Seven more farmers have committed suicide in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra in last four days, according to the Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS), a social group working among farmers in Vidarbha.
Baliram Wagh and Shivaji Wagh of Pokhari village, Ramesh Kharat of Giroli village and Prakash Jadhav of Koregoan village in Buldhana district, Sunil Choudhari of Karanja tehsil in Washim district, Yashwant Chavhan of Sultanpur village in Amravati district and Shankar Mudalkar of Yari village in Yavatmal district have reportedly committed suicide in last four days, according to press statement issued by the VJAS.
Out of these seven farmers Baliram Wagh and Shivaji Wagh is a father–son duo. Both of them hanged themselves within a span of two hours, according to some reports.
Baliram committed suicide at around 10 am on Saturday. When his father Shivaji was informed about his son’s death he killed himself at his farm.
According Mr.Kishor Tiwari, the president of the VJAS, these farmers killed themselves after a massive pest attack ruined their crops.
“With these seven deaths, the toll of farmer’s suicide in Vidarbha has reached 59 for the month of September. As many as 565 farmers have killed themselves in the region because of the agrarian crisis since January this year” added Mr.Tiwari.
Keywords: Vidarbha farmers suicide
It is a sad day for India that those who feed the nation commit suicide due to agrarian crisis,purported pest attack in the instant cases.Suicide of 565 farmers within the last ten months is a matter of national shame.Farmers are left isolated,fear psychosis crept in ,spirituality vanished and basic Indian culture of family security lost.It is a human tragedy to be looked into by psychologists,psychotherapists and religious leaders.Once suicidal tendency sets in ,it spreads to dear and near ones.Attributing to pest attack and visualizing the consequent loss may not be the only reason.Suicide is committed by only a weak mind,reasons may not be only the economic loss but several other causes.The weak social fabric of Vidarbha region needs to be studied by a team consisting of social workers,psychologists,religious men and farm scientists.Intensive councelling is needed.There are mental therapies which may be made available.
It makes me wonder if only the Manmohan Singh government could aggressively push some reforms/aids for the agrarian crisis which has
taken lives of the helpless farmers and the tragedy does not end here.
It makes the comman man question if the the priorities of the UPA
government are misplaced .As aam aadmi we can only despair at the state
of the Indian farmer.
Such desperation. Why can't the Government give some no interest living assistance till the next harvest?
The continuing farmer suicides is appalling.
I can't see any concerned efforts by the GOI to alleviate the same.
Or may be I am ignorant.
This is urgent. We can't let our farmers die for reasons what so ever.
I hope the understands the importance of our "anna datas"
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