‘I know the pain you are going through’

For once, there were no tutored speeches, no one to stop criticism of the government.

Immediately after he entered the Adarsha Vidyalaya hall in this tehsil town, Singh began interacting with the farmer families. Divisional Commissioner S K Goyal played the translator as the Prime Minister got a first-hand account of all that was wrong in cotton country, why farmers, neck deep in debt, were taking their own lives after crop failures.

“I have come here to know your plight. I know what pain you are going through. I will see what needs to be done to prevent such a crisis in future,” the PM told the families.

Accompanying Singh were the state’s leaders: Sharad Pawar, Praful Patel, Sushil Kumar Shinde, Vilasrao Deshmukh, Prithviraj Chavan, R R Patil and Nagpur MP Vilas Muttemwar.

Vijay Bhaiyya told Singh he sold cotton for Rs 2,600 per quintal two years ago, Rs 2,200 last year and at Rs 2,000 this year. “Why not connect agricultural prices to the wholesale price index?” he asked. Vanita Ingole said if cotton fetched the right price, no farmer would be forced to commit suicide.

Pankaj Gaikwad suggested loan waiver, 75 per cent subsidy for field fences to keep out wild boars. But most demanded irrigation facilities, lack of which has hit Vidarbha very hard.

Suresh and Gomaji complained about the non-release of loans despite the special state government package for restructuring loans. “Our sowing activities are stuck,” they told Singh.

After listening to the farmers, Chief Minister Deshmukh said: “We have many panels probing the reasons for this problem. We are implementing a Rs 1,075 crore package. We have also restructured loans. But we need to increase irrigation, without which we won’t be able to tide over this crisis. I feel cotton alone won’t help.” Then turning to the PM, he said: “Farmers are looking at you with great hope. Your visit has raised their hopes.”

Singh, on his part, assured the farmers: “I understand that the loan burden is a big problem. There is need to find some solution. I have been discussing the issue with Deshmukh and Pawar. I believe we need to increase irrigation and promote programmes like animal husbandry. I assure you that I will announce some relief before I wind up my tour.”

The PM later visited Waifad village in Wardha district where he had a similar interaction with another group of farmers. He also visited Mahatma Gandhi’s Sevagram Ashram.