The previous year’s nightmare came haunting back for the Ahirwar family on July 14. Seeing wheat they nurtured for months being bulldozed in minutes had meant forsaking half-year’s income, mounting debt and giving up the hope of owning a patch of land one day.
But this time, when revenue officials rolled in with earthmovers and jeeps escorted by the police, the family’s resolve was stronger to protect their 40-bigha field, sown with the year’s first crop. “We requested them to wait for at least another two and a half months for the soyabean harvest,” said Sishupal Ahirwar, 20.
But officials didn’t pay heed, began measuring the land allotted for the construction of a government college, and dug up their fields. “I had no option but to consume pesticide. We had taken the land on lease to feed my six children. There was no point in surviving if I couldn’t fulfil my duty as a father,” said Rajkumar Ahirwar, 38, who consumed pesticide along with his wife, now being treated at the Guna district hospital.
Outraged seeing his family being abused, roughed up, his brother Mr. Sishupal blocked police personnel attempting to move the couple into an ambulance, to which they landed lathis on him. The children wailed inconsolably over the unconscious couple. “They thrashed us and then registered a case against us. I want justice. Otherwise what happened to us could happen to someone else tomorrow,” said Mr. Rajkumar. The couple face the charge of obstructing officials from performing duty.
The family of six brothers cultivated the land for at least five years as sharecroppers with purported owner Gabbu Pardhi. “Every harvest, we give half of the roughly 200-250 quintals produce to him,” explained Mr. Sishupal. But last year, when their crops were destroyed, the family couldn’t repay loan taken for implements and pesticide. And it mounted this year.
‘How will we repay’
“We have to repay ₹3 lakh this year, including the ₹1 lakh carried from the previous year,” said Mr. Sishupal. “How will we repay the loan if they continue to destroy our crops this way?. And I don’t think we will be able to buy land on our own now. ”
The State government has replaced the Guna Superintendent of Police and Collector besides the Gwalior range Inspector General of Police after the incident and initiated a magisterial inquiry.