2011: THE YEAR IT WAS!

The gradual and steady progress ever since I started the movement on 12^th of March 2010, understanding the ground realities, interacting with villagers, analyzing various issues, trying to find simple solutions, generating awareness among the busy Indians and the world, and making important connections all over the globe with some of the very outstanding leading activists of various countries and last but not the least – connecting the world (as many as 90 countries worldwide) through the blog... certainly the year 2011 have been an eventful year for the movement – support 4 suicide farmers families.

Depressions, joy, happiness, sorrows, the dejection, love, hate, pain, frustrations... not even a single emotion has really escaped from my daily life... and yet I had to have a very high level of patience to keep my passion intact and alive, to keep it all above else... for many all over the world, the ‘journey of destiny’ is trying to revive a glimmer of hope and expectations... for me, the every day battle to survive yet another day to keep the hope alive has been a passionate affair with my Sai Baba... who has been sending me beautiful angels from all across the world... reminding me to keep walking... and that HE will always be beside me along with the beautiful departed kind soul of my Mamman (Late Mrs. Pratibha Jaiswal), who adopted this orphan as her own son!

In February 2011, I started the series in my blog – WHAT THE FARMERS NEED? – discussing various important issues that are directly related to agriculture and farmers of the world. I am indeed glad that the local politicians of Vidarbha took notice of the first and the main point – Irrigation Infrastructure – and since February, they have been active to demand the State Government about the failure and completion of various irrigation projects in Vidarbha. I have been in Vidarbha since April 2010 and in the last 11 months (since then) no one had even bothered about the completion of various irrigation infrastructure... irrigation projects in Vidarbha has seen many Chief Ministers come and go since the last 30 long years... many projects are still incomplete and many are just on the papers while the project costs keep escalating to a new high in billions of dollars or crores in rupees... none of the past CMs have completed even one big irrigation projects for Vidarbha.

Needless to say, corruption is very-very high and the will to provide succour to the farmers by providing water for irrigation through efficient infrastructure is lacking big time among our politicians and the ruling government... while all the rivers’ water are diverted for the heavy industries and various private thermal power projects, there are remote villages in Vidarbha, where villagers have still not seen proper drinking water or electricity and are digging wells with bare hands and simple tools... in the age of the 21^st Century, where our corrupt Prime Minister is claiming for stupendous economic growth of the nation amidst 120 plus scams worth billions and billions dollars... who really do we blame for our inefficiencies?

MSP (Minimum Support Price) of various crops too was one of the points that was covered in the series – WHAT THE FARMERS NEED? – and this year, even though Vidarbha saw some protests by various politicians (because of local assembly elections)... the farmers didn’t get the benefits... that they so much deserve! Once the elections were over, all the protests died down... the will to help the farmers of the nation is lacking big time... I often wonder what will happen to the nation when there will be no farmers and no fertile lands to cultivate crops?

Every night I have sleepless hours thinking about the dangerous future that we are heading towards... and none of the leaders of the world are really bothered about it... and so also are the citizen of respective nations. I have to fight bouts of depression month after month, all alone as I have lost many good friends, who don’t have time to listen to or suggest me as to what I should do... the ‘journey of destiny’ is certainly a very lonely journey and only I have to keep walking come what may... as days have turned into months and months are turning into years... I have to smile, cry, make new friends, forget the lost ones and keep working slowly and steadily. At times, I do wonder as to what am I doing here in Vidarbha leaving everything in my life? After all, the demonic myth of farmers’ suicide and malnutrition deaths have been created by the system to milk the billions of dollars... Out of the 1.21 Billion Indians, even if half the population will work for the welfare of the poor... the system will not allow the problems to cease... such is the magnitude of these demonic myth and crisis in the nation. The world may end but these problems are certainly not going to cease on its own or those who are dedicatedly working to achieve the unexpected...

Often I ask Sai Baba as to why at all YOU created such a world... where the poors are exploited, killed, raped, beaten, their houses burnt, their fertile lands acquired in the name of economic growth and every facilities snatched away... I know I will never get the answer from HIM! The only thing I feel so blessed about is that HE gave a new meaning to my life in serving the poor farmers of my nation and to do something worthwhile for the future of the children of today!

After 18 months of struggle and frustrations, finally on the 1^st of December 2011 the movement got the registration of the Trust – support 4 suicide farmers families, wardha – certainly, it is the first big step in years to come by... I cannot express my joy in words and no one will even understand what I have gone through visiting a number of times the office of the assistant charity commissioner of Wardha. I did lose my patience but then as I slowly regained my momentum... the patience was in its place. Devotion and Patience – Shraddha aur Saburi – as Sai Baba always had preached, has seen me growing from strength to strength to keep moving ahead in the ‘journey of destiny’ to face all adversities.

The ‘journey of destiny’ surely is an unending journey and there are many ground works to be done slowly and steadily in an effective manner to achieve great results in coming future... as we all move from one year to another... I must confess without strong financial background... we have certainly covered a very small distance so far... as the years will come by, I will be needing great help from one and all... so that we can achieve some good results... I really don’t know where this journey will take me... but I know that till my last breath I will be working for the farmers of my nation.

From the bottom of my heart, I wish to thank everyone all over the world, who have been instrumental in lending me great help and support to pursue the ‘journey of destiny’. Be it the 20 Beautiful Angels with their yearly financial help or all the angels who have been contributing in their own ways to support the movement... it may be monetary, medicines, clothes, encouraging words or else to make me feel that they are always behind me... I truly appreciate each help that has made this movement build a strong base! Sai Baba bless you all always and forever!

Cuidate :)