Kajal Chatterjee
As far as mass suicide of farmers are concerned since decades due to lack of irrigation facilities, loss of crop and torture of unscrupulous money-lenders; the Western states of Maharashtra and Gujarat simply have no peers. Yet these two very states get religiously projected as epitomes of “modernity” and “development” by focusing on the glittering flyovers, shopping malls, multiplexes, sky-kissing towers, high-end apartments and highly corrupt but vulgar rich industrialists and businessmen of Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune, Ahmedabad, Baroda and Surat. This very hypocrite and heartless stance on the part of vested interests directly prove that not the unfortunate farmers or poor lot; but only the rich urban elite of the metropolitan cities matter the most in “progressive” “developed” India and let the others go to the dogs!
Following the “historic” decision of demonetisation; apart from the hundreds of innocent citizens who had to die prematurely on bank queues or breathed their last without getting medical attention due to lack of “legal” cash, it is the hapless farmers who had to face the worst. Following huge monetary loss and failure to sell crops due to the financial mayhem, many farmers had to commit suicide. But instead of being repentant upon the crisis faced by the farmers, the heartless sponsors of demonetisation had instead preferred to highlight the vulgar rich highly influential filmstars, politicians, cricketers and industrialists (who were not a bit affected due to huge manpower, cashless/free medical coverage, plastic money and credit cards) who were all shamelessly singing the paeans of the “boldest decision in independent India”! Again it shows 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!
In this heartless class-based perspective; it is extremely natural that while rabid communal lot are provided clean-chit and free run, the deprived exploited farmers would get mercilessly showered with bullets if they dare to protest or raise entitled demands.
