MY JOURNEY SO FAR – CONCLUDING PART (1st Feb 2011)

I am here not by choice to be very frank but destiny brought me here... in my life I have suffered a lot and had never imagined that one day I would leave everything and move to a place to serve humanity in such a way. I must also confess that so far, I haven’t been able to do anything worthy or concrete except forming my base strong... an endeavour like this cannot be done at a break-neck speed, overnight or like the fast food... but the expectation of the world is in too much of hurry. I have to tread my path slowly and steadily and yes, firmly with results being achieved in nearby future.

The long wait for the registration of the trust is on...

There are many people from various parts of India and abroad, who are keen to help the movement in their own ways and I request them all kindly to wait for the trust to form. Their encouragement and solidarity are indeed praise worthy. Why a farmer commits suicide is still so complex to understand that no one can really give or provide the main reasons for such a phenomenon... debt, consumption of illicit liquor, family feud, depression, love affairs, nature’s fury, non-availability of employment opportunities, no proper irrigation infrastructure, middlemen lobby, political influence, media hype, MNCs exploitation, micro finance effect, money lending sharks, farmers’ will to excel in life, cash crops, high cost of investment in cultivation, labour problems & high wages, government policies... well, the list goes on and on and on... However, I strongly believe the day a farmer decides to grow food for his family like any other selfish urbanite (who is worried only about his family’s need & requirements), the problem of suicide will subside... it is the selfless attitude and nature of the farmers that has allowed the whole world to exploit them and kill them in a systematic way... one can surely say... the ploy of the government is to kill them all by various schemes... by providing them poisonous chemical fertilizers and pesticides, high cost GM seeds, low MSP – Minimum Support Price, controlling market price before and after crops are ready, WTO policies... snatching away their fertile lands in the name of development and what not...

... be it financing the community with all the comforts of life like motorcycles, dish connection etc etc..., enticing them with various loan waiving schemes year after year under political influence, providing ample of money as loan through micro finance... however, no one is teaching them how to save and generate money through saving... because all the loans taken by farmers are either invested in buying motorcycles, spent in daughters’ marriage or building cement houses, buying seeds & fertilizers but rarely the loan amount is being invested in money generating units or buying cattle. In the earlier days, in a village almost 95 per cent of the villagers used to have cattle... today, hardly 10 per cent possess good cattle for their field work, milk and manure... one can say, the globalization effect has surely made the farmers’ community to suffer the most. The rich are becoming richer because of farmers... the vicious cycle of loan has made everybody in today’s modern era to slog all through the life to pay the principal amount, so the rich can eat them sitting in their ivory towers.

There are many-many miles to be covered and walk... the journey of my life in real sense has just started...

टिक टॉक, टिक टॉक, टिक टॉक... (31st Jan 2011)

टिक टॉक, टिक टॉक, टिक टॉक...

चूल्हे पर उबल रहा था दाल...

टिक टॉक, टिक टॉक, टिक टॉक...

आँगन पर रो रहा था तीन साल का नंग्तु...

टिक टॉक, टिक टॉक, टिक टॉक...

माँ परेशानी में भी गुंध रही थी आटा...

टिक टॉक, टिक टॉक, टिक टॉक...

खाना पक रहा था रसोई में...

टिक टॉक, टिक टॉक, टिक टॉक...

भूख से व्याकुल नंग्तु आंसू बहाए जा रहा था..

टिक टॉक, टिक टॉक, टिक टॉक...

क्यों नहीं आये अभी तक वो खेत से...

टिक टॉक, टिक टॉक, टिक टॉक...

समय...

टिक टॉक, टिक टॉक, टिक टॉक...

दाल में छोंक लगा रही थी माँ...

टिक टॉक, टिक टॉक, टिक टॉक...

नंग्तु के रुन्दन से परेशान माँ...

टिक टॉक, टिक टॉक, टिक टॉक...

दौड़ता हुआ गाँव का एक बालक ...

टिक टॉक, टिक टॉक, टिक टॉक...

हांफता हुआ नंग्तु के घर आया...

टिक टॉक, टिक टॉक, टिक टॉक...

काकी, ओह काकी पुकारता...

टिक टॉक, टिक टॉक, टिक टॉक...

माँ साड़ी में हाथ पोंछती दरवाज़े पर...

टिक टॉक-टिक टॉक-टिक टॉक...

समय की रफ़्तार इतनी तेज़

टिक टॉक-टिक टॉक-टिक टॉक...

पहले कभी महसूस नहीं की माँ ने...

टिक टॉक-टिक टॉक-टिक टॉक...

बालक हांफता हुआ, काकी-काका...

समय थम सा जाता है...

टिक...टॉक......टिक......टॉक..........टिक........टॉक...

क्या हुआ रे श्यामू काका को...

टिक टॉक-टिक टॉक-टिक टॉक...

काका शेत मदे पडले आहे काकी...

टिक...टॉक......टिक......टॉक..........टिक........टॉक...

--- स्वरचित --- 

MY JOURNEY SO FAR – PART III (25th Jan 2011)

Farmers’ suicide continues to haunt Vidarbha region as usual and during monsoon there are many villagers who die because lightening strikes in the open vast field. I use a bicycle to travel to nearby villages. During my first trip to Khurjadi (Fort), as I was nearing the village (30 kms from Wardha), dense dark clouds surrounded me while I was drenched completely in heavy rain... lightening were striking at will with loud sound of cloud bursting in open fields. I was scared and for a second thought of turning back... the thought was in my mind for less than a second when I said to myself – ‘Johnny you have not come here to go back...’ I prayed to Sai Baba and requested – ‘Baba please don’t kill me in this way... there are things I have to do before you take me...’

