VIJAYAWADA: There was a sharp increase in the number of suicides of farmers and agricultural labourers in the State during 2016 compared to 2015. As per the latest report released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), 804 farmers and 565 agricultural labourers ended their lives as against 516 farmers and 400 farmhands in 2015. In contrast, neighbouring Telangana witnessed a sharp decline in both categories.
A total of 11,379 persons involved in the farming sector (consisting of 6,270 farmers/cultivators and 5,109 agricultural labourers) had committed suicide during 2016, accounting for 8.7 per cent of total suicide victims (1,31,008) in the country. Of 6,270 farmer/cultivator suicides, a total of 5,995 were men and 275 women during 2016. Of 5,109 agricultural labourers who took the extreme step during 2016, 4,476 were men and 633 women.
Maharashtra tops the list with 3,661 (32.2 per cent) followed by Karnataka with 2,079 (18.3 per cent) and Madhya Pradesh with 1,321 (11.6 per cent). Andhra Pradesh with 7.1 per cent stands fourth in the list, followed by Chhattisgarh (6 per cent)
However, when the total number of suicides (all types and all categories) is taken into consideration, Andhra Pradesh with 6,059 suicides (11.7 per cent) fares better than Telangana, where 9,019 (24.5 per cent) suicides were reported during 2016.
If the reasons for the suicides were analysed, drought happens to the main cause. “Even before 2016, drought conditions were prevalent and they became more severe in 2016. There were no rains and borewells dried up. The farmers invested heavily in sinking borewells, and when their efforts failed, they found no means to repay the loans and resorted to the extreme step,” said Y Nagendranath, a farmer leader.
The drought was not the only reason for farmers’ suicides, said Vadde Sobhanadreeswara Rao, former agriculture minister. He says the failure of government to ensure remunerative prices for farm produce, lack of proper implementation of minimum support price (MSP) and crop failure owing to various reasons also led to suicides. “The situation might not have improved in subsequent years,” he opined.
YSRC farmer wing president and vice-president of Andhra Pradesh State Agriculture Mission MVS Nagi Reddy says that the NCRB report exposed the lies of the TDP government in 2016. “At that time, stating that using rain guns, the government claimed to have achieved victory over drought. If it was the case, why would there have been an increase in the number of suicides? Despite drought, the government projected an agriculture growth rate of 12 per cent, which proved to be false. If there was a better growth rate why would so many farmers have committed suicide?” he sought to know.
Nagi Reddy said the present government is making every effort to address agriculture issues so that farmers will have no reason to resort to suicide. “We have introduced Rythu Bharosa and we are paying premium towards crop insurance. Other welfare schemes such as curtailing liquor shops being implemented by the YSRC government will indirectly help farming sector, farm workers in particular,” he reasoned.
Welfare measures and Mission Kakatiya started yielding results in 2016 might have helped the reduction of farmer suicides in Telangana. But the figure given by the NCRB might not be completely accurate, as it only reflects what was provided by the State government.
In Telangana, there were reports of some discrepancies while reporting farmer suicides, more so that of tenant farmers, said Kondal Reddy, secretary of Rythu Swaraj Vedika, which is active in both AP and Telangana.
CPI farmer wing leader KVV Prasad says States should make efforts for implementation of Swaminathan Commission report, which could help in bringing down the farmer suicide rate.