“You can find her working the loom at 4 am”, her neighbour testifies.
Krishnamma is another of those waging a battle for survival after her husband committed suicide. The famine, unpredictable weather, failing crops and an apathetic government combined to plunge the farmers into debts and unable to find a way out; most were taking their own lives. After all, a mind cannot take suffering beyond a certain point and the plights of the farmers go unnoticed as the glamour media keeps parroting the 9% growth rate.
Enterprising woman like Krishnamma take to some occupation to keep the creditors at bay and see the children through school. By the way, she looms at 4 am because her work depends on electricity and its supply is most erratic.
She smiles despite her troubles,” We have to put in so many hours a day each day to be able to finish these sarees on time. It gets dark in here easily and power supply is one thing our efficiency depends on”.
The space is no more than nine feet by eight feet and it is cramped by two looms as her children also pitch in at times. The looms were installed by merchants - takes most of the space- who leave the raw material with her and collect the produce at the end of the week.
Krishnamma and her daughter Amutha weave beautiful sarees but it’s unlikely they will ever get to wear such finery as each piece fetch more than Rs.600 in the market and that just about provides them the sustenance. Both the mother and daughter weave a minimum of three sarees a month to keep the kitchen fires going. Besides grappling with erratic power supply! Who said living in India can be easy?
Krishnamma explains,” That’s why, whenever the current does come, we have to work no matter what time it is”. In between she has to help prepare her son and daughter to school and manage the cooking, washing and cleaning. For all her troubles she will be lucky to earn Rs.25 a day.
Her legs are swollen with standing for hours on end in the loom. Her children pitch in as much as possible and that’s one close knit family after the tragedy. Her husband hanged himself after the borewells he dug up on his three and half acre land and spending over Rs.60, 000 failed. The creditors were upon him like vultures and unable to stomach their daily taunts, he found death to be only answer.
Krishnamma complains,” despite all the promises we never got any compensation from the government after his death”. She now has no faith in agriculture and sold her lands for a pittance. She reasons,” We have lost too much, too many years”.
Her priority now is her children.
“There is no time for regret. I have a family to feed and I shall do my utmost to see my children have a better future”.
As I heard her tale, I found myself going weak and tears threatening to roll down. I have not found courage and tenacity shine brighter than on his frail woman in Anantapur.
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