‘Maha’ chaos in Maharashtra: Annadata burdened by drought and debt, 4 farmers commit suicide within 7 days in Akola

A heart-wrenching picture of the helplessness and plight of food providers has emerged from the rural areas of Maharashtra, which is counted among the most prosperous states of the country. In Akola district, which falls under Vidarbha region of the state, 4 loanee farmers have embraced death in just 7 days. The severe indifference of monsoon, drying up of standing crops in the fields due to lack of rain and increasing debt pressure from banks and moneylenders have pushed farmers to this extreme and suicidal step. These continuous deaths have raised serious questions on the state administration, agricultural policies and disaster relief system.

The plight of the four farmers who lost their lives in the last one week in Vidarbha’s Akola district is almost the same – debt burden and crop failure.

• Sukoda village tragedy: Santosh Nemade, a resident of Sukoda, ended his life by jumping into a completely dry well in the village. According to family members, Santosh had taken a loan and sowed soybean in about two acres of land. Due to lack of rain for a long time, the entire crop was burnt to ashes. For the last three-four days, he was deeply worried about repaying the loan and this mental stress took his life.

• Other farmers also lost their lives: Satish Patond of Ghazipur village of the same district, Devidas Daberao of Sindkhed-Moreshwar and Ganesh Bhokare of Khaparkhed also committed suicide due to debt and crop loss. There is an atmosphere of mourning and anger in the entire area as the lamps of four houses were extinguished in a single week.

This year, monsoon has dealt a big blow to farmers in many parts of Maharashtra, especially Vidarbha and Marathwada. Due to lack of timely and adequate rains, soybean crop in the surrounding districts including Akola has dried up in the fields.

• If we talk about cash crop cotton, due to lack of water the plants have not produced flowers as expected.

• Farmers say that they had purchased seeds, fertilizers and pesticides at expensive prices, for which they had taken loans from cooperative banks and local moneylenders by paying high interest.

• The situation has become so bad that it has become difficult for the cattle to even get drinking water and green fodder.

The crisis of farmer suicides in Maharashtra is not new, rather it is an unresolved tragedy that has been going on for decades. According to the annual reports of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Maharashtra continues to rank first in the cases of suicides of people related to agriculture and farming across the country. Of the total farmer suicides in the country, almost every second or third death is recorded in Maharashtra alone. Uncertainty of natural disasters, depletion of ground water level, incomplete irrigation projects and lack of proper and remunerative Minimum Support Price (MSP) for agricultural produce keep farmers trapped in the trap of permanent debt.

Farmer organizations and local villagers of Akola and Vidarbha, while opening a front against the government, have bluntly said that the government should not be limited to mere assurances and formal statements. Farmers demand that:

• Drought should be immediately declared in the affected districts and Panchnama should be conducted on war footing regarding the loss of crops.

• The notices and pressure being sent by banks and financial institutions for loan recovery should be stopped immediately.

• Along with giving special financial compensation to the affected families, direct cash assistance should be provided for sowing of the next crop and fodder for cattle.