can do is acknowledge their existence.” President of Vidharbha Jan Andolan Samiti, Kishore Tiwari, nods in agreement, “We have submitted a writ petition to the government asking for a compensation of Rs 5 lakh, as well as permanent jobs in places like aanganwadis.”
Friday, March 7, 2008
Thursday, March 6, 2008
VIDHARBHA SERIES IV
How do we feed cows?
Author: Mamta Sen Date: 04 Mar 2008
Farmer widows who got cattle in the ‘relief’ package found it difficult to maintain their diet
Kamlabai Ghude
Union Minister for Panchayati Raj Mani Shankar Aiyar addressing a group of widows in Wardha district on Sunday. pics/mamta sen
KAMLABAI Ghude sobs uncontrollably and in deep breaks explains why she had to sell the cow she had almost got attached to, after the suicide of her husband. Kamlabai was among the widows who received a cow as compensation after her husband committed suicide in June 2006. The 60-something Dalit widow from Lonsawali village in Wardha district says that the officials landed up at her house and made her take the cow. “I have never kept a cattle and hence didn’t know how to maintain it. This animal eats more than all of us and forget the milk, there is hardly any,” she said. According to her, the announcement of loan waiver is of no help either. “He is dead what good would it do now?” she questioned, while wiping away her tears.Anusaya Rathod, from the Banjara community from Bothbodan village in Yavatmal district is dreading the Rs 1 lakh cheque issued to her by the government for the death of her farmer husband who committed suicide by consuming pesticide. “My in-laws are demanding the money and till that doesn’t come I am being given a place to stay in the house. I don’t know where I will go once I get the money,” the 25-year-old mother of two (aged 3 and 6) said. Kishore Tiwari, president of the Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti says that between 1995-2006, around 36,428 farmers have committed suicide. “In 2007 there were 1206, while till February this year 200 farmers have committed suicide,” he says.
Author: Mamta Sen Date: 04 Mar 2008
Farmer widows who got cattle in the ‘relief’ package found it difficult to maintain their diet
Kamlabai Ghude
Union Minister for Panchayati Raj Mani Shankar Aiyar addressing a group of widows in Wardha district on Sunday. pics/mamta sen
KAMLABAI Ghude sobs uncontrollably and in deep breaks explains why she had to sell the cow she had almost got attached to, after the suicide of her husband. Kamlabai was among the widows who received a cow as compensation after her husband committed suicide in June 2006. The 60-something Dalit widow from Lonsawali village in Wardha district says that the officials landed up at her house and made her take the cow. “I have never kept a cattle and hence didn’t know how to maintain it. This animal eats more than all of us and forget the milk, there is hardly any,” she said. According to her, the announcement of loan waiver is of no help either. “He is dead what good would it do now?” she questioned, while wiping away her tears.Anusaya Rathod, from the Banjara community from Bothbodan village in Yavatmal district is dreading the Rs 1 lakh cheque issued to her by the government for the death of her farmer husband who committed suicide by consuming pesticide. “My in-laws are demanding the money and till that doesn’t come I am being given a place to stay in the house. I don’t know where I will go once I get the money,” the 25-year-old mother of two (aged 3 and 6) said. Kishore Tiwari, president of the Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti says that between 1995-2006, around 36,428 farmers have committed suicide. “In 2007 there were 1206, while till February this year 200 farmers have committed suicide,” he says.
VIDHARBHA SERIES III
Fields in the pits
Author: Mamta Sen Date: 05 Mar 2008
Villagers from Vidarbha say Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s men dug up unfinished ponds all over the field and disappeared; Art of Living says they will resume work after March 15
PIT SPOT: Minister for Panchayat Raj Mani Shankar Aiyar inspects the pit dug up by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s men
SPIRITUAL guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s attempt at rehabilitation of Bothbodan village appears to have backfired. In October last year, villagers say the Guru along with his associates came to adopt this hamlet of 975 people in Yavatmal district that had seen nearly 18 farmer suicides. According to the villagers, the spiritual guru aimed at building small farm ponds for them to store rainwater. He had emphasised that these ponds will also help as perfect irrigation system. “His men dug the ponds but failed to adhere to the exact depth of the pond leaving the work unfinished and our fields in utter ruins,” explains sarpanch Anupam Chavan. Today there are around 26 such pits dug and lying unattended on the fields, which have the farmers worried.The maximum depth of the pond is around 20 feet, while minimum is around 10 feet. But villagers say that Ravi Shankar’s men dug pits only five feet deep and left.“We are now worried about the monsoons, when these pits become a breeding ground for mosquitoes,” said Narayan Rathod, adding that it would have helped if the pits were dug to a depth of 10 feet as they are neither ponds nor wells.Another villager says that they cannot even toil the fields due to these pits.According to district information officer Ranjit Chandel the ponds are constructed only after taking the topography of the fields into consideration and checking the slope of the water.TomorrowWill the Union Budget package really help the farmers?
