UP farmers seek Big B's help to write off debts

Lucknow, May 16 (IANS) Days after Amitabh Bachchan wrote off the debts of 90 farmers in Maharashtra's Vidarbha region, those in Uttar Pradesh's Bundelkhand area have written to the Bollywood star in the hope that he would do the same for them.

In a letter to Bachchan, the Bundelkhand Kisan Sangharsh Samiti (BKSS) has reminded the star he comes from Uttar Pradesh and that debt ridden farmers of Bundelkhand were looking to him to come to their rescue.

Ram Surat Chaudhary, BKSS president, said Bachchan was known to be a kind hearted man and it was heartening for the farmer community that he had come to the rescue of their debt-ridden comrades in Vidarbha.

"Amitabh-ji hails from Uttar Pradesh and we are sure that the pain and plight of the farmers in his homeland would not miss him and he would chip in with help," Chaudhary told IANS.

He said the situation in Bundelkhand was no different from Vidarbha. It was for this reason, he said, that they had written to the actor, seeking financial help to write off the debts of the farmers.

In the letter, likely to be sent Wednesday, the farmers pointed out how they were being pressurised by private money lenders and some banks, forcing some farmers to commit suicide.

The umbrella body of farmers also made a fervent appeal to the state government led by Akhilesh Yadav to come to their help.

Bachchan had last Saturday given cheques to 90 farmers in Maharashtra's Wardha district to repay their debt.

Cheques would be delivered at the homes of 24 other needy farmers.

The farmers were selected from over 20 villages of the district by members of the Rotary Club of Gandhi City Wardha and Rotary Club of Mumbai. The cheques total around Rs.30 lakh, all of which was donated by Bachchan.