Everyone knows that monsoon has failed, very badly in some regions that these are declared drought hit areas by the Government especially in UP till date it is 47 districts.
Obviously in our agriculturally predominant country where still the poor farmers have to rely on monsoon rains for irrigation this failure is a catastrophe.
Every where strange rituals and traditions are being dug out from the past to appease the rain Gods. But up till now it was heavens, prayers, fasting, than they went a step further, marrying two frogs, male and female in the belief that perhaps now their pleas will be heard.
It happened in suburbs of Nagpur where Raja and Rani the two frogs were duly married with the usual fanfare with the fasting and feasts just like a human marriage. Now it also happened in West Bengal where the lucky couple was given the name Ram and Sita perhaps in the hope that the Gods may listen to their namesakes.
But Bihar has gone a step further in fact many many steps further. The farmers who are fathers of daughters have asked their unmarried daughters to plough their fields well no harm in that but they have asked them to do it in complete buff, and they did it ploughing the field naked while chanting ancient hymns after sunset and helped by the elderly females of the village.
The reason for this bizarre act was that the farmers wanted to embarrass the Rain Gods so that they would give them the gift of rains. And the worst part it they have vowed to continue this practice till it rains.
Are we loosing the rational thread of thinking to the age old bizarre customs. It was the burying of mentally challenged kids in mud during eclipse now this. Why in the country which has the capability to send Chandrayaan I to the moon and buy nuclear Arihant the poor peasants have to resort to such desperate measures to earn their meagre livelihood.
Well everyone knows the fall out of this shameful news, there will be few clicking of tongues, few shaking of heads and perhaps another reason grabbed by the politicians to walk out of the proceedings of the parliament to enjoy a day off in the world of abundance.
What about the poor farmer, he will be sitting in his parched field looking up hopefully and praying for rains,getting more and more wrinkled in the process and finally resorting to such desperate measures which he will be heartily ashamed off but he does not have a choice. The Right to Live a Decent Life as a human being is given only to a chosen few in this Democratic Country.
