Telangana farmers: Bearing the brunt for a new state

At the outset, the battle for Telangana seems like a grand protest bringing the entire region to a standstill. In the days to come, there will be more such protests and normal life will continue to be disrupted and neither the activists nor the government is ready to buckle down. However, in the midst of all this, it is the farmers who are bearing the brunt of this agitation. Vicky Nanjappa reports.

The shutting down of the Singareni Collieries (the sole supplier of coal in southern India) was the biggest USP of the Telangana agitation this time. The activists were well aware of the fact that targetting Singareni would throw the state out of the gear, since it was a major supplier of coal to the power companies.

Officially, the power cuts in Hyderabad and Telangana were nearly three hours, but residents have complained there have been times when they did not have power for nearly five hours.

The real problem is what millions of farmers in the Telangana region are facing. These farmers are entirely dependant on the 1.2 lakh pump sets in the region, and now they find themselves in a desperate situation, because of the lack of power supply.

At this point, when there is a great need for water, power in the rest of Telangana remains shut off for close to 6-7 hours. When asked, farmers in the Telangana region say it is very important that they get power.

"Earlier we were thrilled that the movement was taking some shape and we were ready for the sacrifice. But now we are the ones suffering. Yes, we do need a separate state, but how much more can we sustain and wait?" said a farmer.

However, Telangana activists who have focussed most of their resources in Hyderabad, say that the farmers are ready for the sacrifice.

"What is the need to cut power to such extents in the rest of Telangana. It is nothing but a ploy by the government to create a rift between the farmers and us. The objective is to frustrate the farmer to such an extent that they stop supporting the movement since they have to eat," said an activist.

"There is no need for the government to lie that there is shortage of both power and water. A large part of Telangana, especially the villages depend on the Srisailam plant in Kurnool. There is no strike in that plant. The water levels are the same when compared with last year, and hence the production ought to be the same too," he added.

"Why does the government lie that there is shortage because of the agitation? The government's claim that it is producing only 30 million units of power this year is nonsense. Last year they had produced 65 million units with the same levels of water in the dams," he claimed.

Farmers however argue that these are just technicalities. "It is a matter of our livelihood and no one has the right to deprive us of that," said a farmer.

The feeling that one gets from the government is that in the days to come in order to ensure that the activists relent, they will increase the number of hours for which power has to be cut. 

"Power in Hyderabad will be restored to a large extent, but the villages will see cruel power cuts in the days to come. This would ensure that the farmers become desperate and back out from the agitation," said a pro-Telangana activist.

If the situation continues, the farmers are bound to feel cornered. To add to their misery, the government is also planning on increasing the electricity tariff, since they claim the production cost of electricity has gone up.

The farmers who have a hand-to-mouth existence also complain that they have taken heavy loans, which they will be unable to clear, thanks to such insecurity. "If power and proper water is not provided to us, then it is endgame for all of us," said a farmer.

However, Telangana activists are not giving up. They continue to say that some of the farmers that they spoke to are forced to speak this way by the government.

"Around ninety per cent of them are ready for the sacrifice and they will lay down their lives for the cause," said an activist.

They also claim that a survey is being conducted in the Telangana region regarding this agitation. "The general view so far is that everyone thinks that the agitation needs to be staged, and should be continued unless the state is formed," added the activist.

Not the first time

The farming community in the Telangana region has always borne the brunt since 1955. They have faced droughts, resulting in them taking loans, which they are unable to pay.

This has led to most of them being blacklisted, which reduces their chances of another loan have become slim.

However, the farmers have taken other options and chosen to take hand loans, which nhas only made matters worse, since the interest rates are very high.

They also say that there is a steep increase in electricity charges and withdrawal of subsidies. This has increased the cost of cultivation for the farmers and has led to a lot of problems. And the situation has not changed much.

The activists are however hell-bent on continuing this agitation and say that they would do whatever it takes to ensure that the farmers do not suffer.

"This is nothing but a government ploy, and this is not the first time that this is happening. We will tide through this," said a member of the Telangana Joint Action Committee.