Author: Mamta Sen Date: 05 Mar 2008
Villagers from Vidarbha say Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s men dug up unfinished ponds all over the field and disappeared; Art of Living says they will resume work after March 15
PIT SPOT: Minister for Panchayat Raj Mani Shankar Aiyar inspects the pit dug up by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s men
SPIRITUAL guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s attempt at rehabilitation of Bothbodan village appears to have backfired. In October last year, villagers say the Guru along with his associates came to adopt this hamlet of 975 people in Yavatmal district that had seen nearly 18 farmer suicides. According to the villagers, the spiritual guru aimed at building small farm ponds for them to store rainwater. He had emphasised that these ponds will also help as perfect irrigation system. “His men dug the ponds but failed to adhere to the exact depth of the pond leaving the work unfinished and our fields in utter ruins,” explains sarpanch Anupam Chavan. Today there are around 26 such pits dug and lying unattended on the fields, which have the farmers worried.The maximum depth of the pond is around 20 feet, while minimum is around 10 feet. But villagers say that Ravi Shankar’s men dug pits only five feet deep and left.“We are now worried about the monsoons, when these pits become a breeding ground for mosquitoes,” said Narayan Rathod, adding that it would have helped if the pits were dug to a depth of 10 feet as they are neither ponds nor wells.Another villager says that they cannot even toil the fields due to these pits.According to district information officer Ranjit Chandel the ponds are constructed only after taking the topography of the fields into consideration and checking the slope of the water.TomorrowWill the Union Budget package really help the farmers?
VIDHARBHA SERIES PART II
Vidarbha farmers need more than just loan waiver
Author: Mamta Sen Date: 06 Mar 2008
The new Union Budget does not really help the farmers in Vidarbha; they need more than just a loan waiver
BARELY a week after Finance Minister P Chidambaram announced Rs 60,000 crore-loan waiver package, five farmers committed suicide in Vidharba.Kishore Tiwari, president of the Vidharbha Jan Andolan Samiti believes that both the State and Central governments are trying to give relief packages and ignore the real issue. According to him, there are 13 lakh farmers spread across the six districts of Vidharbha Amravati, Akolka, Buldhana, Yavatmal, Washim and Wardha, who need relief and not relief packages.Failed packages“They are in dire need of relief instead of relief packages. Neither the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana nor the National Food Security programme is mentioned in the budget. The Yojana is supposed to provide irrigation to irrigated as well as non-irrigated lands of all farmers,” he said. He added that the earlier two packages announced by the State and Centre in 2005 and 2006 had failed to materialise. No money“From the 60,000 farmers identified for the package then only 32,000 were able to get relief, out of which 80 per cent were given cows, bullock carts and pumps instead of the promised money.”Tiwari says that there should be introduction of a processing scheme for the cotton from Vidharbha. “Presently, the Chinese economy is booming on the cotton from Yavatmal, which is processed into cloth. Why can’t we have similar processing units in the barren lands of Vidharbha?” he asked. Widow Ranjana Chavan though says that more than loan waivers, they want to do away with the cotton crop and opt for jowar or wheat. “We want new seeds and also want to learn new skills, so that we are not dependent on agriculture alone for our survival,” she said.
Relief tough to availMohan Madedvar, of Pandharkawada village, cites that relief packages hardly reach the family due to lack of infrastructure and corrupt officials. “One has to travel to the nearest city or town in private vehicles to get to the bank to avail the sum. Then they have to bribe the babus, for which the sum is borrowed from private money lenders,” he says.Madevar believes that the new package benefits 70 per cent of the farmers from western Maharashtra and only 10 per cent from Vidharbha, as most farmers in the latter region have farm holdings over 5 acres. “It would help tremendously if the loan waiver is applied to over five hectares, as most farmers here own lands that range between 12 to 19 acres,” he adds.
