Farmers’ Suicides in India

by Dan Morrison

Tuesday June 30, 2009 at 10:16pm, EST

Over 1,500 farmers in the rural Indian state of Chattisgarh recently committed suicide out of despair from looming debts and crop failure. The Belfast Telegraph wrote an article about these suicides, explaining how both money lending and agriculture policies contributed to the dire circumstances which drove these farmers to their deaths. Read more...

According to Bharatendu Prakash, from the Organic Farming Association of India, “Farmers’ suicides are increasing due to a vicious circle created by money lenders. They lure farmers to take money but when the crops fail, they are left with no option other than death.”

Beturam Sahu, a Chattisgarh farmer who owned two acres of land recently committed suicide. His family is now responsible for paying his four hundred pound debt. However, since there was no rain, crops were not harvested and the family did not make any money. Beturam’s son Laknu left the village to find work as a manual laborer to help pay off the debt.

Bharatendu also noted that the Indian government has focused on building up the Indian economy and has largely ignored the plight of small farmers. “Development should be for all,” said Bharatendu. “Farmers should be taken into consideration when planning policies. Forest areas are being depleted and dams are being constructed without proper planning. All this contributes to dipping water levels.”

A few years ago the water level in Chattisgarh was at 40 feet. Now the water level has gone down below 250 feet. In the words of Shatrughan Sahu, a villager in one of the districts, “Most of the farmers here are indebted and only God can save the ones who do not have a bore well.”

Also see Raj Patel’s Stuffed & Starved Book and Stuffed & Starved Blog Stuffed and Starved for accounts of how the current food system is driving poor farmers to drastic measures.

You can help small and marginal farmers in India build a more self-reliant and sustainable life. To get involved and make an impact, go to 1Well’s Available Projects and become the SVC for a Food Security project that will help these small and marginalized farmers.