Maharashtra, India's Richest State By Gdp, Has Its Eyes Set On Becoming The Country's First Trillion-Dollar Economy By 2025. At The Same Time, Marathwada - A Historically Backward Part Of The State Adjoining The Distressed Vidarbha Region - Has Seen A Surge In Farmer Suicides.
At The Heart Of The Crisis Is A Cyclical Drought That Has Persisted For Almost A Decade. Relief Packages And Loan Waivers Have Not Reversed The Trend. On The Contrary, The Stories Of Dystopia Grow More Tragic Every Year As Thousands Of Farmer Families Flee To The Big Cities, While Those Who Stay Back Are Plagued By Bad Credit And Crop Loss.
Landscapes Of Loss Tells The Story Of Marathwada Through The Accounts Of Its People: Marginal Farmers, Dalits, Landless Labourers, Farm Widows And Children. It Lays Bare The Complex Factors That Have Brought The Region To This Pass - A Story Representative, In Many Ways, Of The Agrarian Unrest In Large Parts Of Rural India.
'at One Level About Drought But, At Another, Even More About Loss, About The Human Condition. This Is An Important Book. Read It.' - From The Foreword By P. Sainath, Author Of Everybody Loves A Good Drought
'what A Book. You Can Tell It Comes From Years Of Immersive Research. Establishes Marathwada As An Early Sign Of A Frightening Global Future, Has An Eye For The Telling Anecdote, The Cinematic Case Study, The Ringing Quote.' - Suhit Kelkar, Business Standard
'a Stirring Account Of A Human, Social And Ecological Tragedy That Has Been Unfolding For Decades ... Based On Her Years Of Reporting From The Hinterlands Of Maharashtra.' - Somak Ghoshal, Mint Lounge
'Landscapes Of Loss Takes You Deep Into The Countryside To Show You What Animates Farmers' Concerns And Makes Them So Wary Of Deceit. Kavitha Provides A Clear-Eyed View On Agriculture In India That Is Otherwise Absent.' - Lhendup G. Bhutia, Open Magazine
'the Book Has To Be Read In The Context Of How The Farm Debate Has Shaped The Nation And Also Got Shaped By It. An Important Reporting Intervention ... And History Of Farming In An Important Region.' - Seema Chishti, The Hindu
'fills An Important Gap In Contemporary Journalism ... A Much-Needed Wake-Up Call That Gives A Face At Last To An Unfolding Human Tragedy.' - Rajdeep Sardesai, News Anchor, Journalist And Author
'a Rigorously Researched Text ... Iyer Has Done A Phenomenal Job Of Bringing Forth The Pain And Anguish Of This Unfortunate Region.' - Suraj Yengde, Scholar And Author
'captivating And Compassionate ... An Account Of The Tenacity, Grit And Life Force Of The People [Of Marathwada] - Narratives That Evoke Amazement And Agony.'- Kumar Ketkar, Member Of Parliament, Journalist And Author
'an Evocative And Nuanced Account Of Everyday Tragedy And Some Triumphs From A Desperate Region.' - Meena Menon, Independent Journalist And Author
'identifies Crucial Issues Of Agrarian Crisis ... Exerts Both Logic And Passion In Making The Book Timely And Relevant.' - Vinayak S. Deshpande, Vice Chancellor Acting, Rtm Nagpur University