Author: Mamta Sen Date: 06 Mar 2008
The new Union Budget does not really help the farmers in Vidarbha; they need more than just a loan waiver
BARELY a week after Finance Minister P Chidambaram announced Rs 60,000 crore-loan waiver package, five farmers committed suicide in Vidharba.Kishore Tiwari, president of the Vidharbha Jan Andolan Samiti believes that both the State and Central governments are trying to give relief packages and ignore the real issue. According to him, there are 13 lakh farmers spread across the six districts of Vidharbha Amravati, Akolka, Buldhana, Yavatmal, Washim and Wardha, who need relief and not relief packages.Failed packages“They are in dire need of relief instead of relief packages. Neither the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana nor the National Food Security programme is mentioned in the budget. The Yojana is supposed to provide irrigation to irrigated as well as non-irrigated lands of all farmers,” he said. He added that the earlier two packages announced by the State and Centre in 2005 and 2006 had failed to materialise. No money“From the 60,000 farmers identified for the package then only 32,000 were able to get relief, out of which 80 per cent were given cows, bullock carts and pumps instead of the promised money.”Tiwari says that there should be introduction of a processing scheme for the cotton from Vidharbha. “Presently, the Chinese economy is booming on the cotton from Yavatmal, which is processed into cloth. Why can’t we have similar processing units in the barren lands of Vidharbha?” he asked. Widow Ranjana Chavan though says that more than loan waivers, they want to do away with the cotton crop and opt for jowar or wheat. “We want new seeds and also want to learn new skills, so that we are not dependent on agriculture alone for our survival,” she said.
Relief tough to availMohan Madedvar, of Pandharkawada village, cites that relief packages hardly reach the family due to lack of infrastructure and corrupt officials. “One has to travel to the nearest city or town in private vehicles to get to the bank to avail the sum. Then they have to bribe the babus, for which the sum is borrowed from private money lenders,” he says.Madevar believes that the new package benefits 70 per cent of the farmers from western Maharashtra and only 10 per cent from Vidharbha, as most farmers in the latter region have farm holdings over 5 acres. “It would help tremendously if the loan waiver is applied to over five hectares, as most farmers here own lands that range between 12 to 19 acres,” he adds.
VIDHARBHA SERIES I
Not sporting enough
Author: Mamta Sen Date: 04 Mar 2008
Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Mani Shankar Aiyar says the Centre passed Rs 6,000 crore for 10-day event, but is reluctant to give Rs 600 crore for 10-year sports plan
Mani Shankar Aiyar inaugurating a sports complex in Yavatmal built at a cost of Rs 1.4 crore
UNION Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs, Mani Shankar Aiyar on Sunday, highlighted the step-motherly treatment meted out to sports in the country and blasted the centre for failing to allocate the necessary funds to the ministry. Aiyar was speaking on the occasion of the inauguration ceremony of the Rs 1.4 crore state-of-the-art indoor stadium in Yavatmal initiated by MP Vijay Darda. “In the union budget of 2007-08, the funds allotted to the sports ministry are as measly as 0.073 per cent. I would be elated if the figure is finally rounded up to one per cent,” he said. He also touched upon the on going controversy between himself and Suresh Kalmadi, MP and President of Indian Olympic Association.“Asking for Rs 600 crores over a period of 10 years is minimal, sane and a balanced figure compared to spending Rs 6000 crores in 10 days alone on Commonwealth Games,” he said, adding that he hopes to get the funds at the earliest.“I want the money not only to reach the aam aadmi, but his children too,” he said, while inaugurating the expensive building. “Constructing expensive stadiums in a district weighing under the baggage of poverty and unrest is disturbing. I would be happy if children from these villages are given an opportunity to unleash their sporting talents here.”
Author: Mamta Sen Date: 04 Mar 2008
Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Mani Shankar Aiyar says the Centre passed Rs 6,000 crore for 10-day event, but is reluctant to give Rs 600 crore for 10-year sports plan
Mani Shankar Aiyar inaugurating a sports complex in Yavatmal built at a cost of Rs 1.4 crore
UNION Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs, Mani Shankar Aiyar on Sunday, highlighted the step-motherly treatment meted out to sports in the country and blasted the centre for failing to allocate the necessary funds to the ministry. Aiyar was speaking on the occasion of the inauguration ceremony of the Rs 1.4 crore state-of-the-art indoor stadium in Yavatmal initiated by MP Vijay Darda. “In the union budget of 2007-08, the funds allotted to the sports ministry are as measly as 0.073 per cent. I would be elated if the figure is finally rounded up to one per cent,” he said. He also touched upon the on going controversy between himself and Suresh Kalmadi, MP and President of Indian Olympic Association.“Asking for Rs 600 crores over a period of 10 years is minimal, sane and a balanced figure compared to spending Rs 6000 crores in 10 days alone on Commonwealth Games,” he said, adding that he hopes to get the funds at the earliest.“I want the money not only to reach the aam aadmi, but his children too,” he said, while inaugurating the expensive building. “Constructing expensive stadiums in a district weighing under the baggage of poverty and unrest is disturbing. I would be happy if children from these villages are given an opportunity to unleash their sporting talents here.”
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