Tribal farm widows who participated in the protest strongly objected to Khadse's view that tribals don't commit suicides as they are "morally strong."
Calling Maharashtra agriculture minister Eknath Khadse's statement saying there could be no solution to farmer suicides a mockery of their husband's deaths, hundreds of farm widows gathered at Yavatmal to protest along with drought-hit farmers. As they chanted slogans, sang dirges and burnt an effigy of Khadse, their anger was palpable. Interestingly, belying Khadse's blame-the-victim claim that adivasis did not commit suicide, the tribal farm widows formed a sizeable chunk of the protestors.
"Till they were out of power, BJP kept talking tough and promising the moon. Now that they are in power, they are putting up their hands," complained Nirmala Kochahade of Jalka village in Yavatmal. Nirmala was widowed last year when her financial distress due to crop failure led her husband to end his life. The village grabbed headlines after the Congress party scion Rahul Gandhi raised the plight of another widow from the same village, Kalavati Bandurkar, in parliament in 2009.
"Whether breaking the strangle-hold of the trader-hoarder mafia which swindles both framers and consumers or promising a reasonable minimum selling price, the government can do a lot if it wants on both these counts. Just these two steps will address so many of our concerns," said Kochahade.
Others like Saviyta Sidam of Mangi village in Yavatmal agreed. "She said if those who want power admit that they can't solve problems then why do we need such people in power. Just to sit in a/c offices and enjoy all the luxuries of office," she asked. Remembering how her husband who ended his life in Jnaury this year was running around for credit she said, "Why can't a farmer get a loan as easily as those in urban areas?"
Farm rights activist Kishore Tiwari, of the Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS) pointed out how there is massive unrest against the ongoing apathy towards serious drought and starvation of farmers from both tribal and non-tribal areas. "Insensitive statements on an issue which is a matter of concern for not only Maharashtra, but farm communities in India and the whole world has added fuel to the fire," he said and added, "The famers want complete farm loan waiver and hike in minimum support price (MSP) as promised by PM Narendra Modi as an election promise."
Tribal farm widows who participated in the protest strongly objected to Khadse's view that tribals don't commit suicides as they are "morally strong." They asked why then is every second farmer suicide in Vidarbha is that of a tribal, something official records verify. Sidam wanted to know, "Has Khadse visited the homes of Yavatmal district's tribal farmers Madhukar Pendore (Runjha village), Ramesh Godam (Joginkawade), Kavdu Vetti (Mangurda), Tanba Todsam (Boregaon), who ended their lives in 2015? Had he done that he wouldn't be so ignorant of ground realities," she said and added, "Instead of talking off his head without knowing what's going on, he should resign."
Tiwari too called Khade's statement a mockery of farmers' suicides. "Not only official records, but several independent studies have already established how more than 50% of the victims are from ST and SC. Whether being denied institutional credit, exploited by private moneylenders poor / no access to government welfare schemes, they are the worst off."
He also reiterated, "The BJP wooed farmers for votes in the 2014 Lok Sabha and assembly elections with tall promises. In a year the same party is now shrugging off responsibility saying there is no solution."
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