Government saved face, farm hands died unnoticed

NAGPUR: While reporters covering the agriculture beat were busy writing about the state’s farm loan waiver scheme, farm workers were falling prey to pesticide inhalation unbeknown to anyone. It began in August, but it was only in mid-October that the outside world realized a crisis had hit the hinterland unnoticed.

Further investigations revealed hospitals received cases of pesticide inhalation every year during August to October, and there had been deaths too. This meant the crisis had gone unreported over the years. The victims were mainly farm workers, though even some farmers had died. The matter came to be noticed this year since the number of deaths was over thrice the usual.

Yavatmal

district, which has been in the news for farmers’ suicides, also saw the highest toll due to pesticide inhalation. For farmers ending their lives, pesticide consumption has been the common mode of suicide. But no one knew that accidental poisoning too had been taking a toll, and workers engaged by farmers were usually the victims.

The state government announced a compensation of Rs2 lakh each for the victims. The grant covered only those who died this year, though there had been six deaths last year too in Yavatmal, mainly farm workers.

I set out to meet the families of those who died last year. The villages were located in extreme corners of the district, which borders Telangana. Since it seemed impossible to cover all the families due to the distances, I decided to drop two. I thought their plight would be no different than the others I was meeting.

Last year’s victims had been conveniently forgotten while deciding the compensation package of Rs2 lakh. But life was a daily struggle for their families.

Twenty-five-year-old Chandrakant Masram of Morwa village in interior Yavatmal had died last year. His brother Sandeep now works as a farm hand with the same farmer in whose fields Chandrakant had died due to pesticide inhalation.

Over 30km away, at Nemni village, 34-year-old Barikrao Dalanje also died in 2016. His family had no idea if any compensation was announced for the victims. The kin of their neighbour, who died this year, got the money.

As I toured Yavatmal twice covering pesticide deaths, I realized that farm workers have remained a neglected lot. Much has been written about the farmers’ issues, but there was little focus on the plight of farm hands, who earn barely Rs200 a day during season. It was only after their deaths that their condition was noticed.

When asked if the farmer who had employed Chandrakant gave any compensation, since he had died while working in his fields, the deceased’s mother said promptly, “Yes, he did pay the day’s wages.”

Even other kin of victims who died this year or the last had no grudges against the farmers in whose fields their kin had died.

There are many activists who raise farmers’ issues. A politically backed campaign this year led to the loan waiver being sanctioned. The farm workers, on the other hand, seem to have remained silent sufferers.

I also spoke to some farmers in

Gujarat

, inquiring about the cotton crop. One of them said there too some inhalation deaths of farm workers are reported from time to time. But the matter is hushed up by farmers.

(

Shishir Arya

’s fertile mind sprouts stories on all subjects, many of which will never be reported)