National Crime Records Bureau
(NCRB) records on accidental deaths and suicides shows that suicide rate
in deeply stressed agrarian sector accounted for 7.7% of total (134,516)
suicides in India.
10,349 farmers and
agricultural labourers committed suicide in 2018.
The year before – 10,655
cases were noted, so only a marginal 306 reduction.
Details
and Concerns
The fact that over 10,000
farmers and agricultural labourers committed suicide is a bigger concern
than marginal increase on decrease in the various numbers.
Problem in data, such as
efforts by states to downplay suicides and tinkering with the definition
of farmers. This would present a watered down version of the real picture.
Example, 66 suicides were
rejected by authorities in Karnataka on the grounds that the suicides were
for reasons other than the agrarian crisis in the state.
2018 also saw a sharp
increase in farmer protests across the country and triggered a wave of
loan waivers.
Maharashtra had highest share
in farm-related suicides (34.7%) and Karnataka had the second highest
(23.2%).
West Bengal, Bihar,
Uttarakhand, Meghalaya, Goa and Union territories reported zero farmer
suicides.
Farmer sector has been under
presser due to:
Recurring droughts and
floods
Declining income from
agriculture
Plummeting price of produce
Lack of minimum support
price mechanism
Shrinking land holdings
Other factors such as Falling
Consumer Expenditure and Rural wages also have an impact on the agrarian
distress.
