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Grant me my wish, else...

As the suicide-prone turns to Mantralaya for a last-gasp try and the state govt under pressure to respond to their cases, will attempts to placate them put the Fadnavis govt on a sticky wicket? Shailendra Paranjpe analyses

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The government has beefed up security at the Mantralaya and has put up a safety net, so that it doesn’t become a suicide point for the distressed lot.
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It was March 23, 2017, and the Budget Session of Maharashtra Assembly was going on smoothly at Vidhan Bhavan — opposite to Mantralaya — when all hell broke loose. A photograph that went viral on the internet has caught the attention of the members and the chaos that ensued led to disruption of business in the state Assembly. It was one of Rameshwar Bhusare, a farmer from Aurangabad; his mouth bleeding and bloodstains all over his clothes. Bhusare had come to Mantralaya seeking compensation after loss of his shade net in unseasonal rainfall, but was left disillusioned after meeting the officials there. He was denied damages for reason he failed to understand: that his shade net did not fit the features stipulated for ‘insurance’. Not to know what to do, Bhusare cried out to the security staff on the sixth floor that he is going to jump to death. A scuffle ensued. To overpower the security guards, Bhusare sinked his teeth into their body parts, leaving blood on his mouth and clothes.

The same was not the case with Dharma Patil, who drank poison outside Mantralaya on January 22, 2017, and was admitted to Saint George Hospital. After battling for life for a week, he was declared dead on January 29, only to become a symbol of unrest against the government. Dharma’s land was taken over for a thermal project and he was offered a meagre Rs 4 lakh compensation in return. Things however changed after his suicide, with a cornered government trying to please Dharma’s family.

After Dharma Patil, it was the turn of Harshal Raote. The 44-year-old, convicted for murdering his sister-in-law in 2003, jumped from fifth floor of the Mantralaya and ended his life on the last day of his furlough. He was in the Mantralaya to plead for curtailment of his punishment.

In the last two weeks itself, there were a series of incidents in which people, disillusioned with the system or let down by the indifference of the officials, threatened the Mantralaya officials of taking the extreme steps. Some of them were also found to be carrying bottles containing poison or pesticide or some chemical. The guards at the Mantralaya entrance apparently detained one person with poison and another who tried to self-immolate, while a grand old lady succeeded in consuming some chemical.

When this correspondent tried to explore the reasons behind such incidents, many an issue came to the fore. Foremost was the agrarian crisis, thanks to successive drought years and growing urbanisation, leading to distress in rural areas.

The Devendra Fadnavis government announced a Rs 34,000-crore loan waiver to 89 lakh farmers, but the real issue was implementation of loan waiver. The government insisted on online application forms for loan waiver and also made it mandatory to seed the Aadhaar number while filing it. It created a hue and cry, after which the government opened up citizen facilitation centres. Many cases then emerged of poor villagers being charged Rs 100-150 and even up to Rs 300 for just filling up the form online.

The overall confusion among the farmers, failure of IT department — which even led to transfer of its secretary, delay in payments despite repeated assurances to pay the loan waiver benefits by Diwali, led to increasing distress among farmers.

Other reasons for distress

Ambitious governmental schemes like Samruddhi Corridor and Mumbai-Nagpur express way also had a bitter side to it, of those who had to vacate their land for the state’s interests but were not compensated properly. There were many cases in which after the initial phase of the project, compensation amount jumped by a whopping five times, Dharma Patil’s case was one such.

State government needs to reach out to people in an effective manner and take villagers into confidence while announcing the project itself so that there is no disparity when it comes to payment of compensation to land or farmland acquired, said a bureaucrat on condition of anonymity.

Will putting up nets help?

The state government is trying to beef up security at the Mantralaya and is deploying more security personnel on every floor of the building. But can it solve the real issue? CM Fadnavis, in Sangli recently, had rightly pointed out that people are coming to Mantralaya because their problems are not getting sorted out at the local level. “There is a need to evolve a mechanism at local level and Mantralaya to address every grievance of those who come there. The administration should pro-actively intervene and sort out such issues,” the CM had said.

MAHA LOAN WAIVERS

Maharashtra had successive drought years and even in 2014 when state went for elections, it was a drought year. In 2015, it was the fourth consecutive drought year, and Fadnavis had to face the wrath of it, soon after coming to power. Fadnavis had no other option but to announce Rs 7,000 crore loan waiver package for farmers, which was the highest till date. After this package in 2014, Fadnavis announced another package in 2017 of Rs. 34,000 crore, covering 89 lakh farmers.

Earlier too the rulers, be it in state or Centre, had always resorted to loan waivers, whenever they had to face the farmer wrath. Maharashtra had witnessed loan waiver way back in 1978 when Sharad Pawar was leading the PDA govt. The state then waived off Rs 127 crore farm loans. In 2008, the UPA govt under PM Manmohan Singh waived off Rs 71,000-crore worth loans, and Maharashtra received Rs 7,000 crore. Then CM Ashok Chavan then released Rs 6,000 crore for Vidarbha region.

