Social message of film 'Summer 2007' inspires farmers in UP

Allahabad, July 6 (ANI): Farmers in Allahabad watched the recently released Bollywood flick 'Summer 2007', a movie based on farmers' suicide issue.

The screening of the film was organised by a Gujarat based, Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Sanchetna.

The film 'Summer 2007', which deals with the issue of farmer's suicides in Maharashtra's Vidharbha region turned out an eye-opener for these depressed souls.

While India, Asia's third-largest economy, grew nine per cent in 2007-08, an inescapable cycle of debt stalks the farmers of Vidarbha.

It is sad that a country where majority of population is dependent on agriculture for livelihood has lost some 150,000 farmers to suicides in the past decade.

The film sends the message that suicide is not the option but taking to various other vocations like Honeybee cultivation to augment ones income is the option.

"The farmers who had come under heavy debt were even forced to commit suicide but after watching this film have got a ray of hope. After watching this film they feel that the younger generation is very well aware of this fact (farmer's suicide) and after understanding these facts they want to be part of the farmer's pain and suffering and this will lead to a change, this feeling will lead to a change and our farmers have finally seen the light at the end of a tunnel," said Shyam Surat Pande of Sanchetna, a NGO.

The farmers are impressed by Munna, who after watching the film said that if farming were a profitable option more people would take to it.

"It's shown in the movie that how farmers can benefit from various activities undertaken for their benefit. If its profitable everyone will take to farming and if it's not profitable no one will take to farming. No, sir I won't commit suicide because of debt," said Munna.

The film also explores the possibility of micro credit as a solution and has a character inspired by Mohammad Yunus, the 2006 Nobel peace prizewinner and founder of Grameen Bank, Bangladesh's biggest micro-credit institution. (ANI)