Skip to main content

Demonetization: Gujarat farmers "reveal" how they are suffering, yet say they are scared to talk about it

By Pankti Jog*
Ben majoor manasoni daya nathi avti sarkarne” (sister, government does not even pity for these daily labourers). A farmer from Surendranagar district of Gujarat told me on our Right to Information (RTI) helpline number, 9924085000. He continued telling me about the status of agricultural workers in the area.
Farmers pay them Rs 100 to Rs 140 as wages plus tea, and Rs 20 for gutkha for 5 hours of work. However, for the last 15 days, no one is calling them for work. Wage rates have fallen down to Rs 60 for 5 hours. Agricultural laborers in around 28 villages of Kharagodha of Patadi area in the district are now ready to go for work at the cost of their daily food.
When farmers tell agricultural workers that they can’t be engage due to shortage of cash, many of these labourers say, “No problem, give us food”. Agricultural labourers from many of the villages are making their daily living by having bajra rotla and chutney as they can’t afford anything beyond this. Farmers are getting concerned over the status of agricultural labourers, who have begun dialling RTI helpline for rescue and guidance.
Many of the farmers have chosen to cultivate only 60% of their land due to cash crisis. “Once we sow seeds, we require money to be given to labourers, for buying fertilizers and pesticides, and for using tractors. Banks in our areas do not have any cash. We can’t let our crop die, hence we chose to sow only 60% of the land and leave 40% as fallow”, said a farmer on RTI helpline.
“As large amount of land will be fallow in this area, demand for agriculture labour will be go down throughout the season. This is not going to settle in 50 days”, added another farmer.
Pankti Jog
Another type of issue came up with bhagiya share croppers. Farmers gave them advance in the same week when the government declared ‘notebandhi’ (demonetization).
“I had Rs 20,000 saved from the rainy season crop, and as I was to continue with the same farmer from whom I received Rs 70,000 towards advance for the jeeru crop. On the next day, however, I had to put all of Rs 90,000 in my account, which will now be considered as my ‘income’,”, complained a sharecropper.
“And I am not been able to withdraw money. My jeeru season is gone, as I need cash now to sow, to buy fertilizer and pesticides”, the share cropper, who belongs to Santalpur block of Patan district, said, narrating his plight over the helpline.
Another caller, who is a famer from Amreli district, had asked four agricultural labourers' families from far away Jhabhua to help him on his far. He said, he was standing in queue throughout the day to get Rs 4,000 after three days. He was supposed to pay Rs 10,000 per family as advance once they reached his farm. Sounding tense, he wondered whether his name would be spoiled if he did not pay pay them on time.
“Why don’t you raise this issue?”, I asked each of the callers. Not one among hundreds of callers wished to share their names in public. “Please do not take our names”, was the cryptic reply. Most of them requested: “We don’t want to be looked like talking against the government”.
People across rural Gujarat are suffering because of demonetization, but are scared to talk about it.
---
*Mahiti Adhikar Gujarat Pahel, Ahmedabad

Comments

TRENDING

Wave of disappearances sparks human rights fears for activists in Delhi

By Harsh Thakor*  A philosophy student from Zakir Hussain College, Delhi University, and an activist associated with Nazariya magazine, Rudra, has been reported missing since the morning of July 19, 2025. This disappearance adds to a growing concern among human rights advocates regarding the escalating number of detentions and disappearances of activists in Delhi.

How community leaders overcome obstacles to protect forests and pastures in remote villages

By Bharat Dogra  Dheera Ram Kapaya grew up in such poverty that, unable to attend school himself, he would carry another boy’s heavy school bag for five kilometers just to get a scoop of daliya (porridge). When he was finally able to attend school, he had to leave after class five to join other adolescent workers. However, as soon as opportunities arose, he involved himself in community efforts—promoting forest protection, adult literacy, and other constructive initiatives. His hidden talent for writing emerged during this time, and he became known for the songs and street play scripts he created to promote forest conservation, discourage child marriages, and support other social reforms.

‘Act of war on agriculture’: Aruna Rodrigues slams GM crop expansion and regulatory apathy

By Rosamma Thomas*  Expressing appreciation to the Union Agriculture Minister for inviting suggestions from farmers and concerned citizens on the sharp decline in cotton crop productivity, Aruna Rodrigues—lead petitioner in the Supreme Court case ongoing since 2005 that seeks a moratorium on genetically modified (GM) crops—wrote to Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on July 14, 2025, stating that conflicts of interest have infiltrated India’s regulatory system like a spreading cancer, including within the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR).

The GMO illusion: Three decades of hype, harm, and false hope

By Sridhar Radhakrishnan  Three decades of hype, billions of dollars spent, and still no miracle crop. It's time to abandon the GMO biotech fairy tale and return to the soil, the seed, and the farmer. “Trust us,” they said. “GMOs will feed the world.” Picture a world where there is plenty of food, no hunger, fields grow without chemical pesticides, children are saved from malnutrition, and people live healthily.

Sandra Gonzalez Sanabria: An inspiring life from Colombia’s Amazonian valley

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  In the village of Héctor Ramírez, known as Agua Bonita, in La Montañita, Caquetá, Colombia, a vision of peace and renewal is unfolding. In the pre-2016 period, this would have been nearly impossible for outsiders to visit, as it was the epicenter of violent resistance against state oppression. However, after the Peace Accord was signed between the Colombian government and former revolutionaries—marking the end of a 70-year insurgency that claimed over 400,000 lives until 2025, including civilians, rebel fighters, and security personnel—things began to change. Visiting Agua Bonita during the Global Land Forum in Bogotá revealed a village of hope and resilience. Former FARC revolutionaries have settled here and transformed the village into a center of peace and aspiration.

Overriding India's constitutional sovereignty? Citizens urge PM to reject WHO IHR amendments

By A Representative   A group of concerned Indian citizens, including medical professionals and activists, has sent an urgent appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to reject proposed amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR) before the ratification deadline of July 19, 2025. 

Indigenous Karen activist calls for global solidarity amid continued struggles in Burma

By A Representative   At the International Festival for People’s Rights and Struggles (IFPRS), Naw Paw Pree, an Indigenous Karen activist from the Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG), shared her experiences of oppression, resilience, and hope. Organized with the support of the International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation (IPMSDL), the event brought together Indigenous and marginalized communities from across the globe, offering a rare safe space for shared learning, solidarity, and expression.

Activists allege abduction and torture by Delhi Police Special Cell in missing person probe

By A Representative   A press statement released today by the Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) alleges that several student and social activists have been abducted, illegally detained, and subjected to torture by the Delhi Police Special Cell. The CASR claims these actions are linked to an investigation into the disappearance of Vallika Varshri, an editorial team member of 'Nazariya' magazine.

India’s zero-emission, eco-friendly energy strategies have a long way to go, despite impressive progress

By N.S. Venkataraman*   The recent report released by OPEC’s World Oil Outlook 2025 has predicted that by the year 2050, crude oil would replace coal as India’s key energy source. Clearly, OPEC expects that India’s dependence on fossil fuels for energy will continue to remain high in one form or another.