Date:23.04.

2015

PMK Founder Dr. S. Ramadoss Statement

Execute special programs

to prevent farmers suicides
Gajendra Singh, a farmer from Rajasthan who participated in the demonstration by AamAdmi
party at Delhi against Land Acquisition bill committed suicide by hanging in a tree in full public view.
The suicide which happened in the glare of tens of thousands of people including police had deeply
hurt my heart. It is a shame on our country that we cannot assure the livelihood of farmers. I offer my
heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased.
The story of Gajendra Singh is heart rendering. Father of three children, he was farming in his
family land. He incurred huge losses because of damage to the current crop. He chose this sad end
because his angered father throw him out of the family house. Loss in agriculture and the resultant
sorrow is not the plight of Gajendra Singh alone. There are millions of such stories among the farmers
of India. The curse of India is that the rulers neither have the time nor the will to address their
sorrows.
Crops ready for harvest in 2.70 crore acres of land in 15 states including UP, Bihar, Haryana, Punjab,
Andhra, Karnataka, Telenganawere damaged by flash rains and hail storm. This caused huge losses to
more than 50 Lakh farmers. UP suffered the most. This state alone has incurred losses to the tune of
Rs. 1800 crores. The Government has not come forward with any relief measures for the farmers of
15 states who had lost their crops and livelihood. Conversely it had insulted them.
Though the central government announced that the compensation for the damaged crops will be
raised by 50% so far no assistance had reached the farmers. What was even more appalling was what
the UP state, which declared that it will give two times the compensation announced by the centre,
did to the farmers. Instead of giving double the amount of central assistance it sent cheques for Rs.
63, Rs. 78, Rs. 100, Rs 112 and so on to the grieving farmers. This had angered the farmers of the
state.

Date:
The loss of crops on one hand, the inability to repay the loans on the other hand and above all the
pressure of the loan sharks had stressed the farmers to the extent that 100 farmers had demised in
north India in the last four weeks alone. The farmers suicides are on the rise since India was
liberalized. The past 20 years since 1995, 2,94,438 farmers had committed suicide. Maharashtra
including Vidarba had witnessed 60,750 suicides. 623 farmers in the year 2011, 499 farmers in the
year 2012 and 105 farmers in 2013,totalling 1227 had committed suicide in Tamil Nadu. If we add the
suicides of 2014 it will cross 1500.
The important causes of farmers suicides are raise in the prices of inputs without increase in the
procurement prices of farm produce, damage to crops due to natural calamities and genetically
modified seeds. Only if these issues are addressed farmers can be saved. Instead of taking these
essential measures the central and state governments are only delivering empty promises. How can
be the central government which increased procurement prices only by 3% but increased the interest
rate for crop loans by 11% be a farmers welfare government?
Prime Minister Modi had said in his condolence message that the suicide had shocked the whole
nation. But what is expected of him is not condolence or grief but dedicated action to save agriculture.
Since the reasons for the farmers suicide are clear the Government should come forward to bring a
new scheme to fix procurement prices at 50% above cultivation costs, distribute subsidised fertilizers,
provide interest free loan, and give a compensation of Rs. 25,000 per acre when crops are damaged
by rain or draught and give other assistances. That will be only way to console the farmers.

Yours,

(Dr. S.Ramadoss)