Vintage 2006 Is At Court

Peasants from Kakheti cannot get money for the grapes they have grown

The peasants filed a suit with the court against the board of the Senakuri Wine Factory Ltd located in Gurjaani. They decided to appeal to the court after they were lied to by Manana Elikashvili, the director of the factory. She had been lying to them for five months.

“Are you going there again? Have they not paid you the money yet?” the driver of the Tsnori-Gurjaani bus asks the people of the different villages in the Sighnaghi District at least three times a week. These people sold their grapes in September last year but have not received the money for them yet.

Before the bus arrives from Sighnaghi to Gurjaani, nearly one hundred peasants have already gathered near the gate of the Senakuri Wine Factory Ltd. They regret not having pressed the grapes at home. The others are crying because their children cannot go to school without warm winter cloths. People standing nearby seem to have spent the previous night there. They are trying to warm themselves by the remains of last night’s fire. Kakhetian people are scolding in a Kakhetian way. Seeing a strange car at the gate, they gather and start fussing. “Maybe Ms.Manana has brought money?” …learning that I am a journalist, they sigh and say, “a correspondent again.”

Sad peasants show us a small piece of paper with their weathered hands. “This is a document Ms. Manana gave us on September 19. I left the grapes for 670GEL here. They promised me to pay money in three days. However, the only thing they gave me was this sheet of paper. There is only a number, the date of receiving the grapes and the money they owe us written on it. We did not worry at that time about not having received any documents because the government seriously controlled the vintage process.

…Manana has been giving promises to us for five months already saying she would give us money today or tomorrow.  I, an old pensioner, have spent so many nights at the door of the factory with the hope of getting money,” said Naskida Kartlelishvili from the village of Shashiani in the Gurjaani district.

Despite fraudulent promises and negligence, everybody tries to share their problems with us. They still have hope. “I have two little children. Both my wife and I do not work. We could not be involved in the social aid program either. They told us we could not answer the demands for the aid. Though we have a house, we live in extreme poverty. In September we took a loan to buy clothes for our children to go to school. I have not paid back that money yet,” said Mamuka Jokhadze who was standing there. A forty-year-old woman interrupts him. “You were lucky because you could at least take a loan. As for me, nobody lent me money. My husband got ill after having spent many nights here. I am also ill and I do not know how long we will be able to come here. We need some money for our trip from the village of Shroma.  My mother’s monthly pension is not enough for our transport expenses. I cannot get anything for my children at home. I have debts in every shop in the village.  I do not know what I can do,” said Gulnazi Meshvelishvili.
“We should hold demonstrations in front of the Administrative Board’s building. Our shouting will bother them and then they will pay attention to us,” said an old man.

“Do you believe that those people from the Administrative Board will give up eating because they have heard of our problems? What do you think- that will they be worried for not giving us the money? Let lightning hit them. They will call the police and disperse us. Did they not do that when we gathered a short time ago?! We should think of something else,” said Tamar Natsvlishvili.

“They know everything at the district and the regional administrative boards. We have also sent appeals to them but nobody has replied to us. Do you not understand that the vintage was successful for the government only? Such unfortunate people we are to think only about how to get bread for the next day,” cried sixty-four-year-old Valiko Imerlishvili.

People from the next house gave some firewood to these people to set a fire at the gate. “You should get warm. Who knows, maybe Manana will not come today?” said the neighbor.

By 5:00PM, a young guard at the factory told the people Manana’a words. “I cannot come today because I have not got money from the bank and I will come tomorrow and give the money to some of you.”

….Those that are too poor and can endure the night frost stayed outside to keep their turn. They wrote a list for the second day too…Manana did not appear the next day, either.

She told us over the phone that she is indebted to the peasants; however, she must pay the debts gradually because she does not have the whole sum. Manana cannot say the exact date for paying the debts.

People do not trust her anymore. Those pessimistic about the situation broke into the factory and seized what they could find there in exchange for their money. 

Representatives of the Human Rights Center have decided to help these desperate peasants. Lawyers for the center are preparing a suit for them and very soon they will appeal to the court.

Gela Mtivlishvili, Kakheti