THE FIRST STEP... THE FIRST DROP OF CONTENTMENT

Chronicles of the “Journey of Destiny”:

August 2008: Blogging started on serious issue of farmers’ suicide and other national crisis...

12^th March 2010: Awakening to realize by writing, discussing and speaking lives of affected farmers’ families are not going to change. Dedicated life to support suicide farmers’ families in Vidarbha.

18^th March 2010: Walked the streets of Bombay (from Ambernath, on train, Andheri (West) from Station to Veera Desai Road, Bandra from Station to Linking Road, Thane) to raise funds for the affected families.

16^th April 2010: Arrived in Vidarbha to settle down permanently.

July 2010: Shifted all my belongings from Bombay to Wardha.

December 2010: Submitted Trust’s Application in the Assistant Charity Commissioner’s office in Wardha

1^st December 2011: “support 4 suicide farmers families wardha” registered as the Trust, Regd No: E – 350

8^th May 2012: Trust’s Bank Account finally is opened

29^th June 2012: First farmer’s widow from Salod village, district Wardha  Aruna Jivan Barade’s daughter Sheetal Ramji Barade is sponsored with a 7-year Recurring Deposit of Rs. 300 / - for her future Education needs

Life has not been easy, as many sitting in the lovely homes in Urban cities may think... especially, when you are forming your base for a long term effective solution to support affected farmers’ families, who have lost their husbands due to agragrian crisis. Without understanding the real ground realities and the existing problems of the farmers’ community... it is very easy for many to express their point of views. Our nation BHARAT which has a domination of Agriculture (70% population depends on Agriculture) has had faulty government policies, which has created this crisis to such a magnitude that one really cannot fathom from where the problems start and where it ends... the government policies are the deadly Octopus with deadly and evil tentacles that keep multiplying and keep killing the farmers of the nation endlessly...

I have been interacting with the farmers’ community, widows and children of affected families from various region to understand the crisis... I have travelled in remote villages in States like Maharastra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan... it was heartening as well as enriching experience to learn, share and teach to understand the crisis... many a times I have gone in depression whenever I read about farmers’ suicide in the nation and this has continued on and on... The “Journey of Destiny” is an endless long journey that I will have to walk till I am alive, helping and supporting as many affected farmers’ families as possible... Sai Baba has been very kind and the kind support of the world has been very encouraging to keep assuring me – Humanity is still very much ALIVE!!!

It was in June 2010 that I met widow Aruna Jivan Barade at her village Salod’s home... she lost her young husband Ramji Jivan Barade (32 years) due to agricultural distress of debt... Aruna never knew how much her husband had borrowed from money lenders and when the inevitable happened... with three young children to take care of and just 2 acres of land (45 minutes walk from her home)... life was... well, words surely cannot describe her pains, sorrows and miseries...

The Registration of the Trust and opening of Trust’s Bank Account took a great time but finally everything is shaping up slowly and steadily with the blessings of my Sai Baba and great help from the world. The Base of the movement has and is becoming stronger and stronger as more and more people are joining in the movement from allover the world. As many as 80 countries are following the movement’s small-small progress from day one... I am putting in my best efforts at all times to generate awareness and provide simple solutions for various problems.

Finally, yesterday, the 29^th of June 2012 the movement – support 4 suicide farmers families” took its FIRST TINY STEP in the long journey ahead!!! Aruna Jivan Barade was handed over the Passbook by IDBI Bank Manager Vikram Gokhale at Wardha Branch. Vikram Gokhale has been very kind to guide and a great help to get all the formalities completed. I wish to thank him through this post for every little help he has extended as an angel. I wish to mention here about the little girl Pranali of the branch, who has also been a great help... in fact, Sheetal was a bit emotional when we were about to click photographs of the proceedings and refused... it was Pranali, who cajoled her as a teary eyed Sheetal agreed to get photographed.

IDBI Bank Manager Vikram Gokhale, Sheetal, Aruna Barade & Johnny D...

Honestly, after handing over the Passbook, instead of feeling happy... there was lot of pain in my heart because I realized there will be so many unfortunate farmers’ widows who may not get such kind of help and assistance. I am grateful to Sai Baba for guiding me to this blessed journey... one may read about Aruna Jivan Barade in the post (link given below)

http://support4suicidefarmersfamilies.blogspot.in/2010/06/second-widow-confirms-to-be-part-of.html

HUMANITY - a simple approach !