Baba listened to my request and kept me safe in HIS grace... the farmer widow requested me to stay because it was already dark and still raining heavily and the village entrance was cut off by deep gushing waters. It was surely the divine intervention for such a loving hospitality I received that night... even though I was wet completely, I was amazed by the love and affection the mother and son gave me. It was my first stay in a village in Vidarbha. Even without electricity in the village, I was full at ease... the sumptuous dinner of garma-garam bhakri, dal, thecha, kanda and kairee served under the kerosene lamp light was an experience that will always remain with me all my life. That night I slept the best sleep of my life and early morning I woke up fresh and totally in bliss. The experience also taught me that I should not risk my life in such an extreme situation, especially during monsoon.

So far, there are four widows who are ready to work and earn but time is the greatest factor for them to spare. After the monsoon season, the festival and harvesting season starts and all the widows work in their respective farms... I am left with no option but to wait for them while I was making repeated trips to get the trust registered... finally in December, all the required papers were submitted. I am told that it will still take couple of months before we will get the registration papers to start our activities. For five long months, it was a trying times for me because of which my plans for 11 Districts Vidarbha Run to cover 200 villages in 45 days (supposed to commence on the 1^st of February 2011) had to be postponed. The run was supposed to generate awareness among farmers in Vidarbha and also raise funds for the movement... as destined it will have to wait for the next available time. Once the trust is registered, the run will be planned accordingly in next couple of months.

Yes, there are many people who expect me to perform a miracle out of nowhere... they wonder how things are going to work... what are the small units that will be established for the widows... but they all seem to be in a hurry to see results rather than wait patiently before things are done in a proper way to benefit the suicide farmers’ families for life. I know they will never understand the ground realities and yes they want to see miracles happening fast. However, through my earlier posts and this post I wish to inform one and all that I am going to live here in Vidarbha for life and do my best to achieve whatever little I can do for the affected families. Results will be seen after couple of years for sure and the trust would need a lot of contributions from everyone, so that we are able to achieve what we have set out for.

The long journey which started with a blog and a single step is being supported by many kind people from all around the world... more than 55 countries are following the movement and there are many eager souls who wish to be part of the movement. To be very frank, I had never imagined one single step would unite the world in such a strong way... after all, food is the necessity that affects one and all... farmers all over the world should get their rightful dues as they have been serving the nation with their selfless hard work and dedication... no one realises what will happen when there will be no farmers and farmlands left in the world... what the future lies for the generation of today is really very-very DANGEROUS even to think of... and every single year is bridging this gap at a much faster pace... the greed of the rich is increasing at the faster pace than ever it has in the history of mankind... the poor... well, till the last drop is sucked... the few beasts will not stop their hunger to accumulate to kill them!

.... to be continued...

MY JOURNEY SO FAR - PART II (23rd Jan 2011)

It was in the month of April that I visited Vidarbha for the very first time. The soaring high temperature touching 49 degrees with hot winds blowing was an experience that didn’t affect me at all. One may call it a miracle or the hands of divinity, I didn’t feel the heat on my body since then and the surprising part was that throughout my stay (15 days) I was calm, cool and composed roaming around villages interacting with farmers’ families. Heartening it is and it certainly wasn’t an easy task to get to know the truth behind each farmer’s death... however, I must say I have been blessed by Sai Baba because I was readily accepted by villagers... discussions at gram panchayat’s offices (village committee) with the members to know problems of the farmers were enlightening.

There were many ground realities and complexities that surprised me about farmers’ suicide in Vidarbha. For one, I was surprised to know that there are more than 7000 listed NGOs in Vidarbha region and many dedicated and devoted individuals who are doing their best to achieve whatever little they can, to provide succour to the farmers’ community of the nation. The biggest surprise of my visit was the irrigation canal near Deoli (on the way to Yavatmal) that has taken more than 23 years to complete... the construction is still incomplete after 23 long years... it shows how callous the State and Central Government are when infrastructure facilities for the agriculture sector are concerned. Even though Vidarbha region is the richest when it comes to rivers, ironically, the fact that all the water that should be used for irrigation purposes, are being diverted for rich corporate industries and generating power. Another ironical factor is that even though Vidarbha generates and has the biggest Thermal Power Station (CSTPS) in the country, there are many villages in the region, where villagers are still living in darkness. I wonder how the Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh can talk about growth of the nation! Is living in darkness without proper drinking water THE SIGN of the nation’s GROWTH?

May and June in Mumbai, I prepared self to shift once for all to Vidarbha. There were various personal problems I had to face during this period that delayed things. However, I must thank from the bottom of my heart the ‘Ten Angels’ who were kind enough to support me financially for a year to pursue and continue the movement in Vidarbha. Once the support system was in place, I shifted base in August permanently in Wardha. When I came here, I must confess without realizing the ground realities and monthly schedule of the farmers’ community, I had loads of plan to execute. However, things are not easy as it may seem from the other side of the reality... I had to unlearn all that life had taught me because I had entered a complete new territory and it was back to school again.

