Farmer suicide: Sons say they will leave school to repay debts

Mahabubnagar: Ramu and Shekhar, brothers and teenagers, live in a tiny village in Andhra Pradesh's Mahabubnagar district. Their home is a tiny, concrete one-room structure with virtually nothing to distinguish it from others near it. But Ramu and Shekhar are not uncomfortable when we ask to film them.

In January, NDTV reported on their family. Their father, a farmer, hung himself because he could not repay what he had borrowed from local moneylenders. Their mother, Bangaru Lakshmamma, said she didn't want them to drop out of school, but it was hard to turn down the offer of letting someone buy them as bonded labour.

NDTV viewers and ndtv.com users donated generously, sending cheques that added up to 1.2 lakhs. The government did nothing. It had promised after NDTV's report to re-examine the conclusion that their father killed himself after a fight with his wife, which meant the family could not claim the compensation given in cases of farmer suicides in this drought-prone part of the state.

The family still owes more than two lakh rupees. But all they have is their tiny farm and the one-room house.

Thanks to the donations they received, Shekhar and Ramu were able to stay in school. But they are now learning the ropes on a construction site. In 40-degrees heat, they carry dozens of bricks and dig away at the ground that seems relentless. "We get Rs 150 every day," says Ramu. "To start work on our field, we need money to buy seeds and other things." They need the money to plant cotton seeds on their field.

Shekhar has accepted that his education may be about to wrap up. "If I pass my exams and study, I can become a doctor or engineer. But I can't dream like that...there is no money and there is work to do," the 14-year-old says.

The boys hope to grow cotton this season on their tiny farm. The same crop had repeatedly failed their father but they see no other way out to repay loans.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

If you would like to make a donation to this family, here are the details for the same:

Mr. Bangar Ramulu
Account No: 32061652459
State Bank of India
Branch Name: Bijnepalle
Address: Nagar Kurnool Road
City/State: Andhra Pradesh
Pincode: 509203
Contact: (8540) 228637, 909415
Fax: 8540228256
Email: sa.03884

Additional details for online transaction:

Branch Code: 3884
IFSC Code: SBIN0003884
Swift Code: N/A
RTGS : Yes
Forex Type: --  

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