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Supaul exposes cracks in opposition alliance, Congress’ Ranjeet fights on her own
In last couple of years, several purchase centres established by Jute Corporation of India, including those at Singeshwar, Supaul Sadar, Simrahi, Jadia, Pratapganj, have shut, forcing farmers to sell their jute to middlemen.
Sitting outside an election meeting venue of chief minister Nitish Kumar at Simrahi High School ground, 35 kms north of district headquarters, on Wednesday evening, septuagenarian Baidyanath Mandal of Pratapganj is wondering aloud as to when political leaders will show genuine concerns on farmers’ issues and ensure proper and regular supply of fertilisers.
Mandal, though a marginal farmer with barely 15 katthas of land, is all ears when Kumar, campaigning for JD (U)’s Lok Sabha candidate from Supaul, Dileshwar Kamait, speaks about the Centre’s scheme to provide direct income support of ₹6,000 per year to those holding cultivable land up to two hectares, a move expected to benefit 12 crore farmers in the country and cost the exchequer ₹75,000 crore annually.
Hari Jha, a farmer of Shirpur village, known for its jute cultivation, complains he has been unable so far to avail of any of the central schemes. “Several teams came and collected soil samples for testing several times, but no follow-up action happend,” says Jha.
“The union agriculture minister talks of different schemes and while we struggle every day to sell our jute produce,” says Pappu Pandey.
In last couple of years, several purchase centres established by Jute Corporation of India, including those at Singeshwar, Supaul Sadar, Simrahi, Jadia, Pratapganj, have shut, forcing farmers to sell their jute to middlemen.
“The procurement centre in the nearby market at Pratapganj has fallen into the hands of local middlemen who, in collusion with the JCI officials, buy jute cheap from helpless farmers. “Farmers, who line up since early morning, are taken for a ride and told in the evening that their produce is not up to the mark. The produce finally lands up in stores of local traders, making a mockery of the government’s tall claims,” says another farmer, wishing not to be named.
Then they have the curse of Kosi to cope. The infamous Kosi embankment breach at Kusaha in 2008, which hit five districts, 35 blocks, 231 panchayats, 1,067 villages, 33.97 lakh people and 8.32 lakh animals, continues to haunt people of the region even after 11 years. Floodwater had spread over 4.153 lakh hectares of land, of which 1.76 lakh hectares was cropped. It destroyed 2,44,128 houses, engulfed 736 villages, killed 540 people and 31,995 animals.
While it left a trail of devastation, heavy silt that the river carried also led to a shift in traditional crops as it leaves no water retention capacity in crops.
Dukhi Yadav, a farmer from Kunkaha village under Basantpur panchayat, whose 12 hectares of agricultural land is still under sand after 2008 floods, says, “I have been living in this village for about decades. Farming is only becoming difficult day-by-day. We are resettling here and there; the land keeps varying year after year. You sow a crop on this land today, and tomorrow you see dunes of silt everywhere. The sheer amount of silt and uneven land due to shifting of deposition of silt makes farming, which is the only occupation we have, very difficult. The government help of ₹10,000 that we got in 2012 proved too little.”
“There seems to be no solution from the problem of erosion from Kosi river either,” says Sanjeev Ranjan Jha of Ratanpur village.
Supaul, one of the prestigious seats in the Kosi belt, is witnessing a tough battle between Ranjeet Ranjan of Congress and Dileshwar Kamait of JD (U).
The battle has also exposed the cracks in the Grand Alliance after the RJD virtually excused itself from the campaigning, leaving Congress leaders red-faced.
The reason for this is that Ranjan’s husband and sitting MP from Madhepura, Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, has decided to fight from Madhepura as an Independent, thereby making it tough for Sharad Yadav, the RJD candidate.
Pappu’s decision has upset the RJD and its Pipra MLA Yaduvansh Yadav has openly announced to support Dinesh Yadav, another Independent candidate. Even RJD’s star campaigner Tejashwi Yadav avoided visiting Supaul. “The RJD is virtually nowhere in campaigning. This doesn’t augur well for alliance,” admitted a Supaul district Congress committee member.
Supaul Lok Sabha Seat
Number of Assembly segments: 6 (Nirmali, Pipra, Supaul, Triveniganj, Chatapur, Singeshwar)
Total number of voters: 1685165
Male Voters: 878196
Female Voters: 806938
Third Genders: 29
Sitting MP: Ranjit Ranjan (Congress): 329227
Runners: Dileshwar Kamat (JD-U) – 273255
Kameshwar Chaupal (BJP) : 249693
