This is in response to Madhu Agrawal’s letter titled “Loan waivers” (December 19).
Following huge monetary loss and failure to sell crops due to the financial mayhem, in the name of “demonetisation”, many farmers had to commit suicide. But instead of being repentant upon the crisis faced by the farmers, the heartless sponsors of demonetisation and its privileged supporters among filmstars, cricketers and industrialists (who were not a bit affected due to huge manpower, plastic money and credit cards) were all shamelessly singing the paeans of the “boldest decision in Independent India”, thereby showing the “honourable” place of farmers in India of “Good Days”!
Hapless debt-ridden farmers, along with their children, are getting degraded into bonded or child labourers, forced to migrate to heartless exploitative cities and remaining bereft of all norms of human rights and dignity; yet far from getting ashamed of it, the “nationalists” are advertising India’s “elitism” and “might” by projecting attainment of Mars orbit and performing mass Yoga on streets! Country of ‘Jai Kisan’ indeed!
Not to forget how the Who’s Who of Indian polity religiously sprinkling salt on the injuries of the hapless farmers and their helpless members. Thanks to the supreme callousness of the concerned authorities, the farmers commit suicides. But far from being a bit repentant, awarding handsome compensation to their families or solving the problems of the farmers; the shameless politicians barbarically claim that such suicides occur due to domestic or conjugal tension arising out of infidelity, adultery or gambling! Had Indian society been a truly civilized one, those monsters in the name of leaders would have found themselves behind bars for uttering such heartless comments and severely assaulting the sentiments of the children or wives of the downtrodden farmers who had no other option but to take their own lives prematurely.
The “educated” Indians who feel so much “anger” when a bit of subsidy, loan waiver, free electricity/water or unemployment allowance get offered to the poorest of poor; strangely remain absolute silent or even support when tax breaks, tax holidays, free land and all sorts of concessions are showered liberally on the richest of rich corporate and industrialists! When extended to poor, it is nothing but “freebie”.
It is high time all Indians (if left with an iota of conscience) hang their heads in shame for their utter failure in protecting the human rights of those who put food on our plates everyday through immense toil, perspiration and honest hard work.