Farmers were succumbing to suicide and every day when you open the newspapers, the dreaded column used to give me a sense of helplessness. Emotionally I was fighting a war with the everyday situation that had never bothered to me to such an extent earlier. Things were not easy and many times, I went into deep depression... at times, I used to cry silently lying on my bed with tears rolling down for hours feeling so-so helpless and not able to save another precious life of another farmer... at times, I would just go on a silent bout with my Sai Baba demanding WHY? Why HE cannot stop such a phenomenon where poor are dying for the sake of others... for days and even month-long depression became a way of life for me. I realized things are going to be more difficult with each passing day and every day I prayed to Sai Baba to give me strength and be strong. For many who are reading this post, may feel that how can I be so weak hearted to cry and go in depression... well, these bouts of depression are the outlet for me being all alone in my journey of life... things none of my friends would like to discuss at length because each one of us have their own problems of life... however, Sai Baba has been very generous to send amazing angels from nowhere to encourage me and give me moral support. Such support system came from unknown people who have been following the movement and I was surprised to know that I was not alone any more...

... to be continued...

MY JOURNEY SO FAR – PART I (22nd Jan 2011)

From the streets of Mumbai to the villages of Vidarbha, the journey so far has been full of challenges and traumatic experiences. Amidst farmers’ death all around the 11 districts of Vidarbha each month of the year, the challenge to establish a strong base in a steady manner is perhaps one of the biggest challenges I have faced so far. With all the kind and encouraging support from many kind-hearted souls from all around the world, I have managed to set my base in Wardha in few months’ time.

Support 4 Suicide Farmers Families is a life-long journey that I have undertaken to support at least few farmers’ families to better their lives in coming future. Research, interaction, discussion and investigation to understand the complexities of farmers’ suicide in Vidarbha have been an experience that has opened my eyes wide... towards disbelief and hard ground realities. However, there is still so much to learn, do research and understand about this man-made calamity that has been created rather than a way of life for the poor farmers. Do you really think a human would love to die on his/her own? Please ask yourself this question and the answer would be... we want to live, live a decent dignified life and live in peace...

Last March (18^th) I started this movement as a one-man-crusade after having blogged on the issue for more than two years. The realization that the coming future without farmlands and farmers... what does the future holds for the coming generation... I was struck hard by the force that we all often call as destiny. Yes, it was in my destiny otherwise I really wouldn’t be here shifting with bag and baggage from the dream city Mumbai to settle down in the small town city Wardha in Vidarbha. My first visit in April 2010 was an eye-opener in many ways to interact with some of the farmers’ families in Vaigaon, who have suffered the loss of their near and dear ones. The first ever interaction was the most traumatic experience for me in my life... and each session with the suicide farmers’ families have drained me emotionally time and again... it is not an easy task to understand and make the victim’s family to talk about the horrible incident that has changed their lives forever for worse.

Children have been an inspiration that fills the void and trauma with little joy for a while with their innocence, antics and ever-wanting to know about me and the mission. There are many children, who don’t even remember if their fathers had really pampered them when they were alive... all they know is they are fatherless now or else have lost their grandfathers to suicide. The pain of the widows and the grit and determination of these brave women are indeed an exemplary state of surviving against all odds for the society at large to get inspired in our everyday lives. They are fighting the war every single day after their husbands have left them with almost nothing to survive and responsibilities of multiple children to look after... each story is same yet they are different in many ways and each time in my heart I salute these brave widows for being so brave to look after their fatherless children by slogging hard round-the-clock to see their innocent children smile and eat two-meals-a-day somehow.

.... to be continued...

स्कैम का दौर (16th Jan 2011)

स्कैम का दौर 

है कोई नेता ऐसा इस जहाँ में,

जो अपनी सफ़ेद खादी के पोशाक

की तरह बेदाग़ निश्छल हो

इस स्कैम के दौर में

हकीकत तो ये है कि

नेताओ की दौड़ में

कौन किस से आगे निकल जाये

डर है हर किसी को आज

मैं अगर नहीं खता हूँ

तो साला वो ज़रूर से खायेगा

फिर मेरा क्या होगा

मैं सत्यवादी हरिश्चंद्र तो नहीं

गरीबों का क्या है

थोड़े दिन चिल्लायेंगे और फिर

रोजमर्रा के भोझ तले

शांत हो कर दम तोड़ देंगे

सफ़ेद पोशाक के ये झोंक

ड्राकुला से भी है भयंकर

चाहे ये कभी खा न सके सारा दौलत

गरीबों का खून मगर चूसेंगे ये ज़रूर

   

--- स्वरचित --- 

THE FOOD THE FARMERS GROW (13th Jan 2011)

The first rule of politics is to complicate things beyond the understanding of common man, so that he will always run behind the dangling carrots that the leaders show them with false promises time and again all through his life!

Common Sense has been taken over by greed, more greed and more greed! Who cares as long as long as others are dying and especially the poor! The food, the farmers of the nation grow are in fact self sufficient in many aspects... only if all the food grains reaches to the citizen of the nation in the right ways. The selfless farmers have been feeding the nation since ages with great dedication and devotion... in spite of no proper irrigation facilities and policies of the government, traders mafia, corporate companies’ exploitative methods and not forgetting no proper place of storage for their hard labour which goes in waste due to careless attitude of the government to allow food grains to rot in open storage system and of course with nature turning its back time and again.

Only if the farmers had had a choice to go on strike and boycott growing food grains for a year long period, things definitely would have been different. The Agriculture Sector was once upon a time dominated by 70 per cent Indians and by the next year census, the percentage in all likelihood may fall by another 20 per cent... development and migration is what everyone is talking about but do the farmers of the nation really have any other options?

