Inspiring farmer’s tale | Fusion - WeRIndia

When desperate times hit this farmer, he didn’t give up. Vitthal Hari Mandole (Vithoba) a farmer from Khadki Budruk village of Jalgaon district in Maharashtra could not afford a plough and a pair of bulls to till his land. Knowing that he has to do something, he used a cot to till his land.

Vitthal Mandole and his family members have been working as farm labourers for many generations. He realized that this his life can be made better if he started acting towards it. He wanted to make sure his children will have a good life. He stopped working on other people’s farms and took a farm on lease himself. The cost of the lease is that he had to pay Rs. 25,000 per year for this 3 acre land. However, wit that lease, his life began to improve.

Everything was fine until things started going wrong. Vithoba’s elder son, Santosh, kept falling sick and left his studies after Class 8. Santosh needed a major operation as his intestines were infected. The medical expenses forced Vithoba to take a loan of Rs. 2 lakh at a heavy interest rate.

And then he was affected by a drought. The interest on the loan was increasing. Even in such times, Vithoba did not give up. He and his wife worked day and night on the farm. However, the rains have failed him.

He got a very less yield in the year 2015. In a 3 acre land he got just 2 quintals of cotton. He barely managed to pay the lease amount for the farm. As if that wasn’t enough, his wife started falling sick too.

He did not give up and took the lease again knowing he has to pay it in the end of year. He could not afford a bull or plough. In his desperation, he got the idea to use the cot as a plough. He managed to sow 5 bags of cotton seeds this year and is hoping for the best.

Image Reference: TheBetterIndia