Govt must educate farmers' widow on rights, says VijayJawandhia

NAGPUR: Batting for the

widows

of farmers who committed suicide in the region, Shetkari Sanghatana leader Vijay Jawandhia on Thursday questioned the government’s neglect towards them. “Women working in

agriculture

sector will not know what their rights are unless they are educated about

economics

of farming,” he said.

Jawandhia was speaking at a two-day seminar organized for families affected by farmer suicides by Prakriti and Mahila Kisan Adhikar Manch (Makaam) at Lohara off Koradi Road.

Chairperson of State Women’s Commission Vijaya Rahatkar, divisional commissioner Anoop Kumar and chairman of Vasantrao Naik Sheti Swawalamban Mission Kishore Tiwari were the other speakers.

Explaining the background behind suicides by farmers, Jawandhia said such cases were first came to light in 1997. Most notable was Adilabad in Andhra Pradesh (now in Telangana) where around 2,000 farmers committed suicide. He said farmers there were paid less than the price agreed upon for their crops. It wasn’t until 2003-04 when the cases of farmer suicides in Maharashtra were reported.

By then, the state government had scrapped cotton procurement scheme, Jawandhia said. “Farmers were paid Rs1,800-2,000 per quintal with Rs500-600 in advance in the early 2000s. Once the original scheme was scrapped, the farmers were paid less for the produce. As the cost of production escalated, they had to take loan which they couldn’t pay,” he said.

Jawandhia urged the Women’s Commission chairperson to help educate them on

farm

economics. He said, “People say society does not treat women equally, but we must ask whether or not the government is giving equal status to women in agriculture.”

Rahatkar stressed the need for people to change their mindset towards widows of farmers. She said, “Women are being discriminated against in their own household. There have been cases where in-laws have abandoned their sons’ widows and her children to fend for themselves. Not every mother-in-law takes care of her son’s wife after he dies. We need to change the way people think.”

Rahatkar said the commission is devising strategies to make women affected by farmers suicide know their rights. “NGOs, individuals and various organizations should help the families where the breadwinner committed suicide. As hard as they may try, many are unable to fulfil their children’s dreams,” she added.

Anoop Kumar said he has sought help from Prakriti and Makaam to acquire data of suicide-affected families. “Women working as farm labourers are being discriminated against. They are paid much less than their male counterparts and often subjected to harsh physical labour. The NGOs will compile the data in various districts and we will take a look at it and formulate a plan,” he said.