An illiterate farmer in India now has his two buffaloes and the wherewithal to educate his kids after he found a 14.98-carat rock worth more than $82,000.
Lakhan Yadav, 45, was renting land—625 square feet leased from the government—to scrape out a living when he found the diamond in a handful of dirt, he told the Times of India. “It has changed my life,” he said. The good fortune comes at a critical time for farmers, whose livelihoods are threatened by the local government.
Unrest continued on Wednesday as hundreds of Indian women, including many widows of farmers believed to have killed themselves over debt, joined a protest against government reforms. The changes were enacted in September and aim to deregulate the agriculture sector, allowing farmers to sell to buyers beyond government-regulated wholesale markets.
Today, though, one farmer is happier than ever.
Yadav now owns a motorcycle that he bought with the first payment he was given after depositing the diamond. “I bought the motorcycle because my nephews insisted,” he told the Times. “I was happy with my bicycle.”
And what else is under consideration for purchase? “I will not go for anything big,” he said. “I am not an educated person, and I’ll put the money in a fixed deposit to ensure my four kids get a good education.”
India, as is the case with most countries around the world, has been in a coronavirus lockdown. During the past few months, Yadav’s school-aged children have been taking care of the buffaloes at home while he went to farm his land.
“With this money, anything is possible. I will build a new house and spend money on the education of my children,” he said.
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