Their fertile lands are being taken over either by government agencies for government based projects or else by rich corporate companies to establish big industries... and in each case, the false promises of generating employment for the villagers’ card is played. Irrigation projects which should have been given the first and the foremost priority by the nation’s government don’t even complete in two or three decades’ time... instead all the water is diverted to the rich industries... traders selling seeds and fertilizers control the prices by restricting the supply just at the peak season of sowing to extract more money from needy farmers, cost of production is thus increased and the helpless farmers have no other way to turn around.

With more and more people from villages migrating towards cities, less and less villagers are now into farming because farming doesn’t feed their own families... shortage of labour force forces a farmer either to lease out his farms to someone wealthy or needy or else quit farming by selling his land and migrate to the nearby city so that he can struggle all his life doing labour job... at least this way, the farmers don’t have to look after the cattle, worry about increased prices of the seeds and fertilizers or else labour and the uncertainty of the natural calamities or problems of irrigation and still manage to feed his own family to survive in this modern day catastrophe. India is losing a farmer’s family with every next generation because once the son watches his father struggling all his life he opts to leave the age-old profession for better pastures in cities.

Only if the agriculture sector had been taken good care of with proper planning and execution, the sector would have grown in leaps and bounds just like all the other industries... but then, the policy is to create genocide by poisoning the nation’s citizen with poisonous chemical fertilizers and pesticides and GM crops, so that there are more new diseases available for the pharma industries to capitalise by further poisoning us with poisonous pain killers and tablets and injections...

While the agriculture sector has gone from bad to worse in the past six decades, the medical and the pharma industries have grown in leaps and bounds, of course not forgetting the insurance sectors and banking institutions. A simple mechanism is intelligently placed in the villages to trap all the farmers into the debt trap, so that either they will commit suicide or else sell their lands... who cares about food grains production in the nation! Every political leader has his agenda to grab more crores than he or his family can really spend all his life to enjoy life in real sense... but still, they will not hesitate to suck the last drop of blood from the poor farmers...

Farmers of the nation struggle all their life in hot sun, high temperatures and heavy rainfall...  come flood or drought, they selflessly continue farming for the whole nation to live in peace and eat healthy food... some of the farmers in the nation have sold their wives to moneylenders to feed their children during drought in 2009 (Bundelkhand), many farmers have committed suicide all across the nation, food grains are being allowed to rot in open to the tune of 58,000 crores and beyond and the six plus decade young nation never even bothered to build storage godowns to store food grains (only 20 per cent of the total food grains produced in the nation can be stored in FCI godowns)... and all the nation is worried about is industrial growth... more cars, more multiplexes, malls and what not... but what about irrigation system and infrastructure for the most essential sector who feeds the nation???

Dal, onion, vegetables have all been snatched away from a poor man’s plate because of their exorbitant prices... villagers in Tembhali village have to survive their hunger by eating tamarind (imli) leaves and if they get a chance to eat bhakri (roti made of sorghum or rice)... it is the happiest day of their lives... if only the farmers of the nation learn and decide to grow food only for their families and not the nation... only then the government will wake up... the prices of food is directly controlled by the respective leaders and traders lobby while the farmers sweat in hot sun to allow each one of them to suck his blood... till the last drop of blood is sucked from a poor man, the greed of the ever greedy will not satiate!

एक छोटा सा दिल (8th Jan 2010)

एक छोटा सा दिल

ना रातों को नींद
और दिन में चैन
एक छोटा सा दिल

करता है कितना बेचैन...

भटकता है ज़िन्दगी भर ये आवारा दिल 

मिल भी जाये अगर सब कुछ

एक छोटा सा दिल

करता है कितना बेचैन...

पलक झपकते रोता है ये दिल क्यों?

ना जाना अभी तक ऐसा होता है क्यों?
एक छोटा सा दिल
करता है कितना बेचैन...

मिल जाये जो करे प्यार उसको

चाहत हर एक दिल का है बस यही

एक छोटा सा दिल

करता है कितना बेचैन...

दुनिया सिमट जाती है छोटे से दिल में 

फिर भी ये ढूंढता रहता है सारा जहान

एक छोटा सा दिल

करता है कितना बेचैन...

--- स्वरचित ---

अगर ये न होते... (5th Jan 2010)

अगर ये न होते...

तो हमारी ज़िन्दगी कचरों तले होती

कचरा जो हमने चारो ओर बिकेरा है 

बिना सोचे-समझे , पढ़े-लिखे होने के बावजूद 

(This picture was not clicked by me)

अगर ये न होते...

ज़िन्दगी बस गन्दगी से भरी होती 

चारो ओर बिमारियों का जाल बिछा होता

हमारा स्वास्थ बद से बधतर होता 

अगर ये न होते...

लाख वैज्ञानिक व तकनिकी उपलब्दियों के बाद 

हमारा जीवन ख़तम हो गया होता 

और पृथ्वी बहुत पहले नष्ट हो गया होता

(This picture was not clicked by me)

अगर ये न होते...

तो ग्लोबल वार्मिंग का स्वांग रचा कर

भ्रष्ट नेताओ ने करोड़ों का घफ्ला न किया होता 

और स्विस बैंको में काला धन न छुपाया होता

(This picture was not clicked by me)

अगर ये न होते...

हम सब किसी कचरों के तले बैठे होते

और ग्लोबल वार्मिंग शब्दावली का आविष्कार न होता 

और न ही हर सक्श इन शब्दों से वाकिफ होता 

अगर ये न होते...

