1. FARMERS’ SUICIDE
&
AGRARIAN DISTRESS
PRESENTATION BY
MISHIKA NAMBIAR
FYBA - A
ROLL NO. 83
FOUNDATION COURSE

2. Introduction
 70% population in villages n 60% Indians depend on
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agriculture
Farmer is known as Annapurna In India
Irregular rain sometimes excess rain harming crops.
Use of olden techniques of farming
Government taking measures to boost farmers
Still farmers opt for suicides

3. Statistics
Year
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
Total Suicide Rate
105.49
105.61
104.34
105.36
103.96
106.20
108.67
109.21
Farmer Suicide Rate
70.12
76.39
73.44
78.62
74.45
74.83
73.69
72.56

4. Statistics
 The issue of farmers’ suicides came into the limelight
in the 1990s
 This issue worsened in d 2000s
 National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reported
that Between 2002-2006 more than 17500 farmers
killed themselves
 Of which Maharashtra accounted of more den a
quarter of the sum i.e. 4,453

5. History
• In the 1990s the Govt. officials denied the a
large number of suicides, but as more and
more information came to light the
government began to accept that farmers in
India were under considerable stress 15%
farmers killed themselves and more than
25000 farmers consumed pesticides and killed
themselves because of a combination of high
farming costs (exorbitantly priced hybrid (socalled high yielding) seeds and pesticides sold
by multinationals and a lack of a good price for
their produce, partly due to imports.
• Before globalization the need of theses
techniques did not emerge.
• Crop yields failed, they were under
debt, couldn’t repay, killed themselves.

6. Suicide Statistics

7. Causes
 Heavy Indebtedness – Roots in Credit Policy of the
Government
 Mismatch in the Cost of Production and Support Price &
Market Price
 Crop Failure due to:
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Overuse of Fertilizers
Reliance on HYV (High Yield Variety)Seeds and now recently on
Genetically modified seeds such as BT Cotton
Resulted in reduction of land Productivity
 Availability of Credit – dependence on Private Money Lending
 Reliance on Rainfall. Therefore, lack of subsidy given towards
fertilizers/ pesticides/ irrigation/ electricity.
 Strackly apathetic Government Attitude.

8. BT Cotton

9. Response to farmer suicides
 The Indian government had promised to increase the
minimum rate for cotton by approximately Rs.100
($2) but reneged on its promise by reducing the
Minimum Support Price further: Resulted in more
farmers attempting suicide
 Apart from the farmer helpline and the direct
financial assistance, there was scarcely anything new
being offered. (fails in the end)

10. Media’s Move
 "Summer 2007" by producer Atul Pandey & 2009
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Bollywood film Kissan stressed on farmer suicides
Sumit Khanna titled "Mere Desh Ki Dharti" In 2006
focused on how our food grew and helped understanding
agrarian crisis… won a national award
Economica: Women and the Global Economy :
farmers' suicides on the lives of the farmers' wives and
children
"Growing Debt" and accompanying essay by curator
Masum Momaya entitled "Money of Her Own" showed
how many widows were left with the burden of their
husbands' debts
The 2010, award winning film Jhing Chik Jhing is based
around the emotive issue of farmer suicides in Maharashtra

11. Misguided policies
 But the farmers' lack of viability was the result of totally misguided
neoliberal policies, which reduced public investment drastically, withdrew
extension services, made credit expensive or not available at all, and
exposed small producers to the violent ups and downs of global prices
 the income the land will yield can vary enormously This is an important
reason for the discontent that land acquisition has unleashed among
farmers
 Under a project named after the late K.R. Narayanan, land has been
identified in Kasaragod to set up a cooperative residential-cum-activity
complex in which houses for the families concerned will be constructed at
state expense and alternative employment activities developed. The
cooperative element is crucial as it ensures that individual households
cannot be pressured to part with their new assets and will maintain
productive activities, leading to a flow of income. It is to be hoped that the
new United Democratic Front (UDF) government will carry the scheme
forward : this is not implicated elsewhere

12. Newspaper articles
1. The Independent: A UK Daily Newsletter
 1,500 farmers commit mass suicide in India
 WEDNESDAY 15 APRIL 2009
 15000 killed in a state in india
 Mr. Shahu livin in a district wer 206 killd themselves
gave reasons y they committed suicide
 Mr. Beturam’s (dead) family was debted with£ 400
for poor crop yield
 Mr. prakash adds that the govt should take charge of
such situations

13. Newspaper articles
2. Hindustan Times
9 Farmers End Lives in Vidarbha
 Tragedy Toll rises to 65 in this month
alone the Samiti has now decided to raise
the issue of farmer suicides before the
National Human Rights Commission
(NHRC).
 Nagpur - 27th March 2010
 Nine more Vidarbha farmers have
committed suicide in the last 48 hours.
 With the death of these nine farmers, the
toll has risen to 65 in this month alone.
 In February 58 farmers had committed
suicide
 He said that as many as 195 farmers have
committed suicide so far in 2010 owing to
debts, drought and failed crops.
 more than 7,300 farmers killed themselves in Maharashtra since 2004.

14. Case Study
 This is the family of a 55 year old female killed herself on 10th June 2004
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outstanding debt of Rs. 44,600, by 2005 the debt increased to 90,000
 Family of a 65 year old male. Date of death is 31st May 2004.
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debt of over 5,000 from the Regional Bank
taken a loan of Rs. 10000 and he spent 60,000 and 4200 to get his sons
married and treat his wife’s hand respectively
 The family of a 38 year old male. Date of death is 24th September 2004
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outstanding debt of Rs.15,000 from a bank
supporting his mentally instable brothers family and has to get his daughter
married.