Pratibha Patil disappointed thousands of Vidarbha farm widows

23 July, 2012

A farmers advocacy group in Nagpur has alleged that Pratibha Patil failed to address the issues of farm widows and their impoverished kids in her home state of Maharashtra.

MAINTAINING THAT outgoing president Pratibha Patil failed to help Vidarbha farmers, a farmers' advocacy group in Nagpur has said that farm widows had expected healing touch from Patil as she belonged to Maharashtra. “It was expected that healing touch will be given to thousands of starving farm widows and kids of the farmers who committed suicide in last decade but unfortunately, in her five-year term that healing touch was missing,” Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS) said in a statement.

According to the group, former president Dr Kalam visited Yavatmal in July 2007 and subsequently wrote a series of letters to govt for addressing the issues of widows but nothing good crossed their way.

“I wrote regarding unjust and atrocities done to me by my in-laws, till date I have not received acknowledgement of my letter. We have been demanding basic rights of food security, land ownership, education to our daughter and family pensions to thousands of starving farm widows but all are pending with state government. Then we thought Pratibha Patil will take up the issue but nothing happened in last five years hence we are deeply hurt and disappointed,” Aparna Malikar, a farm widow said.

‘‘We supported her as president but unfortunately Patil was always locked in one or another controversies and it was not the case she has not visited Maharashtra in last five years. She has made double the number of trips to her home state as per convention, but didn't look into the problem of her people,” Kishor Tiwari of VJAS said.