Friday, August 14, 2015

FARMER’S WIDOW OF METIKHEDA: LIFE MUST GO ON…

PLEASE NOTE: All those readers, who wish and want to join hands in creating solutions for debt ridden and distressed families, please contact Trustee SWAPNIL BARAI at: azadswapnil@gmail.com

Many a times, I have failed to understand the existence of God. Many a times, I question the Creator of the Universe as to why s/he created the world that has more miseries than happiness. Why does the Creator always harass the poor, test them with natural calamities, troubles them with life – that is full of struggle, not to mention the harassment by the System of the Nation. How the poor makes their ends meet to survive is truly very-very painful and heart rendering.

Life must go on…

That is what each one of us is doing in this universe. Problems of life never cease to exist. Certainly it is not at all fair O’ God!

Swapnil Barai, our Trustee, did an extensive research work recently in Yavatmal district, interacting with farmers’ suicide affected families. It is not at all an experience anybody would even dream to have, because knowing the journey of farmer’s suicide and thereafter how the widow has to survive the onslaught of rural society and life… is beyond any words can ever explain or describe. We (Swapnil and I) have interacted with many such cases and each time, it drains us to jolt from inside and the painful thoughts that lingers for life, are difficult to overcome as we feel so-so helpless.
Late Farmer Subhash Vishwanath Patil, Village Metikheda, Yavatmal
Our Trust – support 4 suicide farmers families, Wardha – is doing our best in a very-very small way to help support such families by sponsoring a girl child of the family with a 7-Year-Recurring Deposit (Rs. 500/- Monthly installment) for higher education. This amount will come in handy for the child when she is ready to enter college to excel in life. Few beautiful angels have been very kind to extend financial support to our Trust for such endeavor. We are grateful to all the beautiful angels, who have come forward to help such families.
Widow Jotsna with her daughter Rohini & son Rohan
Farmer Subhash Vishwanath Patil, 40 years, of Metikheda, district Yavatmal consumed pesticide on 24th of March 2015, after having struggled in life with multiple problems of life. His eldest son Rohit (12 years) has been constantly ill and suffers from epilepsy since many years. He is not able to take care of self because his brain has also not developed like a 12-year-old. His mother has to constantly take care, be it feeding him meals, bath, clothing. He also cannot see with one eye. His continuous treatment had taken a toll on the family and the loving parents have not given up hope and have taken care of his medical treatment by borrowing money from various sources (bank, self-help group, village moneylenders and relatives).
Widow Jotsna with sons Rohit & Rohan
The world perceives “suicide” as the easy route to end one’s life. On the contrary, committing suicide is not an easy thing. It takes guts to take one’s own life. Even the bravest of the braves, would not even dare to cut one finger with a blade, so think about it and imagine the scenario, how and why a farmer takes that bold step to take his own life.
 
Their one room mud house is in shambles
Their 3-acre land does not have irrigation facilities, so the output of Cotton was barely 3 quintals and 2 bags of Toor Dal for family consumption. With no additional income and mounting debts to the tune of 1.5 lakhs (because of interest), Subhash was in depression since the past one year (as told by relatives). The pressure of life, rural society and humiliation by moneylenders ended one more farmer’s life tragically. What follows after his death is unbearable and hard to digest. Life must go on for widow Jotsna (32 years) with three children to take care of. Frail and accustomed to only farm work, she cannot even leave her two children (Rohit and 3-year Rohan) to go for work. It is heart rendering to know about her survival for existence.
Outside their small house...
Rohit’s monthly treatment (just the medicines and milk) costs the family Rs. 2,000/- to Rs. 3,000/-. Monthly expense of the Jotsna and her three children is another Rs. 4,000/-. And if Rohit suffers, the medical expense escalates drastically. The helpless mother is not able to get his treatment in a better manner because every single test costs money. Since the past few months after her husband’s death, she is being helped by one of her sisters and borrowed money from here and there in village.

Rohini, her daughter is in Class Vth. Rohan, the little one is just three years. Three small children to fend for while there is no sign of any source of income. Her 3-acre land have been leased for Rs. 3,000/- for a year because she cannot cultivate anything without her husband no more by her side. When I asked her how she was managing life, she was speechless and just shook her head. Her mud house is in shambles and disarrayed. I had to control my tears with lots of gumption but deep down I was completely heart broken, shattered and sad. Sad because I feel so helpless for not being able to help her as I would want to.

Through this post, I am also requesting the world to come forward to help support widow Jotsna and her three children, so that she can lead a life that is of little comfort. How she will repay debt of Rs. 1.5 Lakh in her life because the interest keeps mounting and adding.

If there are any “Beautiful Angels” out there, we request them to come forward to contribute in whatever ways – financial support, clothes for 12 year boy – 9 year girl and 3 year boy and their mother. I know, a few will definitely come forward to help us support Jotsna and her children.

Support 4 suicide farmers families, Wardha
A/c No: 0509104000060330
IDBI Bank Wardha
IFSC Code: IBKL0000509

Our registered Trust – support 4 suicide farmers families, Wardha (Regd no: E - 350 (W) – will provide Tax Exemption 80G Certificate to kind donors.