DHAMANGAON (MAHARASHTRA): "The Prime Minister was very sad and he really felt for us," said Sindhu Titurkar after she attended a meeting with Dr. Manmohan Singh at Dhamangaon on Saturday. Sindhu, along with several other women, were there to tell the Prime Minister their sad stories.

Sindhu's husband committed suicide in February and now she is faced with the prospect of little support. Her elder son cannot work on the field due to an operation. "I have two acres of unproductive land and about Rs. 16,000 in loans," she said. She has received only Rs. 30,000 of the Rs. one lakh compensation from the Government. Sindhu narrated her problems to the Prime Minister and other VIPs. "I think he will do something. I asked him to give my sons jobs," she said, her eyes full of tears.

Adarsh Vidyalay, where the meeting was held, was cordoned off and barricades were put up well ahead of the venue. Many residents were denied permission to go to their homes in the village and a bridegroom in a decorated car was also prevented from going to his destination. At the venue itself the mood was sombre and people waited as near as they could to see the Prime Minister's long convoy and his helicopter land and take off.

Some were disappointed too. Rambhai's son Ashish hung himself two years ago unable to bear the burden of debt. "I came hoping to talk to the Prime Minister but did not manage to. I have to get two daughters married and I need help," he said. Godavari Ladi, whose husband killed himself, has a loan of Rs. 20,000. She can't make a living off two acres of land. Vijayatai Hingole said that farmers needed a loan waiver as land was becoming increasingly unproductive and cotton prices were dropping.

Women who have lost their husbands are yet to get any compensation and that was one of the main grievances they conveyed to the Prime Minister.

Asha Chichne from Wadgaon Baza village said that she wanted a house and a job for her only daughter. She later said she would have to sell her land unless she received some support. Her husband committed suicide one-and-a-half years ago and she has got only Rs. 30,000 out of the Rs. one lakh compensation the government is supposed to give.

This year she has no money to plant cotton on her three acres of land. Many of the women who spoke demanded a loan waiver, jobs for their children and better prices.

Khaki siege

At Waifad, which was also under a khaki siege, the entire village turned out to get a glimpse of the Prime Minister, a man few of them had set eyes on before. Dr. Singh arrived there after spending some time at Sewagram, wearing a crisp white kurta and a light blue turban. He drove from the newly made helipad near Waifad to the little primary school where he heard several farmers speak about their problems. A light rain fell as he arrived and he was welcomed with garlands made of cotton.

Shetkari Sanghatana leader Vijay Jawandia who hails from this village, said the farmers' suicides were linked to the economic policies and globalisation. He said Maharashtra's package for cotton farmers was an eyewash and waiving loans alone would not solve the problem.

Ujwala Kelkar said her husband was depressed due to huge loans. Her four acres were taken over by a moneylender and she said she had no support. Women farmers should get pension, she demanded.

Farmers from Dorli spoke of how they had put up their village for sale as they could not repay their old loans. "When farmers cannot repay loans when the prices were around Rs. 2,300 a quintal, how can they do so with prices of Rs. 1,760," asked Dharampal Jagronde. Ujwala Wailkar , a XII standard student said no one wanted to marry girls from poor farming families. She said she too did not want to marry a farmer and wanted to go to the city and get herself a good job. She said her father sold four acres to get her sisters married and now they had no land.

Kamlabai Ghude wept as she spoke to the Prime Minister about the death of her husband. She demanded a job for her son Bhaskar and said that she had very little support left. After the meeting, while some felt that they had not been allowed to speak, Mr. Jawandia said Dr. Singh listened to the farmers' problems with patience and understanding.

Before the meeting Dr. Singh visited the house of Lakshmi Masram and Lakshman Shinpure. An elated Lakshmi later said she did not know what to say when she saw Dr. Singh but managed to demand a toilet and a new house.

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