चारों ओर हाहाकार मचा होता 

पृथ्वी का वातावरण और दूषित हो गया होता

और जीना हम सबों का दूभर हो गया होता

नफरत भरी नज़रों से हमने इन्हें दुत्कारा है

न स्वास्थ चिकित्सा, शिक्षा, ना ही दो वक़्त की रोटी 

हमने मगर इनको अब तक दिया है क्या?

बस हमने तो इनकी जाति को नाकारा है 

पेट की भूख से ये कर्तव्यपरायण 

अपना कर्त्तव्य का पालन बिना अधिकार मांगे 

पृथ्वी से हमारी गन्दगी दूर कर रहे हैं

इन्हें तो ज्ञात भी नहीं है ग्लोबल वार्मिंग की 

अगर ये न होते...

तो क्या हमारा जीवन यूँ स्वस्थ होता?

अगर ये न होते...

तो क्या हमें सामाजिक पशु कोई कहता?

अगर ये न होते...

तो क्या इस विषय पर यूँ विचार प्रकट होता?

--- स्वरचित ---  

सत्य की खोज में (29th December 2010, 2025 Hrs)

सत्य की खोज में
निकला जब दुनिया में
तो चारो ओर बस
झूठ ही झूठ मिला

होश संभाला भी नहीं था
कि माँ ने कहा
मुन्ना राजा खा ले जल्दी
नहीं तो राक्षश आ जायेगा

पाठशाला में भी सबसे पहला सबक
सत्य का ही था
हकीकत मगर दुनिया का कुछ ओर था
असमंजस दिल बस भटकता ही रहा

कुछ बड़ा जब हुआ
तो पिताजी ने नसीहत दी
बेटा दुनिया जीतना है
तो थोडा झूठ बोलना सीखो

सत्य है कहाँ?
सत्य है कौन?
सत्य किसका है?
सत्य की खोज में बस घूमता ही रहा

सत्य असत्य जीवन के दो पहलू
एक के बिना दूसरा है अधूरा
मेरा अस्तित्व है अगर सत्य
तो मेरा जीवन है क्यों असत्य से घिरा हुआ?

-- स्वरचित --

उनके आंसू मोतियों से भी कीमती (28th December 2010, 0025 Hrs)

उनके आंसू मोतियों से भी कीमती

बस हम ही पढ़ सके उन आंसूंओं कि दास्तान...

दुनिया खड़ी  देखती रही उनको रोते

हमने एक कदम तो बढाया उनकी ओर...

पोंछ न पाउँगा मैं सारे आंसू मगर

ये गिला तो न होगा कि मैंने कोशिश भी नहीं की...

उनके आंसू मोतियों से भी कीमती

बस हम ही पढ़ सके उन आंसूंओं कि दास्तान...

कुछ ने साथ दिया और कुछ ने हसीं उड़ाई

हमने मगर दुनिया की परवाह किये बिना

ये जीवन समर्पित कर डाला उन लोगों के नाम

जो पेट भरते रहे सालों साल दुनिया के अपने खून से ...

उनके आंसू मोतियों से भी कीमती

बस हम ही पढ़ सके उन आंसूंओं की दास्तान...

चमकते हैं ये सारे मोती कुछ इस तरह से

मानो कहना चाहतें हैं दुनिया से अपनी दास्तान-ऐ-सिला 

मगर फुर्सत ही कहाँ है दुनिया के पास

जो बस कुछ पल के लिए सुन सके दर्द-ऐ-दिली दास्तान

उनके आंसू मोतियों से भी कीमती

बस हम ही पढ़ सके उन आंसूंओं कि दास्तान...

-- स्वरचित --

TWO WORLDS OF ONE CHRISTMAS (25th December 2010, 0000 Hrs)

Birth, joy, arrival

Celebration, happiness

Festival time across the world

Sweets and gifts aplenty

Enjoying, expectant children

Joy giving Santa Claus everywhere

Decoration, prayers

Making merry old and young

Dressed nicely, dancing the nights

Music surrounding everywhere

Tinkling bells, crowd galore

Chorus singing beautiful maidens

Sitting in a corner

Watching the illuminated world

Life is never a celebration, why?

There are so many

Children like me weeping quietly

Sans love in tattered clothes

Why no one really cares for us?

Where is Jesus?

Where are you my Santa Claus?

Living in one corner of the world

Wishing a little joy in my life

I’m also a little soul of your kingdom

Christmas or no Christmas

My life is never a celebration

Why Jesus? Why Santa Claus?

Johnny D

VIDARBHA 11 DISTRICTS RUN POSTPONED (21st December 2010, 2050 Hrs)

In the month of July, I had announced “Vidarbha 11 Districts Run” for 45 days covering 200 odd villages of Vidarbha Region all across the 11 districts to spread awareness and raise funds for the suicide farmers’ families (http://support4suicidefarmersfamilies.blogspot.com/2010/07/vidarbha-11-districts-run-in-november.html) . As per plan, I had decided the run in the month of November-December 2010 but since the trust registration was taking its own sweet time due to unavoidable reasons, I later declared that the run would start on the 1st of February 2011 and end on the 18th of March... I am sure those who have been following the blog have been anticipating the run as the months are closing in... In fact, many enthusiastic individuals from various countries had even informed me about their participation in the run.

