A heartwarming yet controversial video has taken social media by storm, capturing a farmer dressed in a traditional dhoti, kurta, and pagdi arriving at a Mercedes-Benz showroom to collect his brand-new G-Class SUV, priced at approximately Rs 3 crore. Shared on Instagram by his son, Krish Gurjar, the clip shows the family pulling up in a white Mercedes GLS before the farmer and his wife step inside for the ceremonial handover. His wife performs a brief aarti, blessing the vehicle, after which the farmer offers prayers, inspects the luxurious features with a serene smile, and drives off confidently.
The G-Wagon, known for its rugged 3.0-litre six-cylinder diesel engine producing 326 bhp and 750 Nm of torque, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission and 241 mm ground clearance, symbolises unbridled aspiration in India's booming luxury auto market. However, the display of affluence has ignited a polarised response online, with users questioning the source of funds amid ongoing agrarian distress.
The video, which has amassed millions of views across platforms, portrays a quintessential rags-to-riches narrative. The farmer, whose identity remains undisclosed beyond his son's handle, embodies rural India's evolving economic landscape, where progressive farming, diversified income streams, or familial success stories enable such extravagance. Accompanying captions and comments reveal he quipped, "Zameene bech ke" (by selling land), hinting at asset liquidation to fund the dream purchase—a nod to the sacrifices behind upward mobility.
This echoes similar tales, like that of an 88-year-old Kanchipuram farmer who bought a Rs 31.98 lakh Mercedes B-Class in 2023, inspired by a childhood glimpse of the brand. The G400d variant, starting at Rs 2.55 crore ex-showroom, surges to over Rs 3 crore on-road with taxes, making it a rare indulgence typically reserved for celebrities and tycoons. Krish Gurjar's post frames it as a filial gift, underscoring generational wealth transfer in an era where luxury sales in India hit record highs, with Mercedes reporting a 10% uptick in SUV deliveries last fiscal year.
Social media reactions range from admiration to scepticism, highlighting India's deepening rural-urban divide. Supporters hailed the "desi swag", with comments like "Proud moment for every hard-working farmer" flooding Instagram and X, celebrating it as proof of agricultural prosperity under government schemes like PM-KISAN. One user remarked, "From fields to G-Wagen—India shining!" Yet, detractors accused ostentation, with viral quips such as "Ye krishi par tax lagvakar manenge" (They'll agree only after taxing agriculture), reigniting debates on farm subsidies and wealth inequality.
Critics pointed to the 2020-21 farmers' protests, where manipulated images of "protester-owned" Mercedes jeeps (actually modified Force Gurkhas worth Rs 10 lakh) fuelled similar backlash. In a nation where over 60% of the population depends on agriculture yet grapples with debt and suicides, such spectacles amplify calls for equitable growth, questioning if this is isolated success or a symptom of skewed resource allocation.
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The episode underscores the Mercedes G-Wagon's cultural cachet, blending off-road prowess with status allure—much like Bollywood star Khushi Kapoor's red G400d or Anant Ambani's customised fleet. As India's luxury car market expands at 15% annually, driven by HNIs in Tier-2 cities, stories like this farmer's challenge stereotypes, yet provoke introspection on inclusivity.
While the family basks in their milestone, the viral furor serves as a mirror to societal tensions: aspiration versus equity, and tradition versus modernity. In an election year, it could even stoke policy discourses on rural empowerment, reminding policymakers that behind every gleaming SUV lies a narrative of toil, triumph, and the quest for dignity.
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