The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Agonising wait for help

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jun 24, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Agonising wait for help

G.V. Ramana Rao

P. Kamalamma and her son Gopi Krishna

VIJAYAWADA: "My son, Gopalakrishna, is dumb and mentally retarded. He cannot go to school and I cannot go to work as I have to keep a constant watch on him," says Parisi Kamalamma.

She was summoned from Utukur village in the upland mandal of Gampalagudem to depose in front of the One-man Commission on farmers' suicide headed by L. Rama Chenna Reddy. The boy's father, Venkateswara Rao, committed suicide by consuming insecticide in December last.

Venkateswara Rao owned one acre of wetland and took on lease another eight acres to transplant paddy. His world had come tumbling down when the crop failed due to poor rain. The landlord demanded that he be given the entire produce.

Venkateswara Rao lodged a complaint with the Gampalagudem police. The Sub-Inspector tried to bring about a compromise between the tenant and the landlord, asking them to share the produce equally. The landlord was not satisfied and the issue was put before the village panchayat again. The issue could not be resolved.

The divisional committee, comprising Government officials, recommended that Kamalamma be paid ex gratia under the provisions of G.O. Ms. No. 421, but payment was being delayed for some unknown reasons.

All eyes were on Gopalakrishna who kept amusing himself by imitating his mother all the while. Standing with folded hands, he nodded his head whenever his mother tried to emphasise a point. Mr. Rama Chenna Reddy recorded the presence of the 10-year-old boy and urged the Government to pay ex gratia at the earliest.

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