A farmer named Vikas Naik was found hanging in his house in Tekadi village, Maharashtra. As of now, the Police have not received any suicide note but the family suspects “loan pressure” as the cause of the suicide.
The brother and the mother of the deceased allege that pressure to pay the loan back was the cause of the farmer’s suicide (Picture source- India Today)
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Farmer Suicide in Nagpur, Maharashtra
A 28-year-old farmer, Vikas Naik, commits suicide in his house which is located in the Tekadi village of Nagpur district in Maharashtra. As per the sources, the Police have not received any suicide note at the spot as yet. The mother and brother of Vikas Naik have alleged that he committed suicide due to the repaying of loans taken for sowing. As per the statements of the victim’s mother and brother, Vikas Naik and his brother Ashish Naik had taken loans from their relatives for cotton and tur cultivation on their farm.
The brother states that the crops got damaged due to the attack from the wild animals. There was also a delay in the spraying process by both brothers. Due to these developments, the victim was quite depressed as a result he hanged himself from the ceiling rod in his house. Both Vikas and Ashish were engaged in contract farming.
Case of accidental death is registered at Kanhan Police station (Picture source- NDTV)
Farmer Suicides In India
Symbolic Image of a Crime Scene (Picture Source- Deccan Herald)
These suicides in India have become a national catastrophe over the years. The main cause of such type of suicide is their inability to pay the loans taken from different sources. According to the data of the National Crime Records Bureau, these suicides were at the peak from 2014-2020. The NCRB data states that most suicides are from the state of Maharashtra while some others are from the states of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. It ranged between 1.4 to 1.8% till 2005 and the rate increased in 2017-2018.
India is an agricultural country with a majority of its population depending on agriculture for their livelihood. As per the 2020 reports, 41.49% of the population is still dependent on agriculture. Of all the suicides occurring in India, the farmer suicides are around 11.2%. Many researchers and analysts are of the view that there are many causes of these suicides. Some of them can be due to anti-farmer laws, substandard government policies, crop failure, poor mental health conditions, financial burdens due to extreme poverty, family problems and so on.
When there is a suicide by a farmer, it affects the whole family of the victim. His dependents suffer the most as the victim was their only source of income. In 2009, the International Museum of Women examined the impact of farmer suicides on their family, especially their wife and children. Their presentation “Growing Debt” and an essay called “Money of Her Own” showed how those widows dealt with the burden of their spouse’s debt. They were forced to work hard to repay the debt. It is estimated that between 2017-2021, around 53000 people associated with farming committed suicide. Out of these, 55% were farmers.
In the year 2021, farmer suicide was at its peak. States like West Bengal, Tripura, Manipur, Lakshadweep and Puducherry have reported zero farmer suicides. States like Goa, Mizoram and Gujarat have reported zero agrarian suicides. These suicides are rampant in India and therefore the government should take appropriate steps to address these issues