Prithviraj Chavan, during his tenure as CM, in 2011, waived off farm loans worth Rs 4,000 crore.

INSENSITIVE BABUS?

RTI activist Shailesh Gandhi said the very reason of frustration for common man is that average government employee is not sympathetic to the man on the street. Stating that the sensitivity towards individuals is what is needed, Gandhi said as far as Mantralaya is concerned, government can deploy a team of a dozen or more officers who can attend visitors at the Mantralaya gate. Gandhi said that these officials can in turn address the grievance and direct them to proper department and officials concerned. Gandhi said that government does not need much to undertake such initiative.

ROLE OF POLITICIANS

Reacting to repeated incidents at Mantralaya, an official said, “There is no solution to such incidents. If people start thronging Mantralaya with unjust demands, bureaucrats should have the courage to say ‘no’. But will politicians stand by them?” He cited the recent case of an attempted self-immolation, in which Avinash Shetye, a person from Nevasa in Ahmednagar tried to immolate himself. Shetye had failed in the entrance examination for the post of agricultural assistant, but refused to acknowledge it. Interestingly, Shetye claimed that he has been visiting Mantralaya on number of occasions but in vain. The bureaucrat asked Shetye that if he is so sure about his success, why he did not reappear for the exam next year. Interestingly, Minister for Agriculture Pandurang Fundkar assured Shetye to consider his case and advised him to appear for next year’s examination. Fundkar told DNA that the government would consider Shetye’s case leniently since Shetye is a differently-abled person.  

MEDIA TO BLAME?

DNA spoke to psychology experts to hear their version of the ‘suicide tendencies’ at Mantralaya. “It is the hype created by the media over Dharma Patil incident that led to repeat of such cases at the Mantralaya. Such persons were glorified by the media. I am not saying that media, especially TV channels, are doing it purposefully. However, it’s leaving an adverse effect on those watching TV channels. They feel that Dharma Patil committing suicide is a heroic act.”

Mundada, who used to work with JJ Hospital in Mumbai and now has private practice in CST area, said that generally people try to emulate celebrities. “When Dharma Patil’s death was shown on TV, his act got glorified inadvertently, and those with unsound mind were the ones to fall victim.”

Feb 16, 2018

Sakhubai Zalte, 65: A woman farmer from Nasik, her land was allegedly grabbed by her relatives. Her attempts to get justice at the local level fell on deaf ears. She has been fighting for her land since 1982.

Feb 8, 2018

Harshal Raote, 44: Convicted for murdering his sister-in-law in 2003, Raote leaps from the fifth floor on the last day of furlough. He dies on way to the hospital. He was in the Mantralaya to plead for curtailing of his punishment.

Jan 22, 2018

Dharma Patil, 44:  A farmer, Patil attempted suicide by consuming poison, thanks to the ‘meagre’ compensation the state government offered for his land handed over for a thermal project.

Nov 10, 2017

Anand aka Dnyaneshwar Salve, 28: This Osmanabad farmer climbed onto the ledge of the seventh floor and threatens to kill himself either by jumping or stabbing himself with shards of glass. He climbs down after a written assurance from the govt. that all his demands would be looked into.

June 14,  2016

Dilip More, Aurangabad: A farmer by profession, More threatened suicide outside the chief minister’s office (CMO) by jumping from the sixth floor.

Dinesh Padaya, Mulund: Consumes rat poison in protest after not being allowed inside the CMO. He was declared stable after being admitted to the hospital.

August 15, 2014

Rahul Mhaske, 41: Aurangabad Advocate: Tries to immolate himself during the independence day parade. Detained by police.

22 Oct 2013

Hanumant Mane, 32: Arrested for attempting suicide to lodge a protest against the soaring inflation rate, various scams and corruption.

17 Oct 2011

Vinod Sonkamble, 33, Ghatkopar: Attempts suicide by consuming at least 15 sleeping pills allegedly harassed by the Crime Branch officials

Compiled by DNA – Research N Archives

People are visiting Mantralaya for reasons such as damages for their land etc, which could have been easily sorted out at local level
Ajit Pawar, NCP leader

Mantralaya has become a suicide point, bringing shame to the state. Govt should introspect, instead of making tall claims
Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, Oppn Leader

Your life is precious. Whatever be the grievance, there would be an attempt to sort it out. But suicide is not the solution.
Pandurang Fundkar, Agri Minister

IMPLEMENT RIGHT TO SERVICES ACT IN TOTO: RTS CHIEF

Right to Services Commissioner Swadheen Kshatriya says if Right to Services Act is implemented in toto, people would not be required to come to Mantralaya. Kshatriya who is first RTS Commissioner said that govt is providing 399 services online, and is in the process of providing remaining 39 services online in next 15 days.

Kshatriya says this fiscal alone, 1.22 crore applns have been received online for various services from all over the state. “Almost 85% applications have been disposed of after processing and services have been provided to people online,” he says.

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