FARMERS’ WOES
   Date :11-Jul-2019

 
 
SMALL and marginal farmers’ households in major parts of the country are undergoing a peculiar social trauma, failing to find brides for their eligible sons. Already reeling under poor income and debt-traps caused due to vagaries of nature, the social segregation is causing farming families lot of mental hardships. Girls are increasingly refusing to marry in families totally dependent upon farming where fixed monthly income is as rare as good rains. Even the girls who belong to farmer families are reluctant to marry a farmer. Instead, they prefer grooms with fixed salary notwithstanding nature of their job or social standing. A major chunk of youth in the age-group of 25 to 30 is facing the stigma of remaining without a life partner. These portents are not good for mental and physical health of a generation as it can lead to severe depression and even violent tendencies. Another downside of the problem is a growing number of youth staying away from farming and migrating to towns for jobs. A country dependent upon farm economy cannot afford its farmers’ social standing taking a nosedive.
 
DUPLICITOUS LIKE
 
its mentor, the Pakistan Army, Afghan Taliban is playing a duplicitous role in its current parleys with the United States and its NATO allies on ending war in that country. All along, since the US and its NATO allies launched a war on terrorists in Afghanistan, the Pakistan Army has been surreptitiously aiding and abetting Taliban while usurping sumptuous financial and defence aid from the US. The Taliban is playing similar role in its current negotiations with the US and NATO while at the same time continuing to launch attacks on Afghan and US forces on a regular basis. Hence its fresh offer to cease attacks on hospitals, educational institutions, religious centres, schools, market places, water sources seems to be a hogwash and needs to be taken with a pinch of salt. US President Mr. Donald Trump, in his desperation to exit Afghanistan, has ignored the current duplicitous play of Taliban and is willing to strike a deal with that globally known terrorist organisation, which is an established obscurantist, religious extremist organisation.