Here Comes the Farmer’s Friend!!

Agriculture is not a fancy job. It tests one’s patience to an extent where some of the farmers not only give up, even prefer to commit suicide instead of further living with their pathetic circumstances. In many Indian states, serial suicide of farmers due to severe poverty is indeed a matter of concern. Especially when many mainstream newspapers reported such cases in the Vidarbha region of Maharastra it attracted the huge focus of the masses.

Stories such as Sunita Jadhavs, a resident of Konghara village in Yavatmal district of Maharashtra are enough to melt any stone-hearted person. Her farmer husband succumbed to his distressed circumstances and committed suicide. “Our financial situation was so pathetic. The crop was bad and debt on us was high. Having already two daughters, when I gave birth to my third baby that too again a girl my husband couldn’t handle the pressure and committed suicide”, tells Sunita with her tear-filled eyes, who today proudly says that her biggest asset is actually her three daughters who are doing so well in studies. Now Sunita successful runs a General Store and ears so well to fulfil all the requirements a family needs to lead a good life but it wouldn’t have been possible if Shetkari Vikas Prakalp didn’t extend its helping hand towards her.

Under the Farmer Development Project (FDP), In 1997, then RSS Vibhag Pracharak of the Vidarbh region Sunil Deshpandeji (now Akhil Bhartiya Sah Samparka Pramukh) started this Prakalp. Within a few years Shetkari Vikas Prakalp changed the scenario in Vidarbha region by giving farmers the training of Zero Budgets Farming and many other vocational trainings. Simultaneously Shetkari Sansthan also assisted the families of farmers, who committed suicide in rebuilding their means of survival and helped them extensively to become self-independent. A free hostel, for the children of such families, was also established to avoid any hindrance in their education. Currently, the hostel has 65 children. So far about 400 such farming families have been made self-reliant at different levels.

According to Shetkari Prakalp’s co-ordinator, Gajanan ji overall condition of agriculture and the farmers in the region has really improved due to the extensive work by our volunteers at many levels in the villages. “ From free seed distribution, organic farming training to many other vocational schemes, Shetkari Prakalp conducts many programs to make the life of farmers better,” says Gajanan Ji and that Institute has formed self-helping groups too are functioning so well. Every year, the Deendayal Upadhyay award is also given to the people who are serving selflessly in society, on 25 September,

by the sabdthan.

Contact : Gajanan ji Parsodkar

Mobile : 8605542650