Nagpur: Bodbodhan, a village more than 15 km from Yavatmal where it helped out after 2006 when the Agrarian crisis Vidarbha attracted national attention, had looked back in suicide farmers when they finally changed.
Vilas Kisanlal Rathore, in his 30s, ended life more than a week ago, leaving his wife and two small children.
He only reaps quintal cotton because of Bollworm’s attack, say his relatives.
The village was adopted by the art of the foundation of the Sri Sri Ravi Shankar teacher in 2006.
Village 3,000 was the most affected by Bollworm’s attack.
It was visited by Congress Head Rahul Gandhi too.
With Vilas, there are 30 suicides since 2002.
Out of the population of 3,000, more than 300 is estimated to be a full-time farmer.
The first farmer to end life is Vinod Rathore.
He committed suicide on January 26, 2002.
His children had grown up.
Elder one cared for five acre farms, as younger, rajkumar, looking for work.
Vinod’s widow functions as an agricultural hand to make two ends meet.
Well, which was excavated by the help of the government given to family-hit by suicide did not reach water.
Vilas, which has five acres land, only reaps the cotton quintable because the plants are beaten by pink bollworm pests, said his wife Savita and other villagers.
He owed RS1 Lakh to the Cooperative Bank.
With no one who took care of the farm, Savita worked as a hand of agriculture in the field of other people who produced RS100 a day.
In 2018, a farmer also named Vilas Rathore had ended life for the same reason.
The band also functions as a hand of agriculture because the land has been released to other farmers on the contract.
Injections well for this family as part of assistance to suicide has not been excavated.
The last suicide has reduced sentiment in the village, said locals.
“There are no suicide after 2015-16, but then Vilas in 2018 and other Vilas in 2021,” said Anup Chavan, former Sarpanch.
“After the village was taken over by the art of life foundation, around 25 farm ponds were excavated.
It helps around half of the farmers, but life remains the same for others,” Chavan said.
Cotton farmers remain vulnerable to price volatility as well.
Since the last three years, Pink Bollworm Pest has become the main killer.
Vilas losses caused by pest attacks.
“Last year was worse, even I was in a loss.
I have cotton in 25 acres and the results are no more than 25 Kuintus,” he said.
At Vilas’s house, his wife Savita said, “My in-laws do not store well and both die.
He experienced a big expenditure on care.
After that harvest is no more than quintal cotton,” he said.
There was a losing in the Soyabean too, he added.
The family is now awaiting government assistance.
Chhaya, Vilas’s wife who ended life in 2018, said she had a Lakh RS2 loan, which included it from a private bank.
The well approved as part of government assistance has not been excavated.
“My older brother was separated from us, and he grew soil, but also not good.
I was 27 and just finished graduation, but unemployed,” Rajkumar said.
“I was 9 years old when my father ended his life in 2002.
The compensation we got was spent on the wedding of two sisters and my wife worked as a hand of agriculture.
It’s hard time and we keep fighting,” he said.
Dinesh pawar, sarpanch, said regardless of the hype, not much has changed.
Of course, the farm pond was excavated, but such steps did not help unless the fair price was confirmed for farmers.
Cotton farmers are always vulnerable, he said.
After 2 decades & 30 suicide, the relatives of the first victim were still struggling
