The death of a farmer at a rally in Delhi and the continuing suicides by farmers across India has thrown the spotlight back on an issue that has ailed agriculture in the country for many years.
With much of India still living in villages and 60 per cent of the economy dependent on agriculture, much is at stake.
Add to this, insensitive statements from politicians, that farmers who commit suicide are cowards, and the issue is bound to boil over. Politicians have found fresh fodder in the suicides and have led rallies in support of farmers. But the problems remain.
Analysts have suggested various reasons why farmers kill themselves — from a continued dependence on nature to the loans that they take from private money lenders at high rates of interest.
A poor season and a failed crop could push the farmer into debt and force hundreds of thousands of people into a life or poverty and harassment.
Various schemes have been started by different governments to improve the lot of the farmers, including micro-financing. But much more needs to be done and done fast to send the message that farmers have not been abandoned.
Loans, minimum support price and subsidies have been promised and can go a long way in helping the agrarian sector. A concerted effort needs to be made to tackle the problem at the grassroots level, rather than blame political parties for what could have been done.
