Author Kota Neelima's book on farmer suicides showcased at World Book Fair

New Delhi [India], February 7 : A book about farmer suicides and women farmers in rural distress was the highlight at the ongoing World Book Fair in the national capital.
Published by Oxford University Press, the book 'Widows of Vidharbha' by author-journalist Kota Neelima, dwells on the agrarian crisis through ground research spanning several years.
Addressing an event on Friday at the Oxford University Press Stall at the Book Fair venue at Bharat Mandapam, Neelima said, "Women farmers live in invisibility, which is imposed by the State and Society. This book tells the stories of women living in this darkness.".
Many readers and experts were present at this book signing event and the discussion that followed. Responding to a question, Neelima said, "Methodology of understanding the life of women farmers in farmer suicide households is important. The drafts of my book were peer reviewed by the farm widows themselves. I thank the Oxford University Press for giving me the time and support to do such an exhaustive research."
Neelima signed copies of 'Widows of Vidarbha' at the event. The deeply researched and poignant work sheds light on the struggles of widows left behind after farmer suicides in Maharashtra's Vidarbha region. Through their narratives, the book highlights the broader issues of agrarian distress, farmer suicides, and the hardships faced by rural women in India.
During the event, she stressed the urgency of addressing the challenges faced by farmers and their families and welcomed the opportunity to raise awareness on this critical issue.
'Widows of Vidarbha' tells the story of 16 farm widows who have been invisible to the state, the community, and even their families, and talks of their lost dreams, their diminished worldviews, and their helpless surrender to the conveniences of patriarchy. These narratives throw light on the dark and desperate corners of their invisible world, one that reflects the state of farm widows across the country, as per Oxford University Press.
In a post on X, the author said it took her several years to write the book. "The draft was reviewed by the widows themselves. The 'subject' peer-reviewed stories are truth of how widows survive amidst the intense rural distress that killed their husbands," she said.
"Published by Oxford University Press, Widows of Vidarbha is a difficult book to read, and I am happy the world now knows about #WomenFarmers, who were invisible and unacknowledged by the state," the post read.