India's Undiagnosed Epidemic: The Farmers Who Are Slowly Going Blind

India's Undiagnosed Epidemic: The Farmers Who Are Slowly Going Blind

Kya aapne kabhi socha hai ki kis tarah se ek chhoti si rassi, jo kisaanon ke haath mein hoti hai, unki aankhon ki roshni chura rahi hai? Punjab, Vidarbha, aur Andhra Pradesh ke kisaanon ka ek chhupaa hua sankat hai, jo aaj bhi bechaini se dekha ja raha hai, lekin kisika dhyaan nahi hai. Organophosphate pesticides ke istemal se, in kisaanon ki aankhein dheere-dheere andhkaar mein chhupi ja rahi hain.

The Invisible Threat

2019 mein, Punjab ke Moga district ke ek kisaan, Harjit Singh, ne apne andhere se bhare sapnon ke baare mein baat ki. Harjit, jise chaar saal pehle tak sab kuch saaf dikhayi deta tha, ab dheere-dheere andhaapan ki taraf badh raha tha. Is andhkaar ka kaaran tha unka pesticide exposure, jo unka rozana kaam tha. Harjit ka yeh kahna hai, "Mere saath to sirf main hi nahi, meri puri community is andhere mein hai."

Historical Oversight

Lekin ye sirf Harjit ki kahani nahi hai. 2008 se lekar 2022 tak, Vidarbha ke kisaanon mein aankhon ki bimariyon ki gati ko lekar koi bhi scientific study nahi hui hai. Ye aankhon ki samasyaen aksar "occupational blindness" ke tor par nahi gini jaati hain, isliye inka koi bhi record nahi hai. Yeh ek khatarnaak tareeka hai jisse sarkar in maslon ko anjaam nahi dene deti.

Is samasya ka ek aur pehlu hai, jo aksar nazarandaz kiya jata hai: symptoms ka 5-10 saal tak aana. Isliye, jab kisaanon mein aankhon ki samasyaen prakat hoti hain, tab tak unka pesticide exposure ka sambandh pramaanit karna mushkil ho jata hai.

The Personal Stories

Andhra Pradesh ke East Godavari ke kisaan Ramesh, ek aur udaharan hain. Ramesh ne bataya, "Main har saal pesticide spray karta hoon, lekin ab aankhein dhundhli hone lagi hain. Kahi na kahi lagaataar exposure se hi hai."

In kisaanon ki kahaniyan sunne par aisa lagta hai jaise samasya ke peeche ek andhera saaya hai. Har kisaan alag hai, lekin unki takleef ek hi hai: unka andhkaar. Kya unka ye andhkaar kisi aur ke liye ek warning signal hai?

The Regulatory Blind Spot

Is samasya ki khud ek aur gehraai hai. Kya aapne kabhi socha hai ki kisaanon ke liye koi regulatory body in aankhon ki bimariyon ka record kyun nahi rakhti? Koi bhi government body, jaise ki Ministry of Agriculture, in aankhon ke maslon par dhyaan nahi deti, kyunki ye ek "invisible epidemic" hai.

Yeh na sirf kisaan ke liye, balki unke parivar ke liye bhi ek bhari saaya hai. Pesticide ka exposure ek extended family ke liye aise hi khatarnaak hai jaise ek bomb ka blast.

The Path Forward

Aakhirkar, kya kuch kiya ja sakta hai? Kya sarkar in kisaanon ke liye kuch karegi? Aaj, jab hum innovation ki baatein kar rahe hain, kya hum in kisaanon ki aankhon ki roshni ko bacha sakte hain?

Kya kisi naye pesticide regulation se in kisaanon ki aankhein aur unki zindagiyaan bach sakti hain? Ya phir yeh andhaar unki kahaniyon mein chhupa rahega?

In sab sawalon ka jawab dene ke liye humein in kisaanon ki kahaniyon ko samajhna hoga, unke dukh ko mehsoos karna hoga, aur unke liye ek saaf aur khula maidan banana hoga. Kyuki yeh sirf in kisaanon ki nahi, balki hamare samaj ki bhi kahani hai.