3. 1. OVER DEPENDENCE ON THE MONSOONS
Break down in the
meteorological cycle of
rainfall.
93% of area under dry
land farming. Which
means, totally dependent
on the rainfall.
4. 2. LACK OF PROPER IRRIGATION
98% of farmers having committed suicides had
absolutely no irrigation facilities.
8. 4. INDEBTEDNESS & RELATED FACTORS
Out of 17.64 Lakh farmers only (25.3%)
farmers could avail institutional finance in
2005-06.
Private money lenders charge high interest
rates between 48-60% p.a.
Higher rate of interest in the cooperative credit
system e.g. up to 12.5% to 14% till last year.
cooperative sector brought down their interest
rates to 7%, even then the farmers are taking
loans from the private individuals.
11. 7. RISING COSTS OF CULTIVATION
The price for inputs started to rise it resulted in
the rise in the cost for cultivation.
12. 8. NEUTRAL SEEDS
The seeds which the private sector brought in
are called as neutral seed or dummy seed
because it makes the land neutral and
moreover it doesn’t support the cycle of
repeated sowing.
15. “THE UPA GOVERNMENT‟S WAIVER IS
NO SOLUTION EVEN FOR THE
IMMEDIATE CRISIS LEAVE THE LONG-
TERM AGRARIAN PROBLEMS. NOTHING
IN THIS BUDGET WILL RAISE FARM
INCOMES.” -P. SAINATH
16. “THE WAIVER HELPS ONLY IF THE LOAN
HAS BEEN TAKEN FROM A GOVERNMENT-
BACKED INSTITUTION, BUT MOST FARMERS
IN VIDARBHA BORROW FROM
MONEYLENDERS AT THE START OF THE
SOWING SEASON TO BUY SEEDS.” - SATISH
NANDGAONKAR
18. “WOUNDS THAT MORAL UNIVERSE. IT TELLS
THE FARMER NOT TO BOTHER TO REPAY
HIS NEXT LOAN, BECAUSE, WHO KNOWS,
ANOTHER PARTY WILL BE IN POWER AND
IT TOO WILL CANCEL HIS DEBTS. WHAT
MESSAGE DOES THIS SEND TO THE HONEST
VILLAGE WOMAN WHO STRUGGLES EVERY
WEEK TO REPAY HER LOAN?” - GURCHARAN
DAS
21. ECONOMISTS LIKE KEYNES, SMITH,
RICARDO, ETC WROTE „ECONOMICS‟ BOOKS
NOT FOR FAME OR MONEY BUT TO HELP
THEIR RESPECTIVE ECONOMIES.
WHAT ARE ECONOMISTS IN INDIA DOING
THESE DAYS?
22.
23. ON AVERAGE, ONE INDIAN FARMER
COMMITTED SUICIDE EVERY 32 MINUTES
BETWEEN 1997 AND 2005. SINCE 2002,
THIS HAS BECOME ONE SUICIDE EVERY 30
MINUTES.
24. ONE FARMER TOOK HIS OR HER LIFE
EVERY 53 MINUTES BETWEEN 1997 AND
2005 IN JUST THE STATES OF
MAHARASHTRA, ANDHRA PRADESH,
KARNATAKA, MADHYA PRADESH AND
INCLUDING CHHATTISGARH.
25. IN MAHARASHTRA ALONE, THERE WAS ONE
SUICIDE EVERY THREE HOURS. IT GOT EVEN
WORSE AFTER 2001. IT ROSE TO ONE FARM
SUICIDE EVERY 48 MINUTES IN THESE BIG FOUR
STATES.
THE BIG FOUR HAVE TOGETHER SEEN 89,362
FARMERS‟ SUICIDES BETWEEN 1997 AND 2005,
OR 44,102 BETWEEN 2002 AND 2005.
26. VIDARBHA REMAINS A GRIM STATISTIC.
ONE SUICIDE IN EVERY EIGHT HOURS.
MORE THAN HALF OF THOSE WHO
COMMITTED SUICIDE WERE BETWEEN 20
AND 45, THEIR MOST PRODUCTIVE YEARS.