Dear citizen of the world, I am extremely-extremely sorry to inform you that I have no option but to postpone the run because our trust registration has taken many-many months to materialise. In fact, in yesterday’s post I wrote how relieved I was to finally submit our trust forms and papers for registration. I was told at the office that it may take another three more months before we get our registration papers... so a long discussion followed between the three trustees and we all decided we had no option but to postpone the run... since without the trust registration this run would have served no purpose at all.

Also various ground realities have pushed most of our plans further in future... when I arrived in the month of April in Vidarbha, I barely knew the seasonal months and also the working patterns of the farmers and their families throughout the year... it surely has been a learning experience for me to gauge the various acts of villagers as different months make them busy with sowing, removing weeds followed by harvesting season... each of these activities take various months as per seasonal change... currently while harvesting of various crops are taking place, the sowing is also simultaneously taking place... so all the farmers and family members are busy in the fields...

I am a bit content and sad too, to inform one and all that the year 2010 has been good and bad for Vidarbha farmers in many ways:

GOOD:

(i) The number of farmers’ suicide reduced to less than 700 this year as compared to other previous years.

(ii) Rainfall this year had been 25 per cent in excess, as compared to the last three years of drought like situation.

(iii) Farmers got a good rate for cotton this year from private traders to an extent that the range per quintal across the 11 districts of Vidarbha was between Rs. 4000/- to Rs. 5111/-

BAD:

(i) 600 Plus Farmers’ succumbed to suicide due to various reasons this year.

(ii) The excess rain did damaged crops in many parts of Vidarbha and many farmers lost their earnings, savings and hard work and yes, some of them even their lives.

(iii) Government policies seem to do not much with only announcement being made in media.

It is only after our trust will get its registration number, we will be able to chalk out the 11 Districts Vidarbha Run... till then, I have many things to learn on ground to plan our programmes for the year 2011. In the past few months that I have lived as a Vidarbhan, I must confess I have been accepted by various villages as one of their own. The feeling of belonging to my own nation is perhaps the best any individual can ever experience... the spicy thecha (chilly chutney), bhakri (roti made of Jowar – Sorghum, Rice), kanda (raw onions) and dal... wow! The journey from Bollywood’s Five Stars’ Parties to simple food with pure love and warmth in villages has been amazing and an experience that truly cannot be described in mere words...

In my deepest of deepest heart, not even for once I felt that the transformation of my life and destiny had been a mistake... I am glad my destiny brought me to where I belong like a true Indian! A big-big ‘Thank you’ to one and all from all across the globe for encouraging and supporting the movement... you all have made me to become more stronger than I ever was!

Cuidate!

A RELIEVED MAN! (20th December 2010, 2020 Hrs)

What started on the street of Mumbai in March 2010 led me to Vidarbha in April and even before I knew, I bid farewell to the dream city once for all to settle down in Wardha for life. It started as a one-man-crusade but within few months time, I realised that to do good for your country and countrymen, one has to have license from the government of India. So forming a trust was mandatory for me and the movement, which I wanted to be unique in many sense... nevertheless, the difficulty was then to find like-minded people who would form the trust as trustees.

Difficulty to find such genuine people made me approach people I knew... but each one had their own apprehension and unwillingness to be part of the trust... some doubted my capabilities while few were suspicious and so the search went on for couple of months. I realised only after failing initially that Swapnil Barai (the man who helped me settled down in Wardha) was the best bet and so when I asked him, he said – “Why not!” The first hurdle was so easy to cross, I realised why I didn’t approached him earlier. Now I needed one more person so we could float a trust. After a long thought, I called my Ninth Angel Tejal Rajyagor in Mumbai and asked her if she would be interested to be part of the trust... Almost instantaneously she said – “Yes!”

Well, I was so-so happy when these two wonderful people joined me to form the trust because all of us want this movement to do something better for the farmers and farmers’ families in coming years with our devotion and selfless acts. We are all serious to tackle these problems and in many ways we share the same dream with the same zeal and passion. However, while the second hurdle too became easy to cross, the mental trauma that was ready for us to engulf in its arms was waiting like a hungry crocodile... please-please don’t feel it is so horrible as it sounds reading the metaphors...

Registering a trust has its own norms and procedure according to the government law. There are various forms and papers to be submitted along with the application and trust deed and these procedures can take its own sweet time because of various reasons. What started in August 2010 is finally over today in December... yes, all these months there were necessary papers of all the three trustee members that were asked one after another (each time I visited the office)... I am today a relieved man because finally we have managed to submit our trust application to the sanctioning authority in Wardha Office. All these while, the mental trauma that I was facing was in many ways bothering me months after month...

Now in January 2011, we will have to follow up with the officials, so that things move fast and our trust is registered at the earliest. I was told it may take another two months or so before we get the final papers with registration of the trust. One thing is for sure, while these official procedures will take its own course, all three of us are pleased that finally we have managed to submit out trust papers and soon our trust will become a registered one!

Thank you Baba for blessing us!

MAN PROPOSES, GOD DISPOSES (15th December 2010, 2010 Hrs)

When I arrived in Vidarbha in April 2010, I really didn’t have any idea of the ground realities that I would be facing in coming months and many-many years in future. Yes, I was just blogging on the farmers’ suicide in Vidarbha since the last couple of years reading about them in dailies, online and magazines. The only thing I was armed with was my devotion and passion to support the suicide farmers’ families all my life.

I had to learn from scratch by interacting with various individuals, experts and noted figures who have contributed since many years... keen observation and research were the essential part of the whole exercise. While I was interacting with villagers and affected families, I learned a great deal about the complexities of the problems... yet there were many-many things that I was and am to learn in coming months and years with each passing day.

