TAP TO UNMUTE Our farmers are in distress and shouldn’t be made to beg because we are not that kind of country. | Photo Credit: Indiatimes, Representative Image

While the country was obsessed with issues regarding a legendary Rajput queen and while politicians ignored their constitutional duty and issued death threats against one of India's biggest Bollywood star, over 3 lakh farmers took over Parliament street on Monday to say “enough is enough”.

The demands they raised were simple: crop loans waiver and remunerative prices for farm produce. They highlighted the government’s utter apathy towards the farmers.

As you read this, think back to the lunch you ate or the dinner you will be eating. The food on your table was put there by a farmer. Yet, even as we gorge on their hard work, barely anyone seems to bat an eye when they commit suicide.

From Gujarat, Karnataka, Bengal, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and many more states – 180 farmer unions united in Delhi.

“There is a big story in our country tonight and its about a film and whether or not we will watch that film. Various state governments have gotten involved to decide whether or not this film should be released or should the release be stalled – that’s not the real story in this country. The question we should be asking ourselves tonight is ‘what is the Padmavati mess distracting us from? What does it not want you to hear about?’” asked Executive Editor Faye D’Souza on the Urban Debate.

Read: Padmavati row: Dear Rajput Karni Sena, here are some living women who can use your 'seva'​

“I beg you tonight in India’s big cities to pay attention because the farmer has been subsidising our food for far too long. Over a 150,000 farmers have committed suicide and we’re seeing zero reaction from any of our state governments – the same people who have so many reactions for a film, a film that makes zero difference to anybody’s life. They are distracting us and they want you to be distracted and the only way to teach them a lesson is to not be distracted,” she added.

Since the government doesn’t seem to care about work in the Parliament (sidenote: the Winter Session of the Parliament has been postponed due to the elections), the farmers held a ‘mock parliament’ and ‘tabled’ two bills.

These ‘bills’ were passed on Tuesday and will be sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the government has "failed" to draft such Bills aiming at providing relief and support to farmers, reports IANS.

Tired of struggling to survive for years together, buried under financial debt and desperate for help, these farmers united from across states under the banner of All India Kisan Sangharsh Committee.

Various state governments had announced with much fanfare that they would waive off the loans but nothing has been done about it – some excuse or the other has always cropped up.

Why should the farmers of our country continue to exist as second-class citizens in the country that they feed? Where would we be today if a farmer had not toiled under the hot sun just so we could have a meal?

Read: Will chop off any hand, finger raised at PM Modi, says Bihar BJP president

IANS reports that the farmers criticised the NDA government for "failing" to fulfill its promises, the farmers warned it of repercussions during the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

Pooja More, a farmer from Maharashtra, said thousands of farmers had committed suicide as the government had no concern for them.



"There are leaders who make tall claims but do nothing. The current system is not beneficial to farmers."



Among the women farmers were about 50 widows from Maharashtra, who said their husbands had to take their own lives owing to crop failure and government apathy in giving any kind of support.

“There will be no food on the table – as you sit down to dinner right now with your children, the food on their plates were grown by farmers who are killing themselves because they are in distress. No government has helped them – not UPA 1 under Dr. Manhoman Singh, not UPA II under Dr. Manmohan Singh and not NDA under Mr. Narendra Modi. We’ve spent an entire day listening to various chief ministers make sweeping statements about a Bollywood film,” said Faye.

"Just because farmers can't fund elections, they mean nothing to you? Empty election promises, government after government, political party after political party - all the same," she added about government inaction.

.@fayedsouza: Our farmers are in distress and shouldn’t be made to beg, because we are not that country. #SaveOurFarmers pic.twitter.com/xVPycoSQgA — Mirror Now (@MirrorNow) November 20, 2017

It is imperative to ask ourselves this question – are we the country where members of the ruling party offer 10 crores for someone’s head? Or are we the great nation which will hear our farmers pleas and refuse to be distracted by peripheral issues?

It’s about time India said ‘Jai Kisan’ and truly meant it.

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(With inputs from IANS)