(TALES OF WOE Shiny Rajan from Wayanad district of Kerala narrates her woes outside the Kerala House in New Delhi on Saturday. Her husband had committed suicide as he was not able to repay loans. Photo: V V Krishnan/The Hindu/05 Mar 2006)
Dear Friends,
About seventy five women from north-Kerala have started an indefinite dharna in front of Kerala House from 2/03/06. All of them are demanding the state to write of their debts due to which their husbands had committed suicide. No way can they repay those massive debts.
Due to continuous harassment from the authorities these women have decided to take the battle to the state. They are of the opinion that they would not leave till their demands are met with.This struggle also brings to sharps relief the acute socio-economic crisis that have gripped the Kerala society.
What these women need is your valuable solidarity. If you can take time and visit the dharna site it would be tremendous boost to the resolve of these people.
In Solidarity,
Rona
FROM NEWSPAPERS/WEBSITES
NEW DELHI: "If you trouble me I will follow my husband to his grave and take my two children with me," 32-year-old Shiny Rajan told the village money lender — called "blade" locally — in Wyanad district of Kerala when he came calling for the nth time for the return of the loan taken by her farmer husband who had committed suicide. He had consumed the very pesticide he used to spray his banana plantation with, after the crop failed in the drought of 2002.
"I said it in sheer desperation because of the shame of not being able to cope," she told The Hindu here, tears welling up in her eyes. She parted with her small savings and eight sovereigns of gold but could not even clear the interest on the debt.
Shiny is one of the 53 farmers' widows and destitute farmer women who have come here from Wyanad district to knock at the door of the Central Government for relief and redress.
THE HINDU -- 05 MAR 2006
FULL TEXT
New Delhi: An angry Arundhati Roy, on Monday, put her voice behind a group of poor widows from Kerala who are in the capital to demand that they should not be asked to pay the loans taken by their dead farmer-husbands.
''I am very, very angry,'' said Roy after visiting the tent in front of the Kerala House where nearly 50 widows from the Wayanad district of Kerala are staging protests.
The author-activist saw the agitating widows when she was passing by the venue of their agitation, during the protests against the visit of US President George W. Bush last week.
''Bush was here for three days and I don't understand why the mainstream media is taking a holiday,'' she said apparently referring to the lack of coverage of the widows compared to acres of columns on the Bush visit.
FULL TEXT
New Delhi: Social activist Arundhati Roy Monday voiced her support to 53 women from Kerala's Wayanad district who were here seeking the government intervention to spare them the burden of clearing debts that drove their farmer husbands to suicide.
Even as Suresh Kurup of the Communist Party of India-Marxist from Kerala raised the matter in parliament, Booker Award winning author Roy said: "I share their concerns and support their causes."
Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, meanwhile, assured parliament that he would look into Kurup's demand to use the compensation of Rs.50,000 offered by the agriculture ministry to settle the loan owing and waiving the interest amount due.
"It should not be a problem," the finance minister told the house.
Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar also promised to send a team to Wayanad district for a report into the conditions of farmers.
The loan amounts are, however, much larger than the government compensation package worked out so far, said Mary Mathai from Kalpatta, who faces the task of repaying Rs.85,000 to the Kottathara Cooperative Bank.
FULL TEXT
About seventy five women from north-Kerala have started an indefinite dharna in front of Kerala House from 2/03/06. All of them are demanding the state to write of their debts due to which their husbands had committed suicide. No way can they repay those massive debts.
Due to continuous harassment from the authorities these women have decided to take the battle to the state. They are of the opinion that they would not leave till their demands are met with.This struggle also brings to sharps relief the acute socio-economic crisis that have gripped the Kerala society.
What these women need is your valuable solidarity. If you can take time and visit the dharna site it would be tremendous boost to the resolve of these people.
In Solidarity,
Rona
FROM NEWSPAPERS/WEBSITES
NEW DELHI: "If you trouble me I will follow my husband to his grave and take my two children with me," 32-year-old Shiny Rajan told the village money lender — called "blade" locally — in Wyanad district of Kerala when he came calling for the nth time for the return of the loan taken by her farmer husband who had committed suicide. He had consumed the very pesticide he used to spray his banana plantation with, after the crop failed in the drought of 2002.
"I said it in sheer desperation because of the shame of not being able to cope," she told The Hindu here, tears welling up in her eyes. She parted with her small savings and eight sovereigns of gold but could not even clear the interest on the debt.
Shiny is one of the 53 farmers' widows and destitute farmer women who have come here from Wyanad district to knock at the door of the Central Government for relief and redress.
THE HINDU -- 05 MAR 2006
FULL TEXT
New Delhi: An angry Arundhati Roy, on Monday, put her voice behind a group of poor widows from Kerala who are in the capital to demand that they should not be asked to pay the loans taken by their dead farmer-husbands.
''I am very, very angry,'' said Roy after visiting the tent in front of the Kerala House where nearly 50 widows from the Wayanad district of Kerala are staging protests.
The author-activist saw the agitating widows when she was passing by the venue of their agitation, during the protests against the visit of US President George W. Bush last week.
''Bush was here for three days and I don't understand why the mainstream media is taking a holiday,'' she said apparently referring to the lack of coverage of the widows compared to acres of columns on the Bush visit.
FULL TEXT
New Delhi: Social activist Arundhati Roy Monday voiced her support to 53 women from Kerala's Wayanad district who were here seeking the government intervention to spare them the burden of clearing debts that drove their farmer husbands to suicide.
Even as Suresh Kurup of the Communist Party of India-Marxist from Kerala raised the matter in parliament, Booker Award winning author Roy said: "I share their concerns and support their causes."
Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, meanwhile, assured parliament that he would look into Kurup's demand to use the compensation of Rs.50,000 offered by the agriculture ministry to settle the loan owing and waiving the interest amount due.
"It should not be a problem," the finance minister told the house.
Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar also promised to send a team to Wayanad district for a report into the conditions of farmers.
The loan amounts are, however, much larger than the government compensation package worked out so far, said Mary Mathai from Kalpatta, who faces the task of repaying Rs.85,000 to the Kottathara Cooperative Bank.
FULL TEXT
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