That’s ridiculous! It is what we often hear, when we talk to people about situation of farmers in parts of India. When Prashant told us about his visit to the region to see the work and meet people in Vidarbha region, we were glad we could get honest feedback of our work. This is his report and his opinions – unedited.
During my recent trip to Bharat in December 2014, I had an opportunity to visit the villages and meet the recipients of financial assistance provided by Save Indian Farmers (SIF), US. The trip was organized in co-operation with Deendayal Trust – NGO based in Yavatmal, Maharashtra which has been SIF’s partner for projects in Vidarbha. This report summarizes my conversations with SIF fund recipients, observations, and recommendations for path forward. For the novice, Yavatmal is a district in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, which, unfortunately has witnessed a record number of farmer suicides over the past decade. Prime Minister, Hon. Shri Narendraji Modi and his predecessor, Dr. Manmohan Singh, have visited the district to understand this complex issue and the gravity of the situation.
Tanba Pendor is a farmer in Pathari village of Yavatmal district. He has benefited tremendously due to de-silting of the canal that runs thru his farm – this project was funded by SIF. This year Tanba will reap over 10 quintal per acre of cotton while normal yield is 2.5 quintal per acre. In addition to Tanba, ten other farmers have benefited from this project and they remain indebted to SIF and Deendayal Trust but remain concerned about yet another poor monsoon season. This year’s rainfall was well below average which could trigger the vicious cycle of poor crop leading to farmer’s inability to pay the debt which can culminate into suicide.
Next, I met with wife of late Pradip Pawar of Saikheda village of Yavatmal district. Pradip was a small farmer (with farming as a sole source of income) who committed suicide a few years ago leaving family’s responsibility to his barely educated wife. It was gratifying to see that she has not only become a successful entrepreneur (she does custom stitching and owns and runs a flour mill), thanks to financial aid from SIF and coaching provided by Deendayal Trust , she is now actively helping other similar widows adjust to life’s new reality after husband’s suicide. Dire situation in Saikheda due to poor rain means suicide is on the minds of some farmers. Mrs. Pawar is proactively reaching out to such suicide prone farmers. She indicated that financial aid of about Rs. 50,000 (less than $1,000) goes a long way in putting the affected family’s lives back on track.
My last visit was with Sunita Jadhav of Kongara village of Yavatmal district. Sunita and her three daughters were abandoned by her family when her farmer husband committed suicide. Deendayal Trust promptly jumped into the action by helping Sunita set-up a small shop and giving her basic lessons in business management. Sunita has bounced from nadir, has new zest for life and I have no doubt that she will guide her daughters to bright future. SIF has received a huge return on its small investment of Rs. 20,000 in Sunita Jadhav.
In summary, financial aid provided by SIF coupled with flawless execution by Deendayal Trust has helped needy individuals and especially widows in darkest hour of their lives. We could not have asked for better use of our funds and it is hard for me to imagine a more capable partner in these endeavors than Deendayal Trust and its tireless advocate – Shri Kadre. Situation remains grim and could get worse. I strongly urge and recommend SIF to continue current work in Vidarbha especially direct financial assistance to widows. Let us all pledge to raise $100,000 in 2015 to help a few needy souls in Bharat.
About the Author: Mr. Prashant Chintawar
Prashant is a volunteer in New Jersey chapter of Save Indian Farmers. He is a chemical industry professional and has served as Global Marketing Director with Dow Chemical, BASF and other global Fortune 500 organizations. Prashant has a PhD in Chemical Engineering from The University of Akron and a Finance Certificate from MIT Sloan School of Management.