Like anyone from the city, I too believed in planning things according to my perception and ideas... things on ground were just the opposite. It is here when I was reminded of the old saying – Man proposes, God disposes – Whatever said and done, things are never at our hands... the misconception that we humans always tend to interpret of achieving great success... in reality, we are mere puppets at the hands of God, who utilises us whenever we are required to give an action its results.

First of all, the high summer temperature in Vidarbha, then heavy rainfall, then the festive season while farmers continued to succumb to suicide at regular intervals and then the harvesting season followed by the winter season... each month was different from the other and I just had to witness one thing after another like a mute spectator... enthusiasm turned into depression and depression led to a new high with tremendous patience developing with each passing day... each individual that I interacted with, taught me new-new things and the acquired knowledge about the ground problems became more handy... and as destined... I was being played at the hands of God all through my life.

I really don’t know how this journey is going to shape up in the coming months and years but one thing I am glad that God chose me to be in Vidarbha for a reason and the reason is – support 4 suicide farmers’ families!!!

ROLE MODEL: THE NEVER DYING SPIRIT OF THE 75-YEAR-OLD FARMER FROM VIDARBHA (06th December 2010, 1320 Hrs)

His life has been full of struggle but he never gave up unlike other farmers, who succumbed to suicide... he was landless farmer once but today he proudly says –“With my hard work and savings, I finally managed to buy 2 acres. God has been very kind to me and has listened to my prayers. My daughter is married and my son works as a tractor driver and even at this age, I don’t ask a penny from my son... whatever I cultivate in these two acres, me and my buddhi (lovingly he calls his wife ‘buddhi’ - meaning an old woman) are living on that with great contentment!”

Meet the 75-year-old farmer Kisna Shravan Milmile from Naigaon (Bk), Yavatmal district in Vidarbha. He is a proud grandfather now and the pride on his face to show his 2 acre fields with cotton growing made me wonder... why does a 14 or 18 acre farmers succumb to suicide? After all Milmile kaka (as I call him in respect) also has struggled all his life in Vidarbha... for me, he is truly a role model that every Vidarbha farmers should take lessons from. The never dying spirit of this old man, (he still ploughs his own fields) has seen this landless farmer grow from a bonded labour for more than 30 to 40 years in his own village to become a proud owner of 2 acre of farm, build a pakka home, marry off his daughter in a nice manner and give a proper upbringing to his son and take good care of his beloved wife... I truly-truly saluted him from the bottom of my heart and even touched his feet to get his blessings to do something good for Vidarbha farmers and suicide farmers’ families.

75-Year-Old Farmers Kisna Shravan Milmile

He recalls, “I was never bright in studies, so never went to school to continue my schooling as it is we were very poor. During my younger days, I used to work here and there doing labour jobs to earn a little... and then I used to plough fields and work as a labourer in bigger farmers’ houses for years. For more than 15 years, I worked at the Sarpanch’s house and managed to save a little money. As a healthy young man, I used to do labour jobs to earn extra money... and I must have worked for more than 30 or 40 years for others ploughing their fields and doing all the odd jobs... deep down I always prayed and knew God will ultimately give me peace... and yes, he gave me finally in the shape of these two acres land. I have no complaints from the almighty, in fact, I am thankful because he gave me a life to live in a respectful manner. What more can I ask for?”

 

His life is like pages from a Hindi cinema, full of struggle, hardship and at last the vindication to live a life with respect and dignity. He takes out a pouch of tobacco and offers me sheepishly... I thank him and say, “Me nahin khaat hai kaka (I don’t chew tobacco kaka).” He smiles and then asks me if I would chew some supari (beetlenut)? I shook my head and he takes out some from his pocket. I took some to thank him for allowing me to spend some lovely time in his fields and know about his life’s struggle and success. He seemed very happy and so was I for meeting such an amazing role model in Vidarbha.

Farmer like Kisna Shravan Milmile never makes to the pages of dailies or any glossy pages of magazines but such success stories should be highlighted by one and all, so that other farmers can learn to follow in his footsteps. Hard work, the will to never give up, the devotion to be a proud farmer, the intelligence to save a little for decades to see his dream of owning his own farm and above all his honesty to lead the right way and not the short cut... well Kisna Shravan Milmile opened my eyes in many ways. He concludes, “My son will work for others but he is not ready to work in our own farm, this is the only sadness I have in my life... but then it is his life... I don’t interfere in the way he wants to live his life... My buddhi and me are in total bliss to lead a nice peaceful life now (smiles)!”

I bid him goodbye and became rich by his blessings. I do hope I will meet him again when I will visit Naigaon (Bk) once again!

THE PRIME MINISTER STILL DOESN’T WANT TO CURB CORRUPTION IN THE NATION: A COMMON MAN’S TAKE TO NATION’S SELF CREATED PROBLEMS (3rd December 2010, 2120 Hrs)

Is the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh still in his "Special Kumbakaran Mode of Sleeping" (SKMS)? You bet! He had sleep walked his first term while his group of ministers were making hay under his very own hat looting crores and crores of the nation’s wealth to give birth to some of the biggest shameless scams in the history of Indian Politics. And yes, he is still sleeping...

