Tobacco Farmers Fight Taboo & Rain Deficit in Bihar

Bihar is the sixth largest tobacco producing state in the country; farmers pray for monsoons to save the crop.

“Despite the taboos and difficulties, we continue to grow tobacco because it’s the only thing we know”, says Mohammad Irshad. (Photo: The Quint)

Irshad Ahmad looks around the freshly-planted tobacco saplings and rues that this is the last window for his survival.

“If it does not rain now, the crop will be destroyed”, says the 62-year-old farmer whose main source of livelihood is the cash crop that is farmed across acres of land in Rampur, Samastipur.

In October 2013, the Nitish government announced exemption of tax on khaini, in view of the demand made by farmers who told the Chief Minister that their produce was being seized, and fines and taxes being imposed on them. In 2014, when Jitan Ram Manjhi was Chief Minister, he hiked the tax on tobacco products by 30 percent, but khaini was left untouched.

Irshad believes that the fight will be between JD(U) and BJP in Rampur, but does not rule out the role played by independent candidates. In the end, the smaller parties and the independents are going to decide who forms the next government.

For full coverage of Bihar Polls 2015, click here.

(Video editing by Purnendu Pritam)