Unreliable seasons and ruthless money lenders to blame

Humanity is the same all over the world and therefore, the cause of suicides largely remains the same everywhere. There is no reason to look at suicides in India differently from other nations. If the number of suicides in India is higher, it is due to a very large population.

Suicides take place due to depression caused by debts, love problems, disappointment with one’s own performance compared to the peers and breakdown in family relationships. Such could be the reason in the case of suicides by Indian farmers also, with debt being a major cause amongst others.

The Indian farming community can be divided between those who own land for cultivation but mostly do not work physically on the field, and workers, who work as paid labourers.

The suicides are largely seen amongst farmers that own land. The problem is that Indian agriculture is entirely dependent on the vagaries of seasons — too much rain or drought cause problems. In one recent case, a farmer committed suicide when it rained heavily and unexpectedly causing a huge pest attack in his farm and virtually destroying the crop. With little bank balance left and debt to be repaid, he saw no hope for himself and his family, and so he ended his life.

Most of these farmers take crop loans from money lenders and not the organised banks, since unlike the banks, money lenders give money immediately even though the interest is exorbitant. Money lenders are ruthless when the loan is not returned, thus, driving the farmer to suicide in case of crop failures. From Mr N.S Venkataraman Founder trustee of an NGO based in Chennai, India