HUBBALLI: Rajeshwari was dreaming about completing her graduation and supporting her family. Despite many odds in her life, she tried her best, and scored 63% in SSLC and 66% in PU (Commerce). But her dream of pursing higher education was shattered after her father told her he couldn’t afford her education due to increasing debt Realizing her family’s financial burden, she quit college, but didn’t know that debt would one day take away her father’s life. Hanumanthappa, the lone breadwinner of the family, consumed pesticide after he was unable to clear the loans he had borrowed for agriculture.Hanumanthappa, a marginal farmer of Kulenur village of Haveri district, cultivated his two acres of land and lived with his wife and two daughters. Like other farmers, Hanumanthappa too kept his eyes on the sky, and when it grew overcast, he became confident that it would rain well this year.He had pledged his land and borrowed Rs 3.60 lakh from a nationalized bank. When there was inadequate rain consecutively from 2013 to 2016, Hanumanthappa grew worried. He had also taken a hand loan of Rs 3lakh from moneylenders, which he used for his farm work and on his elder daughter’s marriage. Lack of rain finally pushed Hanumanthappa into the vicious debt circle.Bank officials and moneylenders started harassing him to repay the loan. Unable to bear the humiliation and losses, he finally consumed pesticide in his field on January 5 this year. “The government has promised to give compensation, we had given all documents, but are still running from pillar to post to get compensation,” said Chetana, Hanumanthappa’s wife.“My husband was very upset when crops failed and debt increased. On that fateful day, he left home early in the morning. When he didn’t return till 9am, we started searching for him, and found him in an unconscious state in our field with a pesticide bottle. We immediately shifted him to the government hospital, and later to KIMS in Hubballi. He died that evening. After his death, it’s been really hard for us and we found it difficult to get even two square meals a day,” she said.“I don’t know how to manage my family. We are now depending on the 10kg rice supplied by the ration shop. Seeing our problem, my sonin-law is helping us and taking care of our field. We need help from the government to get my daughter married,” said a distressed Chetana.Rajeshwari said the government should immediately release compensation and also waive her father’s loan. “I am still willing to go to college if my fees is paid,” she added.

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