While the farmers are doing everything to protect their lands from the autocrat Chandrababu Naidu, there is another section of farmers whose plight is even more miserable! They are the ‘tenant farmers’ referred to in Telugu as ‘kaulu raithulu’.
These farmers normally take the land of other farmers and till them for a specific period of time. In other words, pretty much a lease system except that in rural India, there are no contractual agreements involved. Most transactions involving tenant farmers are oral in nature.
The government has offered these tenant farmers a compensation of Rs 2500 per month for a period of ten years and imparted free livelihood skills so that they can take up other jobs once farming is lost.
The Rs 2500 is irrespective of the number of acres being tilled by the tenant farmer. It is a fixed price. But here comes the real twister!
The farmer needs to produce a certificate of ‘tenancy’ to the government in order to be eligible for the above grand compensation and earth shattering life skills training. But the land owners are refusing to give the certificate for they fear that it could create problems for them in getting their own compensation from the government or the land might even be sold without their knowledge.
There are 12000 tenant farmers in the capital region who face an uncertain future! How would Chandrababu feel if he is kicked out of office overnight and then imparted farming skills along with a compensation of Rs 3000 per month?
