Govt ‘silence’ on suicides irks farmer organisations

Sarbjit Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 28

The silence of the state government over the growing number of suicides in the farm sector has made various farmer organisations restive.

“Every day two or three cases of suicide by farmers are reported from the Bathinda region,” said Jhanda Singh, a BKU leader. He said the state government was doing nothing to help the farmers in distress. He said there was a need to re-launch the agitation to shake the government out of its slumber.

At least 17 persons have committed suicide in Mansa district in the last few weeks. BKU leader Ram Singh said at least three farmers committed suicide in Sirsiwal Wala village recently. He claimed many cases were not even reported. The number was growing at a rapid pace and it was difficult to keep count of such cases, he said, adding that the entire Malwa region was facing a huge crisis.

Jhanda Singh said the government had promised to get a survey of suicide cases completed at the earliest to pay compensation to the next of the kin of the deceased farmers.

But the government gave money only to the universities to do the survey. “Each village has a school. Teachers would have completed this task more efficiently, while the universities concerned will take months,” he said.

He said while the government was making statements on all issues, it was silent on farmer suicides. He said the government should take up the issue at the national level and impress upon the Centre to announce complete waiver of farm loans. He said several farmer bodies were preparing to launch an agitation.