Starvation deaths in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh may figure in Parliament this session, the Prime Minister may have announced his loan waiver and a special package for the drought-affected but in the cotton fields of Maharashtra’s Yavatmal district, the administration seems to have gone to sleep as the 1997 tragedy of suicides is being replayed. Few kilometers and prudent use of a new technology, it seems, are all that separate life from death in this belt where heavy debts, repeated crop failure due to drought and late payments by the government under the Monopoly Cotton Procurement Scheme (MCPS) have seen nine suicides — five in the core cotton constituency of Ralegaon itself — in the last six weeks. This, when farmers like Natthuji Gawande in the same Ralegaon reap a bumper genetically modified Bt cotton yield of 12 quintals per acre as against the traditional 2-3 quintals per acre. In a region where irrigation has remained a far cry, Bt cotton is like a dream, an adventure they can ill-afford right now. More so for the small and marginal farmers, constituting a vast majority, too worried about their immediate future to be able to appreciate the benefits of Bt economics. Barring a few, politicians also haven’t yet woken up to the grim reality. But for the families of Padmakar Kulmethe, Lacchiram Jadhav, Bandu Katkar, Suman Jadhav, Bhikaji Rathod, Moreshwar Thakre, Pundlik Tadurwar, Sheshrao Yerekar and Sukhdev Lohkare, who have lost their breadwinners, reality is a future ridden with uncertainty and hardships. • In June, 40-year-old Bandu Katkar from Dahegaon consumed insecticide. Already reeling under a debt of over Rs 40,000, the non-germination of seeds worth over Rs 15,000 this year proved to be the last straw. His wife Ramabai, three children and parents have nobody to bank on now. ‘‘We haven’t yet got the last instalment of last year’s bonus for 12 quintals under the MCPS,’’ says Ramabai. • Suman Jadhav had a six-acre farm beside a nullah in Mohada-Kinhala, where poor irrigation made her location an advantage. Ironically, it did more harm than good as flood waters from the un-bunded nullah kept washing away her soil and crops and left her unable to clear her Rs 40,000 debt. ‘‘Frustrated, she consumed poison,’’ says husband Keshav. The villagers have been demanding a bund for some time now, but to no avail. ‘‘The patwari, who conducted a panchanama, didn’t even visit us,’’ says Keshav. • At Pimpalshenda, Lacchiram Jadhav (45) consumed poison on October 20 ‘‘after realising that he may not be able to repay the Rs 30,000 loan’’ to till his nine acres. His friend Ratilal Pawar says, ‘‘Last year he had a yield of six quintals, this year it will be less than two.’’ • Shrikant Thakre (35) of Akpuri in Ghatanji tehsil faced two successive years of crop failure and debts of Rs 60,000. He consumed poison on Diwali, leaving behind his wife Rekha and two children. The reports, however, don’t seem to have reached officiating Yavatmal Collector G K Kubade. ‘‘I don’t quite know. In fact, this year the farmers have been getting a good price due to open market sale,’’ was all he had to say. Asked what the administration proposed to do for the affected families, he said, ‘‘We send the proposals to the Chief Minister and give compensation upon his order,’’ he says. Obviously, the proposals have either not been made or have not been sent. Ralegaon ex-MLA Netaji Rajgadkar, who has been holding farmers’ rallies at such villages, demands that the families should get Rs 4-5 lakh each. ‘‘Disillusioned with politics’’, Netaji claims to have launched a social movement. ‘‘The situation is worsening fast and we could be seeing more suicides in the coming days,’’ he warns. Says breakway Shetkari Sanghatana leader Vijay Jawandhia, ‘‘The government has dumped the MCPS. Imagine what would be the farmers’ fate after whatever guarantee they had is gone.’’ MLA Vasant Purke paid customory visits to some families, but politicians, from the ruling party and otherwise, haven’t taken cognisance. They are, however, preparing to cash in on the general cotton crisis with a ‘‘massive morcha’’ to State legislature, which meets here from December 12. The government, meanwhile, is busy selling its ‘‘liberalised monopoly scheme’’ to the farmers. ‘‘Under it, the farmers are getting a good price,’’ Cotton Federation chief administrator N P Hirani said here last week.
