[Ixa]

HARVEST OF DEATH........

The plight of Indian farmers: seven suicides per day!


From NDTV.com

Uma Sudhir,
Monday, August 23, 2004 (Andhra Pradesh, India):


Suicide deaths of farmers in Andhra Pradesh continue despite of hopes
that it is going to be a good agricultural year.

Even as Y S Rajasekhar Reddy (of the Indian National Congress) completed
100 days as Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister (defeating the ruling combine
of local Telegu Desham Party led by notorious Chandrababu Naidu and the Hindu communalist Bharatiya
Janata Party) on Friday, an average of seven such tragic deaths are still beingreported every single day.

Fight for survival

In one such case, Shankar hanged himself to death last week hoping that at least this year there
would be some rain and he could grow crop on his one-acre land. When he could not get work
even as daily labour to support his wife, two children and aged parents, the 28-year-old saw
no point in his staying alive. ''It was a question of his izzat (self-respect). People would ask him to
repay loans. He felt no government was going to come and help him out of his problems,'' said
Ramulu, Shankar's father-in-law.

This is the first suicide in Makkrajpeta village of Medak district that has seen many of its
able-bodied youth migrate in search of work, leaving the elders behind.

Suicide's on the rise.

After several years, there has been a good monsoon this year. What is worrying is that suicide
deaths of farmers continue to be reported from all over Andhra Pradesh. In the last three
months that the Congress government has taken over, over 700 suicide deaths have been reported.
This is despitethe top priority the new government says it is giving to farmers and agriculture.
''Inspite of our best efforts, the suicides are continuing. We are definitely worried. The
anti-farmer policies in the last decade are responsible for all this,'' Said Raghuveera Reddy,
the Agricultural Minister of Andhra Pradesh.

While who is to blame may not have an easy answer, it is obvious a lot more needs to change before
the harvest of death can stop from the fields of Andhra Pradesh.

[susru81]

it is indeed a sorry state of affares...........indian government goes on talking about double digit growth rates and FDI ....indian ruling class doesint really care as long as they see more number of multinationals setting up shops in india .They need to showcase the high tech india to the world an india filled with glass buildings and fast cars .....the reason of this apathy is simple they need to wipe the bottom of the buissness big wigs who helped them to reach the position which they occupy now .Who wants to think about a poor dirty farmer who hangs himself just because he has no hope whatso ever at all .....there are more important things to do ....more fashionable things to do......