Farmers Suicide in Maharashtra: Causes & Remedies by Kishor N. Choudhary
Farmers Suicide in Maharashtra: Causes & Remedies
Prof. Kishor N. Choudhary
Abstract:
The villages epitomize the soul of India. Income from the Agriculture production is the main source for Indian economy. Agriculture sector is the only livelihood for more than 72% of the Indian population which gives employment to the 57% of work force and is a raw material source to large number of industries. Despite of portrayal of farming as a healthy and happy way of life, agriculture sector experiences one of the highest number of suicides than any other industry. The spate of farmers’ suicides witnessed in several parts of the country in recent years but Maharashtra remained the worst state in the nation for farm suicides. Agricultural indebtedness is one of the main cause of farmers suicides but farmers in Maharashtra face number of socioeconomic problems. An attempt has been made in this article to address the issue of farmers plight leading to suicide and suggest some remedial action.
Keyword: suicide, indebtedness, farmer, agriculture, employment, rural.
Introduction:
“Just as the whole universe is contained in the Self, so is India contained in the villages”… This has been said by none other than Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of our Nation and the visionary architect of India’s Rural Development Programs. The villages epitomize the soul of India. Income from the Agriculture production is the main source for Indian economy. But occupation in agriculture sector will not provide a satisfactory income to the rural people. Mahatma Gandhi said “India lives in village”. But Indians live in poverty, unemployment and ignorance.
Economic plight of farmers might be illustrated with the fact that a farmer having as much as 15 acres of land and hence considered a well off farmer in Maharashtra, with an average income of Rs 2700 per acre per annum, had an income just little more than what he would have earned the legal minimum wage for all 365 days of the year.
There is an old
Prof. Kishor N. Choudhary
Abstract:
The villages epitomize the soul of India. Income from the Agriculture production is the main source for Indian economy. Agriculture sector is the only livelihood for more than 72% of the Indian population which gives employment to the 57% of work force and is a raw material source to large number of industries. Despite of portrayal of farming as a healthy and happy way of life, agriculture sector experiences one of the highest number of suicides than any other industry. The spate of farmers’ suicides witnessed in several parts of the country in recent years but Maharashtra remained the worst state in the nation for farm suicides. Agricultural indebtedness is one of the main cause of farmers suicides but farmers in Maharashtra face number of socioeconomic problems. An attempt has been made in this article to address the issue of farmers plight leading to suicide and suggest some remedial action.
Keyword: suicide, indebtedness, farmer, agriculture, employment, rural.
Introduction:
“Just as the whole universe is contained in the Self, so is India contained in the villages”… This has been said by none other than Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of our Nation and the visionary architect of India’s Rural Development Programs. The villages epitomize the soul of India. Income from the Agriculture production is the main source for Indian economy. But occupation in agriculture sector will not provide a satisfactory income to the rural people. Mahatma Gandhi said “India lives in village”. But Indians live in poverty, unemployment and ignorance.
Economic plight of farmers might be illustrated with the fact that a farmer having as much as 15 acres of land and hence considered a well off farmer in Maharashtra, with an average income of Rs 2700 per acre per annum, had an income just little more than what he would have earned the legal minimum wage for all 365 days of the year.
There is an old