Bathinda, February 22
A major section of rural folks of the Malwa region, particularly the youth and the middle-aged, are going in for “satta” (gambling).

With agriculture becoming a loss-making proposition because of the increase in the cost of inputs and a decline in the return from the produce, most of the farmers, agriculture labourers and youth, who were earlier hooked to drugs to overcome the frustration, have now started trying their luck in “satta” to make both ends meet.

Successive governments of the state have remained indifferent to the plight of the rural folks.

“With the economic conditions becoming worse, the number of petty crimes, like satta, drug smuggling and illicit distillation are rising unprecedently,” said Mr Sukhpal Singh, a leading agriculture economist of the region. “The day is not far when the entire Malwa belt will be caught in the satta-web.”

A section of prominent residents of various villages dotting the Malwa region, to whom TNS talked to, said the first the evil of drug addiction had made a large section of the peasantry economically sick. And now, “satta” would prove to be an economic disaster.

In Bathinda district alone about 37 persons were caught playing “satta” in the rural areas between January 1, 2003, and February 8, 2003. In Muktsar district between November 1, 2002, and January 31, 2003, 63 cases were registered against “satta” players and 67 persons arrested. Besides, hundreds of cases had been registered in Mansa, Faridkot, Ferozepore, Moga and Sangrur districts of the Malwa belt.

In “satta”, “parchis” (paper slips), carrying one single or double-digit numbers, are distributed to innocent rural folks in lieu of money. In the evening when the result is declared from Delhi or Mumbai, if that particular number turns out to be the lucky one, it yields good dividends to the buyer of that “Parchi” as also the “satta” players. But if the number is not the lucky one the buyer loses the entire amount. In the villages of the Malwa region, “satta” is a daily affair.

Information gathered by TNS revealed that every year thousands of cases pertaining to “satta” activities, particularly in the rural areas are registered under the gambling act. However, the suspects manage to escape as the laws to deal with this crime are not stringent. There have been instances when a particular suspect, facing a number of cases pertaining to “satta”, keeps on playing the game.

The daily trading in “satta” is worth several lakhs of rupees, while crores are put on stake on by the punters of this region daily.