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Video Editor: Vishal Kumar
Camera: Nitin Chopra
What are the problems faced by farmers? Do they get a fair price for crops? Who will they vote for in the Lok Sabha elections of 2019? Bearing these questions in mind, The Quint spoke to farmers in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, in order to get a sense of the pulse among the country’s agrarian warriors.
From crop failure to non-payment of insurance money, farmers in Mathura say that they have been left in the lurch. When asked about the biggest problem faced by farmers in the region, Arvind Kumar Sharma says that most farmers in his village had lost their paddy crop to an insect, that had become resistant to pesticide.
When crops failed, farmers of Mathura thought they would get compensation from the government. Farmers claim they had even registered their names with the relevant department, but failed to get any compensation.
Not just compensation in the form of insurance money, farmers claim they don’t get fair price for their crops, as there is no way to sell their produce directly to the government. KL Dangar alleges that they are forced to sell crops to middlemen, who buy it at a price lesser than the minimum support price, fixed by the government.
Just not fair prices and loan waivers, farmers in Mathura claim jobs, too, are elusive in this region. “There are no private companies here. If not in government, we should be able to get jobs in the private sector. Factories and companies should come up here or some other source of income should open up,” says Dangar.
But despite all hardships, a majority of farmers claim that they will vote for the BJP in 2019. When asked why, Krishan Kant Mishra says PM Modi is the only Indian leader of global repute. “Even if farmers suffer, PM Modi is ensuring that the country progresses,” he adds.
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