AN ANALYSIS OF SOCIO - ECONOMIC ISSUES AROUND FARMER SUICIDES IN INDIA

Abstract

Agricultural is the riskiest sector. Farmers frequently face floods, drought, pests, disease, anda plethora of other natural disasters. But farming is inevitable for the man's existence, hence desp1te allodds, faming has been in existence since the caveman turned his spear in for a hoe. Farming has come along way since then; nevertheless risk has increased in the farming more so after the introduction of neweconomic reforms in 1991,and accent to WTO, In the turbulent phase for agriculture; few farmers unableto bear the extreme pressures are resorting to extreme step of ending their precious lives. AIl thoughacadeimicians, intelligentsia commonly attribute suicide to external circumstances such as crop failure,debt, divorce, loss of job as standard causes. But most of the eminent sociologists and psychologistsbelieve that these events are triggers rather than causes in themselves.210069 farmers committed suicide which is 14.24 percent of the total suicides from 1997 to2012. Suicide Victim Farmers were more in the age group of 30 to 44 (37%), followed by 15 to 29 years(27%). The reasons for suicides are multifold the important causes for suicides in India in general are 1)family Problems, 2) prolonged Illness, 3) insanity and 4) love affairs. The important reasons for farmssuicides are 1) Indebtedness 2) Crop failure and low return 3) Illness of family members 4) Inability toarrange finance for marriage of daughter 5) Lack of income -earming opportunities from subsidiaryoccupations 6) Inadequate facility for value addition to agriculture produce.

Keywords: Farmers' suicides in India, Reasons, Education level, Profession, Crop insurance