“So, why don’t you quit?”, i asked.
“I ask the same question everyday. But the next day morning, I am the first to wake up and finish all my morning rituals and I am the first one on the farm. I toil hard in the sun, bend my back, strain my body and when I get home, I ask, should I just quit. Is this all even worth it? And the next day morning, I am the first to wake up.”
I asked this question, 45 minutes into the conversation, with Ramesh, a 2nd generation farmer at a village not so far away from a major highway. He didn’t want me to share other details and it would be more obvious once you read the highlights of the conversation.
We spoke about family, children, farm, farming, movies and of course politics because after all everything in life is affected by politics.
A few highlights of the conversation
Why do you farm?
Thats all I know. I saw my father farming and take immense pride in what he was doing. He commanded respect both on the field and off the field. We didnt have much land but whatever we did, we were able to feed ourselves, the community and save for our future. So thats all i knew. I played in the farm, I grew up in the farm and I never thought about doing anything else.
What did you grow?
We grew mostly vegetables for ourselves but grew what everyone else grew – the community discussed it and it was very rarely an individual decision.
How about your kids? What do they think?
I am not sure. They don’t play in the farm. School keeps them busy and we don’t talk much farming at home either. There is so many problems and I don’t want to trouble the kids with those.
What problems?
Well where do I begin. Do you have the time to even listen? The biggest problem is that I don’t even exist. I don’t matter at all.
I go to the bank, stand on the line and go completely unnoticed for hours. I am illtreated, even ridiculed and at the end denied the loans.
I go to the revenue department, same treatment. At the electricity department, same treatment.
The only place, ironically, where I am recognized is the local money lender. He gives me money to buy seeds, fertilizers and chemicals and sometimes i have to hassle but he arranges for the produce pick up.
But the interest rates are high, so that is another problem. You tell me, how can i discuss all this with the kids. My wife helps out a lot – at the farm, at home and she understands the problems and is brave about facing them.
The expenses are so high and there is very little hope from the markets
Did you consider organic, may be that will reduce the cost?
(Smiles) – Organic farming looks good on the roof toop, like they show on youtube – all the citi wallas, it is only for them.
If i got the money lender, i can buy everything, its all walkable distance for me. Sometimes he even delivers at my door steps.
I don’t know how to save the seeds, reuse the seeds for next season – i dont have the labor for it. I don’t own cows, so how do i get organic manure. I don’t have a money lender who sells me all this.
A few of us went to the sarpanch to see if he can help with some setup, he had a few meetings and then there were elections. He won the elections and he completely forgot about the conversation.
All these politicians are for the sake of votes. They don’t really work for the farmers or for anyone.
So if you had the power to do something, what would you do?
(His body language changed. He had a wise smile on his face. He stood up and was pacing back and forth)
First is why farmers are not respected. I will change that. The way farmers were treated (2 years ago, farm laws) was very disheartening. I have lots of ideas on how to do that, but will tell you some other day.
Second is sarpanch (gram panchayat) should do some work. We should have local weather, local market prices, local procurement, local supplies – all of this has to be arranged. If the entire village is dependent on farms then why should they not do this?
And then the farmers should make the laws for themselves.
But the important thing is that farmers need some respect. I know 3 farmers who died by suicide in the last 3 months or so but there was no news coverage. No one notices when we are alive and no one cares even when we die.
And this has to change.
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