Having faced the government’s wrath and the banks there is no end to the problems faced by them in this country. No one is able to make or break the ticklish situation. Now the situation is going out of the hand as the farmer’s strike continued and the police allegedly fired upon cultivators during a protest to demand better prices in Madhya Pradesh. Instead of solving farmers grievances, problems are precipitated and touching a point of no return. Five farmers died in MP. Maharashtrian farmers vowed to support their Mandsaur brothers and chaos is prevalent all over the state. Vegetable prices are shooting up and the middle men are reaping rich harvest, whereas farmers are in distress. If the situation continues in the same vein for some more time then it will become irreparable and more deaths will take place in the name of agitation and that will not yield desired results. Debt ridden farmers suffer and the end solutions come thick and fast before the week end. Waiver of farmer loans in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra will see light at the end of the tunnel.
The Maharashtra government has reported 257 suicides by farmers in the State between January and March this year resulting from the agrarian crisis. As many as 114 cases of suicides were reported from the Aurangabad region, followed by Amrawati (102), Nagpur (30) and Nashik (nine) the data showed. Recent cases of suicides were reported due to the untimely rains and hailstorm. Maharashtra is taking necessary measures for development of the farm sector with the Central government supplementing the efforts through appropriate policy measures and budgetary support and still farmers are under distress. Centre has taken several steps to revitalise the agriculture sector and improve the condition of farming community on sustainable basis by increasing investment, improving farm practices, rural infrastructure and delivery of credit, technology and other inputs, extension and marketing among others.
Famine is the major reason quoted for the farmer’s woes in debt ridden areas of Maharashtra. Thus, the number of suicides by the debt-ridden farmers in in the state has touched a new high. No concrete steps have been taken to arrest the suicides by the State Government according to opposition parties. The situation is going from bad to worse. Most of the deaths are taking place in the dry lands. The farmers’ distress is bound to continue so long as the general approach to agriculture management remains flawed. It is time to take drastic steps after the suicide of 257 farmers in the state. It’s bankers duty to take up the lead to make things happen.
A team of bankers can camp areas like Vidharbha, Yavatmal, Amaravathi, Akola, Wardha and Washim to give confidence to the farmers living in suicidal death-prone areas. New Scheme to give an on the spot overdraft and boost the confidence of farmers and special measure are to be formulated to arrest such deaths. Farmers are the backbone of our country and so many deaths in a single state ring the alarm bell to act swiftly. Just like doctors camping in an earthquake hit area or a flood affected area, bankers should be compelled to pump money to proceed in the matter in a positive way. It is time to call an emergency meeting to solve this sensitive issue. Nationalization of rivers could be a solution to prevent famine and solve irrigation problem in these barren lands. It is now or never situation that is my clarion call.
