‘Krishi Mahotsav in Ahmedabad ignored those who needed help’

Women farmers at a meet held in the city came down heavily on the government’s much touted Krishi Mahotsav, saying that it left behind those who are actually in need of such help extended by the programme.

“We don’t even get to know when the krishiraths come to our village. When they come, we hardly get the seeds or the tents. Only those close to the sarpanch or big farmers reap the benefits. Women who till their land or even small farmers who are in need of such help hardly get anything from the krishiraths,” said Ramila Savjibhai of Devgadh Baria.

Meghuben Rabari of a village in Bhuj said that the tents distributed as part of Krishi Mahotsav to help store agriculture produce are hardly distributed. “Most of the tents don’t get distributed. Whatever gets distributed is given to those who don’t need it. In our village even the school master has got a tent. What does he need it for?” exclaims Rabari. She also criticised the government’s Samras panchayat saying it was killing their ability to force those in power to work for them.

“With samras the candidates reach an understanding among themselves. Even if we want to charge an errant sarpanch, we can’t because he strikes a deal with other contestants and ends up getting re-elected,” she said. The two were among the several women who were in the city to attend a consultation organised by the Working Group for Women and Land Ownership.

 Speakers at the event also emphasised on the need for a bottoms up approach when planning strategies to improve agriculture.