Grim days in farmer’s life

A suicide in every 8 hours that was something which was said previous year in India as the farmers started to do suicide around the country. Those who have committed suicide were between 25 to 50 years of age a right age and a wrong decision. Among the many Vidarbha in Maharastra the worst affected one.  All of them were cultivators of cotton. The study organized by the Tata Institute of Social Science on the order of Bombay High Court into the matter for an independent study and research regarding the cause of the suicide has pointed and concluded one broad reason is indebtedness, a major cause for the suicide among the farmers. In that region the farmers takes credit in the traditional way from the money lenders and not from the bank. They were burdened by one credit after another as they were exposed to unbearable price fluctuations. In India farmers are not informed or taught about the modern techniques or the facility they can avail for farming. In simple words agriculture lost its place in India.

The media raised a great hue and cry over the suicide. The oppositions rocked the parliament stopped the proceedings all these made the government to open their deaf ears and listen to the cry of the farmers in Vidarbha and other parts of the region. The immediate thing that Dr. Manmohan Singh government did is the relief package of 3750 core of credit to the farmer from the banks and other financial institution to take the farmers out from their plight. Well the package and relief sounds lucrative and make us believe that Indian government is a caring for the poor government but the truth is different. In ground the relief given was less than a thousand cores was there any roar or any news no. Only few independent study by some of the social organizations has reported it but who cares. The news lost its charm of getting publicity. The truth with the farmer is taking or implementing new technologies for the poor farmers are too risky as they are expensive and farmers are skeptical about them they opt for the tradition way of farming. These poor farmers do not have the capacity to bear another failure by taking loan.

It is in the hand of government and the concerned authority to take care and educate the farmer to go for some other crop. In the words of MS Swaminathan Chairman, National Commission on Farmers

"In Vidharbha, it is too risky to adopt expensive technologies. Small farmers who take loans for cultivation have no capacity to meet the calamity of crop failure. Traditional crops like jowar should again be revived. The funds allotted under the Prime Minister's package for seed replacement should be used to promote jowar, pulses and legumes. Also, organic farming and crop-livestock integration should be promoted on both ecological and economic grounds. Vidharbha can be declared as the Organic Farming Zone of Maharashtra, so that its oranges, jowar, cotton and other crops become known as organic products and thereby gain in market value."

There is a light in this grim tunnel the only thing we need is a torch bearer.