K'taka takes to social media to curb growing farmer suicides

As unabated farmer suicides across the State continue to haunt Siddaramaiah-led Congress Government in Karnataka, the State administration has now taken full throttle mass media and social media campaign to appeal to farmers who are reeling under severe agrarian depression. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah admitted that in July this year alone, 187 farmers have taken the extreme step leading a tally of 226 farmers committing suicides for the last three months due to severe agrarian crisis. He said more than 37 sugarcane farmers have committed suicides and said the Government was also looking at cloud seeding as an option to bail out the farming sector in the State.

Even his imitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Man Ki Baat, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s  Dil Ki Baat, his appeal to farmers in Kannada over all stations of AIR did not have any effect on the farmers, the State Government has now taken refuge in both social and mass media campaigns across 30 districts to instill confidence in the farmers.

Apart from linkages with Facebook groups and WhatsApp messages, the State Government with the help of specially designed vehicles travelling across the State with impact media campaign is using mass media to instill confidence in the farmers who are reeling under severe crisis.According to N Vishu Kumar, Director of State Publicity and Information and Public Relations, the State Government is designing a scientific mass media campaign along with full utilisation of social media linking relevant groups to instill confidence in the farmers. He said, “the State Government is extensively using mass media and social media, like Facebook pages, WhatsApp and websites to inform the farmers about availability of Government schemes to bail them out of depression.”

“30 specially-designed vehicles using mass media tools are travelling across 30 districts to disseminate information to farmers. These vehicles also have a documentary in Kannada, information about loan availability, cropping pattern and other needed information and each vehicle will cover ten villages per day,” he added.

Baduku- Besaya (life - Agriculture ) along with slogans like ‘Human life is great; Greater is the life of Farmer, Don’t lose heart, Government is with you’ are all part of the campaign. The appeals by Chief Minister, leaders of the Opposition, talks by progressive farmers, psychiatrists, agricultural experts and many other things are components of the entire mass media campaign undertaken by the State Government.

A short film sharing the experience and opinions of progressive farmers who have found solution to various problems in agriculture on their own and endured all the difficulties, is shown during the campaign. local progressive farmers will also exchange ideas and information regarding various facilities, services extended by various departments. Along with these Field Publicity activities, ‘Annadatana Aatmakathana’, (Farmers life stories) a series of programmes on various issues of Agriculture will be broadcast on all AIR stations of the State in association with AIR, Mysuru.

Siddaramaiah has come into severe criticism within the party and also by the Opposition parties on the issue of farmer suicides in Karnataka. In fact, according to sources, Congress President Sonia Gandhi has asked former CM SM Krishna to send a report on the issue.