Uskondi

Every farmer works tirelessly in the fields throughout the year. Yet, when the harvesting season arrives and the crop is brought in, very little income often remains in the farmer's hands. The condition of sugarcane-growing farmers who own irrigated agricultural land is no different from that of farmers dependent on rain-fed agriculture. Dr. Shreekant Patil portrays this harsh reality in his novel Uskondi.

Through the lives of sugarcane farmer Manuda, his father Aba, his wife Sheetal, and several other characters and incidents, the author explores the crisis faced by sugarcane cultivators.

The protagonist, Manuda, is completely distressed by the Uskondi (the predicament or trap of sugarcane farming). He is so troubled that he does not even eat for two days. His wife, Sheetal, cannot bear to see his suffering, but she is helpless. His father, Aba, is equally shaken and finds it painful to watch his son struggle. He suggests, “Son, let us put an end to this sugarcane business. Instead, let us return to traditional Kharif and Rabi farming.”

Manuda agrees with his father's suggestion and expresses the frustration behind his decision: “We have to buy extremely expensive seeds, use costly fertilisers, spray pesticides three or four times, and spend one and a half to two years constantly worrying about irrigation, like standing with our feet inside a snake's coils. We have to look after the farm labourers with great care, as if they were flowers. And what do we finally get in return?” His words reveal the depth of his distress and the difficult circumstances in which sugarcane farmers find themselves.

Despite these hardships, Manuda continues to hold on to hope. He believes that difficult times will eventually pass and better days will come. With renewed determination, he returns to sugarcane cultivation to nurture the new ratoon crop. Even after experiencing the hardships of the sugarcane cycle, he finds the courage to begin again and work towards keeping his sugarcane farming alive.

Through Uskondi, the author portrays the struggles, disappointments and enduring hopes of sugarcane farmers, highlighting their determination to continue farming despite repeated setbacks. The novel offers a compelling account of the realities of agricultural life.

— Dr. Sadanand Deshmukh