As many as 210 farmers were reported to have committed suicide in Odisha in 2015-16 either by hanging themselves or taking in pesticides.
The Opposition alleged that getting no hope of return of their investment to pay back the loan they acquired either from financial institutions or privately, disheartened farmers committed suicide as a last resort.
The Government, however, rubbished it outright showing the report of the concerned district Collectors that crop loss or loan burden are not at all the cause of these suicides. Family dispute, love affairs, excessive consumption of alcohol rather are the reasons behind the suicides, said the Government, citing the reports of the district Collectors.
In the last 17 years of BJD rule, as many as 4,500 farmers have committed suicide though, neither CM Naveen Patnaik himself , nor any member of his Cabinet have ever visited these deceased farmers’ families as a matter of sympathy. But nevertheless suicides in an alarming number point to a grave reality that farmers in Odisha are reeling under economic distress.
On October 29, 2016, hundreds of farmers of Fampuni village in Koraput district with bottles of pesticides in their hands entered into KCC bank, Koraput demanding payment, pending for last six months, against their sale of paddy in a local mandi. Can the Government of Odisha deny itIJ In 2002, a farmer of Bargarh district, named Babu Rao, attempted suicide by consuming pesticide in the office of the Collector itself demanding payment against sale of paddy to the Government agency since long. Can it be deniedIJ It is unfortunate that a farmer doesn’t get interest for the payment pending months together with the Government. But on the other hand, the farmer has to pay higher rate of interest if he defaults payment even for a day against the loan availed for cultivation. Denial of truth has become an administrative trick now-a-days. So the reports by the district Collectors denying financial distress as the cause of all these suicide is obviously not transparent. But the reasons behind this large scale suicide in a particular economic class of people need to be exposed for necessary planning for recovery of farmers from financial distress.
In the year 2010, Balangir District Krushak Sangha general secretary Jati Pradhan filed a petition in the High Court of Odisha, citing suicide of 24 farmers in Balangir district due to financial distress.
The High Court asked the Human Rights Commission for appropriate steps. The OHRC sought reports from the Government of Odisha which again asked for reports from the concerned district Collector. The report obtained from the district Collector cited the same reason that the suicides were not for loan burden and loss of crops but excess consumption of wine and domestic disputes etc. The Collector did not inquire into these cases, nor felt it necessary to call the petitioner.
The Government of Odisha instituted the Odisha Agricultural Commission to study the grassroots problems of the farmers and make a report suggesting the Government for remedial steps. The Commission submitted an interim report in 2010 and the final report in 2012, with an indulgent study of all aspects of the farmland and the farmers, including the suicide of farmers. But unfortunately, it was not institutionally opened.
The damage of crop not being duly compensated leads to delay in repayment of loans and mounting of interest. When loan of one crop period has not been paid off, for further purchase of seed and fertilizer etc. in another crop period, a farmer cannot get loan from banks and has to fall back on local lenders. Therefore, the burden of loan increases year after year.
High time the Government admitted the reality and plugged the loopholes.
(The writer is based at Khari, Sonepur, M Ph: 7077982854)