Maharashtra has been grappling with a disturbing issue for decades - farmer suicides.
On an average, eight farmers end their lives every day in the State as they are unable to repay the loans taken from private money lenders and banks due to crop loss and falling crop prices.
According to the data provided by the Maharashtra government, 1,023 farmers have ended their lives between July 2022 and January 2023 in the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government.
During the two-and-a-half-year rule of the Maha Vikas Aghadi administration led by Uddhav Thackeray, 1,660 farmers died by suicide.
In the last two months, Beed district in drought-hit Marathwada region alone witnessed at least 22 tragic incidents of farmer suicides, leaving behind distraught families and empty fields.
For the last several years, Maharashtra has topped the list of farmer suicides in the country, followed by Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana.
The Hindu spoke to widows and families who have lost their loved ones so unexpectedly.
Report, script, videos and photos: Abhinay Deshpande
Production: Gayatri Menon
Voiceover: Gopika KP
If you are in distress, please call Aasra: 022-27546669, or the Vandrevala Foundation: 18602662345/18002333330.
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