Farmers feel cheated, say government schemes not enough

Soon after the rally ended, attended by nearly one lakh farmers, regional leaders from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Delhi were seriously debating, who brought maximum farmers. Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and his son are believed to have booked 500 buses. Delhi unit was claiming they brought 25,000 farmers even though it was a harvest season.

Although the crowd included Congress activists from various states, there were enough genuine farmers to tell media about the destruction of their crops, procurement problems and bungling in compensation. They complained about the paltry sums offered by the governments. They also rued the banks' reluctance to offer them loans because of the severe crop losses as well as the dirty games allegedly played by local officials. They asked the Congress to fight for higher compensation for them.

Virtually none wanted to discuss Rahul's political skills or his mystery absence; all seemed convinced he would lead their battle to get fair compensation and fight corporate who are out to take their land.

Many had come with samples of damaged crops.

"God hasn't stood by us and the government too is against us," said a farmer.

The timing of the rally seemed perfect: to divert attention to farmers from Rahul's mystery disappearance.

"This is the harvest season; why else will we come all the way from Rohtak in this sweltering heat," said 65-year-old Karan Singh Kaldyar. Kaldyar added, "We have collected money and booked our own car to be here. Just 20 days ago, they have increased the rate of electricity more than four times, when the rate of increase since 1998 to 2013 has barely been 10% every year or two. The recent hailstorm killed our crops, what do we do? The earlier government had better schemes for us. There is no compensation for farmers like us."

Villagers from Rajasthan, too, had their own stories to share. Chotu Ram from Sikar district in Rajasthan says that there is meager compensation for farmers with damaged crops. "Our crops have been damaged; the earlier government in a bad year would give us a better price. Instead, the (Vasundhra) Raje government has goons that are ready to beat up people at the drop of a hat," he says. "Only 37 people in our village has received compensations ranging from 500 to 700 this time."

Ram Kumar Dudhwal from Hanumangarh in Rajasthan says that this government is buying his crops at half-rate. "The officials of Food Corporation of India say that the quality of the wheat has gone down.

The earlier government, in a bad year, would give us a bonus of 150, this government has instead slashed 25 per kilogram. The light and water in our villages have stopped, I've spent 1,50,000 this year and there have been no crop. I will be destroyed," he says.

Many from Uttar Pradesh, too, had come with their grievances. Ram Lal from Allahabad district in Uttar Pradesh says that the rains have washed away most of his crops. "More than 50% of the crops is gone, and no one is buying the rest. Only 2-3 villagers have got compensation in outer village, why are the authorities differentiating against us," asks Ram Lal. Mukesh from the same village, a 11th standard student, says that the Akhilesh Singh government has only cared to whip up communalism and religious hatred. "He said that students passing their matriculation will be given laptops, and he discontinued it after two years," says Mukesh.