He woke up just before the election and did blabber (tonnes of lies) to the whole nation that Prices of all the essential food commodities will be brought down within 100 days if the UPA is elected once again (the prices went up and up); PDS system will implemented within 100 days (no sign of implementation of such an act) ; No Indian will die of hunger because of the drought situation which the country was facing (many millions are dying every year though); The nation has enough food stock so we Indians shouldn’t be worried about shortage of food (but obvious the nation has the audacity to allow 58,000 crores of food grains to rot in a year, every year); well... the list is endless...

While the media and the whole nation was worried about the Common Wealth Games preparation, our Prime Minister was in his famous SKMS... after all, all the crores that has been looted by Kalmadis, Gills, Dikshits and the gang were also filling his Swiss Bank Accounts, otherwise as the Prime Minister of the nation why should he keep quiet for so long (7 long years of preparation)... yes, my dear readers of the world, he woke up from his SKMS after the whole world had tarnished India’s pride... only when everything started collapsing for the CWG and there was just SEVEN days left, he said – “Enough is Enough!” Isn’t Manmohan Singh the GREATEST Prime Minister India has had in the last 63 years??? The CWG went well, thankfully but when the skeletons are now been dug out, the whole world will be surprised how 1 Lakh Crores were gulped by the Kalmadis, Gills and Dikshits’ gang to make the country proud with the help of the PM!

The PM once again woke up only when the Supreme Court ordered the Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar to distribute the food grains which are being allowed to rot (so that ministers’ relatives and kin can buy in cheap rates to turn the rotten grains into fine liquor for the rich & the famous) to the tune of 58,000 crores per year. Instead of asking his minister to explain the nation as to why such a huge wastage was possible, the Prime Minister admonished the Supreme Court saying – “SC have no right to dictate terms in policy making of the nation.” Wow! Tussi great ho praaji!!!

So that means the Agriculture Minister can allow some more food grains to rot year after year, courtesy the great Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. I am really appalled because 2 Lakh farmers have committed suicide because of various reasons in the nation in the past 12 years (1997 to 2009) and here the PM instead of saving the food grains, was furious when SC ordered to distribute the excess food grains to the poor hungry Indians... the hard labour of the farmers are allowed to rot while they are succumbing to suicide, selling wives to moneylenders to feed their children (in Bundelkhand in 2009)... how ironical can it be and how callous it is on the part of the nation’s Prime Minister. Dr. Manmohan Singh you really have many-many questions to be answered and explanation to give to the nation.

The 2 G Scam is like the icing on the cake that Dr. Manmohan Singh has baked ever since he has become the Prime Minister of India. How can an expert economist allow the nation to lose 1.76 lakh crores (or is it even more?) when he is heading the state as Numero Uno? SKMS syndrome... he slept while A Raja became the real Prime Minister of India to be supported by the media reputed editors, top corporate houses, the silent Sonia Gandhi & Rahul Gandhi, the acting PM (oh... he is still in SKMS), Pranab Mukherjee, P Chidambaram, Niira Radia and don’t know how many more are involved to loot the nation’s wealth... imagine if the nation would have made 1.76 lakh crores because of 2 G Licences, A Raja would have been the real RAJA of the nation and Dr. Manmohan Singh would have made the GDP of the nation grow in two-digits...

When the BJP declared one day national bandh for Price Rise, Pranab Mukherjee was quick to invite the opposition leaders for ‘Breakfast Tea’ (how many crores exchanged hands to divert nation’s attention from the real issue?) and since that morning, even the BJP has forgotten the ‘Price Rise Issue’ to provide succour to the common man and poor Indians and not bothered as to how majority of the Indians are fighting tooth and nail to survive another single day. However, the 2 G Scam has opened the eyes of every single political party to unite and demand a JPC, the body that was created to curb corruption during Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s tenure. The Congress and the Prime Minister is so-so afraid of the JPC that they are not bothered the nation once again lost near about 100 crores because the Parliament Houses couldn’t run during the Winter Session... so please add another 100 crores in the 1.76 lakh crores...

In fact, in the earlier paragraph I had mentioned how A Raja is actually the Prime Minister, who not only disobey Dr. Manmohan Singh but also immediately opened his mouth to confess (when he was caught first by the media off guard) to save his own skin – “Everything happened with the knowledge of the Prime Minister and P Chidambaram!” Surprisingly everyone has forgotten his confession on television news channels many months ago... and imagine after that the Prime Minister immediately came into his rescue to say – “Raja will continue as the Telecom Minister! He has no reasons to resign...” Now that the Supreme Court has summoned the PM (the first in the history of Indian politics since the Independence)... Dr. Singh should be conferred an award for creating a new record...

The heights of height is that now instead of curbing the corruption under his regime, Dr. Singh has again gone into the SKMS while the Ag is fighting his case in the SC... how a SIMPLE thing is being made COMPLICATED by not only ordering for a JPC so that the Parliament can function and the nation can save another 100 crores (millions of malnutrition children can be fed for years to save their lives) and all the CULPRITS can be brought into books to be sent for life in jail... but then knowing Dr. Manmohan Singh, he can only utter lies – “Guilty will be punished!” – in all the press conferences that he is attending nowadays, that is if he is not sleeping... He should have been an example for the nation and the whole world to see to be punished FIRST as HE IS THE FIRST PERSON WHO IS GUILTY AND UNDER WHOSE LEADERSHIP ALL THE SCAMS HAVE TAKEN PLACE... but does he really want to curb corruption??? I leave that for you all to demand a simple question to our Prime Minister...

Because we all have been silently accepting such things, today the Prime Minister has dared to loot the nation he is leading...