Farmer’s outreach to drum up fraternity support for a cause

BHOPAL: Impossible seems to have no place in dictionary of this farmer from Madhya Pradesh.
And at 64, when most prefer to restrict their movements, Hariom Sharma of Madhya Pradesh from Ashok Nagar district is on a mission.
Touched by plight of farmers in state, Sharma left his home, family and everything in April this year to embark on a mission to make people aware and pressurize politicians to spend their salaries and perks on welfare of farmers.
Draped in posters and banners, Sharma walks from village to village and district to district, beseeching people to extend their support for farmers.
In eight months, he has trekked more than 500 villages and thousands of people. On Tuesday, when he reached the state capital, TOI interacted with him.
“Reason for farmer suicides remained the same over the years, crop failure, indebtedness, inability to continue farming due to illness, but despite knowing reasons it could not be addressed by our politicians in so many years. This year, their condition is even worse in our state. There is a death everywhere, but instead of standing with farmers, our leaders are busy demanding more salary and perks,” Sharma told TOI.
I feel deeply pained. Politicians are enjoying life at the expense of people and hike in their salary is a drag on common man’s meagre resources, he said.
“I will not stop. I don’t know whether I will succeed or not. I will continue to raise my voice for farmers. I will fight till the end and compel government to work for the poor,” Sharma said before heading for another district.