Why farmers of UP are also angry with Rahul Gandhi

Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav claims he is working for the welfare of the farmers. However, there are some who allege that the state government is making money out of the crisis. Currently, the state government has demanded that the centre provide Rs 742 crore as relief for farmers who have had their crops destroyed by unseasonal rains.

The demand for assistance is fine. But a closer look shows that figures do not add up. The state government has claimed that 50 per cent of crops in 31 districts of the state, including seven districts of Bundelkhand, were destroyed by rain and hailstorm. The state agriculture ministry then claimed that as a result 75 lakh hectare of standing wheat was destroyed.

However, there is a problem. According to the state agriculture ministry’s calculations, there is a total of 98.66 lakh hectares of land, which grow wheat in Uttar Pradesh. This would obviously mean according to their figures that 76 per cent wheat crop had been damaged, not 50 per cent as had been previously claimed. The central government officers pointed out this exaggeration to the state government during a recent video-conferencing and heads are expected to roll over this mistake.

In the meantime, farmers continue to suffer. Ram Bihari, a farmer residing in the Kabilpur village under the Dakora block in Jalaun district in Bundelkhand, committed suicide after his crops failed. His action means that his two sons, Raghvendra, 20, and Shailendra, 18, won’t be able to attend college and rescue their father from debt. They are now forced to enter the same vicious circle in which their father was trapped.

Bihari had taken two lakh rupees from the Ajnari Gramin Bank, one point five zero lakh rupees from the Kaithal Cooperative Bank and had also spent three lakh rupees through the Kisan Credit Card of Bhumi Vikas Bank. The total amount had gone up to Rs 11 lakh because he couldn’t repay the loans for over seven years. So he had taken a new loan of nine lakh rupees from local moneylenders to pay the bank loans.

The bank managers, who are under pressure to show a clean ledger by the end of the financial year, had send out their men to mount pressure on Bihari to return at least part of the loan.

Ram Bihari is not alone. Ram Naresh Dwivedi, 40, a resident of Siklodhi under the Bisanda area of Banda recently, shot himself dead after his crops were damaged. With 25 bighas of land, Dwivedi had taken a loan of Rs 80,000 from the Allahabad UP Gramin Bank, Punahur. This had become Rs 1,60,000 in six years. His brother Narenda Dwivedi said the branch manager had come to village chief Himmat Singh’s house a few days ago and called on him (Ram Dwivedi) to warn him to pay the loan or face the consequences. Himmat Singh confirmed that that Dwivedi and Gopal Gupta, bank manager, did meet.

However, Gupta denies that such a meeting took place. “A large number of farmers have taken loan from my branch. But I didn’t visit the village. Also, I cannot say anything if someone takes any extreme step,” said Gupta.

According to media reports, at least 50 farmers have killed themselves, after unseasonal rains destroyed their crops. The anger is not just directed at the state government but also at the Congress scion Rahul Gandhi, who had promised to help the farmers in their time of need. Now the angry farmers are demanding that Rahul and other politicians make good on their promises. A political outfit, the Bharatiya Praja Shakti party, has been floated in Bundelkhand to fight for the farmers’ rights. The party plans to put pressure on politicians from all parties for the farmers’ rights. However, the issue is far from over.