Nearly 2 lakh farm suicides since 1997

[deckingraj]

Nearly 2 lakh farm suicides since 1997

There were at least 16,196 farmers’ suicides in India in 2008, bringing the total since 1997 to 199,132, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

The share of the Big 5 States or ‘suicide belt’ in 2008 — Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh — remained very high at 10,797, or 66.6 per cent of the total farm suicides in the country. This was marginally higher than it was in 2007 (66.2 per cent). Maharashtra remains the worst State in the nation for farm suicides with a total of 3802. (This is just 40 short of the combined total of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.) The all-India total of 16,196 represents a fall of 436 from 2007. But the broad trends of the past decade reflect no significant change. The national average for farm suicides since 2003 stays at roughly one every 30 minutes.

Within the Big 5, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh recorded higher numbers. The increase of 604 in these three States somewhat offset the dip in Maharashtra (436) and Karnataka (398). But a fall in suicide numbers in other States (for example, a decline of 412 in Kerala and 343 in West Bengal) means that the Big 5 marginally increased their two-thirds share of total farm suicides in 2008.

The NCRB data now cover all States for 12 years from 1997. In the first six years (1997-2002), the Big 5 witnessed 55,769 farmers’ suicides. From 2003 to 2008, they totalled 67,054, a rise of nearly 1900 a year on average.

Maharashtra has logged 41,404 farm suicides from 1997 (over a fifth of the national total) and 44,468 from 1995, the year when this State began recording farm data. No other State comes close. During 1997-2002, Maharashtra saw, on average, eight farmers kill themselves daily. The corresponding figure rose to 11 during 2003-2008. The rise was from an average of 2,833 farm suicides a year in the first period to an average of 4,067 in the next period.

Professor K. Nagaraj, an economist who has worked at the Madras Institute of Development Studies, says of the NCRB data: “There is hardly any decline in the suicide belt, though individual States may show variations across 12 years. If this is the state for 2008, the year of the Rs. 70,000 crore loan waiver and multiple farm packages, then 2009, a drought year, could show very disturbing figures. The underlying agrarian problems seem as acute as ever.”


The Hindu : News / National : Nearly 2 lakh farm suicides since 1997


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Ashamed to even post such a news....This is our reality which we tend to forget when we talk about our defence related achievements...17k suicides in 2008 itself...this is outrageous and what is more disgusting is the number rising in this so called suicide belt....Really really sad....I wish the way we jump from our seats the moment we get to know about new procurements and what not we can have a national consensus and make it clear to our so called bloody politicians to either deliver or fukc off....

 

[Imran Khan]

hooooooooo so sad .hai nafrat ne hamy jeeny na diya. we exporters of rice wheat to 100 countryes and we are die. ohhhhhhh god help us.

 

[New Shivaji]

Even a single farmers life is regrattable, its a shame on the govt. I am sure respective state govts. are doing their best in tackling this problem, but its still not good enough.

 

[SMIQBAL]

Even a single farmers life is regrattable, its a shame on the govt. I am sure respective state govts. are doing their best in tackling this problem, but its still not good enough.

It is a state of mind and it is available in whole world. Such issues may not be discussed on defence forum. In sheer frustration people comit suicide and even with their children. It is a crime. Those who want to commit suicide first think that no body shall be affected from their crime. And if he/she takes on children, it is an henious crime. For him it is a sucide but the act of killing children is murder and an murderous crime against the society.
SMIQBAL.

 

[Meengla]

I have not understood as to how come someone take his life because of food/economic insecurity? I mean, if one is healthy then there is food to be found in almost everywhere. Countries like India and Pakistan are not exactly blessed with natural 'resources' but there can be life as fishermen at least considering the vast coastlines. What is it? Because people cannot afford to have some 'dowry' or 'send their kids to school'? Surely, there is life other than what we have been 'told'.

I often say to my friend and family: If one is healthy and free then there is so much one can do. May be most the NGOs and social organizations need to stress is to make people 'think outside the box'?

But then there are videos like the one below: Unless one walks in others' issue one may not know.

 

[Speaker]

@Meengla

The issue is that not many of these people have the economic sense to abandon their lifestyle and move to a new city or profession. Besides, they are under severe debt from local moneylenders and over years have piled up so much that they cannot dream to ever pay it back. In the local village system, their children end up becoming bonded labor for the moneylender. In their mind, it is better and easier for them and their children to die.

 

[Old School]

What is being done to prevent this tragedy ? I do not see any high profile celeb to campaign on this issue. This is very sad.

 

[Speaker]

What is being done to prevent this tragedy ? I do not see any high profile celeb to campaign on this issue. This is very sad.

There are some measures like writing off loans (rare case if the farmer took it from a national bank), free electricity (exploited by rich farmers) and providing high quality seeds for free, or low cost. But it hardly seems to be working.

Ironic since the Agriculture Minister (Sharad Pawar) belongs to Maharashtra, a state which has seen a lot of farmer suicides. It is the richest state, and home to some of India's richest people.

 

[deckingraj]

What is being done to prevent this tragedy ? I do not see any high profile celeb to campaign on this issue. This is very sad.

Issue is tons and tons of corrupt politicians beaurocrats sitting in there and ensuring not a single penny reaches the needy....You might be surprised to know the sum of money GOI has pumped in to waive off the loans...However is it enough??? No way....

- How come waiving off the loan for one financial year is going to help the farmers who are already under the debt trap??? Will this waiver give them money to buy food..clothing etc???

- All the schemes that are there(cheap food, cheap commodities and what not) do not reach them...

- Still around 60%-70% of our agriculture depends heavily on Monsoons...Just imagine the plight of two consecutive crop failures because of Monsoon....

Unfortunately our extra sensitive media is very insensitive to this issue...I mean who cares for a poor farmer committing suicide in a village whose name, netizens of Urban India can't even spell?? Pathetic isn't it???

GOI is doing in bits and pieces which is not enough to solve this grave problem...In case you are interested i have a very well comprehended article which gives a deep insight into the problem and ways to tackle this menace...

http://www.yashada.org/organisation/FarmersSuicideExcerpts.pdf