Nathadas Manikpuri lives an impoverished life in Peepli, Mukhya Pradesh, along with his brother, Budhia; aged mother; wife, Dhaniya, and two young sons. He had taken a loan from a bank, and upon being unable to re-pay it, is now being faced with not only losing the land but also homelessness. He accompanies Budhia to meet with the local politician, Bhai Thakur, who mocks them and tells him to commit suicide as this will ensure his family gets Rs.One Lakh from a special government program. With reports of monies being disbursed to other farmers who had killed themselves all over India, Nathadas makes it known to everyone in the village, and the news leaks out to the media - who descend with all force on the beleaguered family, turning Peepli, that has never seen any progress for over 60 years, into a Mela. Bhai Thakur has the police involved, and even has his goons beat up Nathadas and Budhia, while the District Collector and the Chief Minister present Nathadas with a water pump and a color TV respectively and hope that the Ministry of Agriculture comes with a solution. Amidst media frenzy, Nathadas and his family find their movement curtailed, and he disappears one day - leaving the media to speculate whether it was a conspiracy of Central or State governments; Islamic terrorists; or the Americans.—rAjOo ([email protected])