-AINA JOSHI (ASSISTANT EDITOR)
The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB)1 is officially responsible for the release of yearly reports on farmer suicides in India. Simple observation of the available data provided by NCRB for the year 2015 and 20182 will point us in a certain direction even as NCRB’s reports may not be entirely credible. In 2015 at least 12602 persons (consisting of farmers and agricultural laborers) had committed suicide, while in 2018 at least 10,349 persons did. As is obvious, the number of farmer suicides has gone down. Therefore, one would not think that it is odd to feel some optimism, to think that this is a positive sign for agriculturalists or that their circumstances may finally be improving. Unfortunately, such a simplistic picture only stands to demonstrate that we do not understand how deep-rooted the issues faced by Indian agriculturists truly are.
The government has introduced some programmes and welfare schemes like the PM KISAN3 scheme that aid farmers by providing loan waivers, subsidies and so on. Certainly, some have proven to be effective and others have not. And yet all of these efforts have not made a significant difference. Further, this only points to a deeply entrenched problem that seems to be hidden well below the surface. We frequently see snippets of the farmer’s plight in newspapers so much so that it might even be regarded to be ‘natural’ or ‘normal’. After all, if it isn’t considered ‘normal’ then shouldn’t we see more public debates in the Parliament4 on this issue as well as the agrarian crisis? There are hardly any. The harsh reality is that many farmers still continue to commit suicide and that the reduction in numbers is quite a small portion of the big, fat pie. So what is happening? Why is it that so many farmers are still in severe states of distress even after all these years? Also, why is it that they cannot overcome this distress? Of course, there is no one right or simple answer to this puzzle. What is important for us to know is that agriculture in India is currently not sustainable both in ecological and systematic terms.
With regard to the problem of suicides, we are quick to blame the victim for his or her distress. This is not limited to the farming sector of India or India itself. Farmer suicides may be a consequence of a web of many issues, but it is the faulty nature of the current agriculture system in place that must be effectively dealt with because that is potentially the source of most of the problems. The agriculture apparatus of India does not enable or is not quite supportive for small and marginal farmers. Professor A.R. Vasavi5, who is a social anthropologist based in India discusses in detail this exact systemic problem and its causes in her book, Shadow Space: Suicides and the Predicament of Rural India. The agricultural system of India and its working is affected by many factors like the economic policies of the state; the power and monopoly exercised by agri-corporations; types of credit sources accessible to agriculturalists; state support for poor, small and marginal farmers and so on. In light of the economic liberalization or the economic reforms of 1991 and the consequent neoliberal approach of the economy, the priorities of the government towards development have changed. Who is involved in the process of development and who is not eligible? The truth is that the agriculture sector does not receive a lot of attention in terms of improving policies, methods of agriculture and investments. The focus, today, is more on the urban than the rural. The urban paints a picture of the modern and progressive state which seems to have nothing to do with its institutionally malnourished cousin (the rural). P. Sainath, founder and editor of People’s Archive of Rural India stated6 that “The agrarian crisis has gone far beyond the agrarian. It’s a social crisis with people leaving agriculture and not getting absorbed anywhere else.”
While many small and marginal wish to migrate to cities to find other sources of employment for survival, they cannot do so because there are no opportunities for them. They are stuck; there is an increased risk of failure from both ends. For conditions to improve we need a more responsive and accountable state. Ecologically, farmers are encouraged to use pesticides and other chemicals to protect their crops. This is harmful to the environment because of numerous reasons. The quality of the soil is highly degraded due to the excessive use of these chemicals. Also, when the soil is largely dependent on external sources such as chemicals, its ability to regenerate and produce healthy crops is largely stunted. Farmers are adversely affected by these pesticides which may prove to be fatal7 for them as well. Given that we are already facing an environmental crisis that has affected climate and the Indian monsoon patterns greatly, the above mentioned structural and economic problems exist only to make matters worse.
In times of such uncertainty about the future, how can we afford to not think about the root causes of farmer suicides or the agrarian crisis? Things can change. The government needs to take action not only because the farmers are facing a crisis but also because it can actually help make a significant difference. All it needs to do is change its attitude towards agriculture itself, which one will have to admit, is not going to be easy.
REFERENCES :
- 2019. Business Today [online]. Available at : https://www.businesstoday.in/sectors/agriculture/farmer-suicide-ncrb-finally-releases-data-11000-deaths-in-2016-maharashtra-tops-the-list/story/389497.html
- PTI (2020). Economic Times [online]. Available at : https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/10349-farmers-committed-suicide-in-2018-ncrb/articleshow/73173375.cms
- PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi Wesbite [online]. Available at : https://www.pmkisan.gov.in/
- Pradhan, Hemanta (2019). Times of India [online]. Available at : https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/parliament-must-focus-on-agrarian-crisis/articleshow/68293836.cms
- Infosys Science Foundation [online]. Available at : http://www.infosys-science-foundation.com/prize/laureates/2013/ar-vasavi.asp
- Nair, Preetha (2018). Outlook India [online]. Available at : https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/agrarian-crisis-is-a-social-crisis-now-p-sainath/321306
- Gent, Edd (2018). QUARTZINDIA [online]. Available at : https://qz.com/india/1471432/scientists-develop-a-gel-to-protect-indian-farmers-from-toxic-pesticide/
