By : Rayyan Z Khan
🟡 Farmers’ Pain Reflected in Festivities
Washim: While Durga Puja is being celebrated with grandeur across the nation, in Washim’s Kamargaon village, farmers have transformed the festive pandal into a mirror of their struggles. The Prem Vilas Mandal, run by local cultivators, has this year highlighted the harsh realities of agrarian life through striking tableaux.
🟡 Scenes That Stir Emotions
Inside the pandal, visitors were confronted with hard-hitting visuals:
A farmer spraying pesticides in the field.
Farmers sitting in despair.
A farmer driving his bullock pair.
A farmer depicted hanging from a tree.
Alongside, boards illustrated the rising cost of cultivation, meager crop prices, and the financial burden farmers shoulder season after season.
🟡 Voices of Anguish
Speaking to the media, one farmer said:
“For the government, it feels like we are already dead—or perhaps the government is dead for us.”
A young farmer urged Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis to adopt policies like former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, who once conducted door-to-door inspections to address farmers’ concerns.
🟡 Questions Over Government Policies
Farmers criticized the government’s import stance. While soybean DOC and oil are being imported, genetically modified soybean seeds—capable of yielding 30–40 quintals per acre—remain restricted. Farmers allege this is a “double standard” serving economic interests rather than the agricultural community.
🟡 Festival Becomes a Platform of Protest
The unique depiction has sparked district-wide discussion. For devotees, the pandal is not just a space of worship but also a stage where farmers’ voices echo during the festive season of Goddess Durga.
