Bundelkhand wedding with NOTA overtones
LUCKNOW: When Sangeeta Yadav ties the nuptial knot in distressed Bundelkhand on April 21, the occasion would have political overtones—about exercising NOTA to be precise. And this would perhaps be the lone wedding in this region at which an election chaupal would be held to discuss the apathy of politicians towards the drought-hit farmers.
Sangeeta is an orphan with two siblings. They lost their father Suresh Yadav to farm-loan suicide in 2011 and mother Saraswati to cancer in 2008. Then the eldest of the three, Vikas , who was just 16 when his father died, became the guardian of his sisters Sangeeta and Antima.
When Suresh died, under a loan distress, Rs 21,000 and Rs 13,000 of Kisan credit card and private moneylender respectively were due on him.
Vikas inherited just an acre of land. This land is under a collateral with the bank that gave Suresh the loan. Vikas, apart from tilling this land, also earns Rs 1,500 per month as a teacher in a private village school, though he himself studies in Class 12 in another school and also educates his sisters.
“I am happy and stressed for the coming wedding of my sister. Though the
THE QUESTIONS WOULD NOT ONLY RELATE TO THEIR CREDENTIALS BUT ALSO TO WHAT WOULD THEIR PARTY DO FOR ABSOLUTE LOAN-WAIVER TO THE REGION’S FARMERS
groom’s family has refused any dowry, I have to arrange a feast and ceremonies and buy a wedding dress and some essentials. I am giving ornaments a go-by, but I need Rs 30,000 more apart from Rs 20,000 already arranged,” said Vikas.
And talking about voters’ awareness, Vikas said: “Yes, why should anyone vote? What does vote get us? Do you know that when my father committed suicide, the death certificate that was issued mentioned haemorrhage as the reason for death? I had to go on a hunger strike for our rights. The hunger strike spurred the then district magistrate to issue us family benefits of Rs 20,000, R s 25,000 for Indira Awas and an ‘Antodaya’ ration card.”
The wedding will take place in Baghelwari Attara in Banda district of Bundelkhand while the groom akshay Yadav’s marriage procession will come from Devkali Karwi, Chitrakoot district of the region.
Various local people, voluntary organi- sations and some journalists have contributed to help Vikas marry off his sister. At the wedding, an election chaupal (meeting of villagers) would be held where they would all discuss the elections, how various political leaders, incumbent MPs, MLAs and former MPs and MLAs have not contributed anything significant for the drought-hit farmers of the region, said Ashish Sagar, a drought and RTI activist in Banda.
“These three siblings are victims of a farm suicide and we decided to hold an election-voters’ awareness event as part of the wedding programme. All the guests from the bride’s and groom’s sides will assemble for the chaupal and then we will distribute a demand-letter to all of them, so that they hand it over to Lok Sabha candidates to reply. The questions would not only relate to their credentials but also to what would their party do for absolute loan-waiver to the region’s farmers. The villagers will ask the candidates as to why NOTA (none of the above) button not be pressed this election.”