High farmer suicide rate a result of economic policies: P Sainath

September 7, 2013

Mangalore, Sep 7: Karnataka ranks second for the highest number of farmer suicides in the country with 39,000 suicides since 1995. Overwhelmingly, the suicide-committing farmers are cash crop farmers, said Rural Affairs Editor of The Hindu P Sainath.

Delivering the second oration titled 'Corporate Hijack of Indian Agriculture' in the first B V Kakkilaya Inspired Orations - 2013, P Sainath, recipient of Ramon Magsaysay award, said that this was the result of the huge change that took place in farming, i.e. converting from cultivating food crops to cash crops. As there is greater cultivation of cash crops, there's a greater control by corporates in farming and the costs of cultivation are shooting through the roof as input prices go up. And every damage has been driven by economic policies,” he said, adding that the high farmer suicide rate was a result of growing inequality economic policies.

“The suicide rate is 47 percent higher among farmers than non-farmers. The highest number of suicides is by cotton farmers. Although the official figure states that about 2.85 lakh farmers have committed suicide since 1995, the figure excludes large number of women and Dalit farmers. Thousands of women farmers are excluded while calculating suicide rates, as the society does not consider women as farmers,” he said.

Quoting Ravindranath Tagore, Mr Sainath said that “Food is the source of wealth; food production is a source of endless misery.”

“When the Arab Spring that occurred in countries such as Yemen, Libya, Egypt and Tunisia in 2010, it did not occur due to Twitter. All these countries including India had seen giant increases in food prices since 2008, and all the while food and related companies continued to make profit. Food companies ranked at the top of the Fortune List of most profitable companies in 2009, when the world was hungry. Harvesting crops such as hunger and thirst is what the corporate world and corporate-driven society do,” he said.

He said that the West wanted us to cultivate cash crops to make us more dependent on them, as cash crops commodities are controlled by corporations at the global level. Corporatisation of agriculture is growing worse in India, he said, adding that we have to re-think the entire process of agriculture and move away from extremely critical techniques.

“In growing inequality, what has happened in agriculture is the extreme case of what has been happening in the rest of the country. We need to de-link ourselves from high-input and high-cost economy and lower the cost of agriculture,” he said.

A special 10-day session should be conducted in the Parliament specifically for agriculture, he opined.

The third edition of 'Bara Andre Ellarigoo Ishta', Kannada translation of Sainath's book 'Everybody Loves a Good Drought' was released on the occasion by K Phaniraj.

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January 17,2025

kotekarbank.jpg

Mangaluru: In a brazen daylight robbery, a group of five to six armed individuals stormed into the Kotekar Vyavasaya Sahakara Seva Sangha branch at KC Road, Ullal taluk, and escaped with valuables estimated at ₹10-12 crore.

The incident occurred between 11:30 am and 12:30 pm, according to Police Commissioner Anupam Agrawal. The masked robbers, aged between 25-35, were armed with a pistol, talwar, and knife. They threatened the four to five employees present, forcing them to open the vault containing jewellery and other valuables.

The suspects spoke in Hindi and Kannada and fled the scene in a black Fiat car. Commissioner Agrawal confirmed that multiple police teams have been formed, and efforts are underway to track the culprits using technical surveillance and other leads.

CM Siddaramaiah Holds Emergency Meeting

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah convened a high-level meeting with senior police officials, including IGP Amit Singh, Commissioner Anupam Agrawal, SP Yathish N, and DySP, following the robbery.

Expressing dissatisfaction over security lapses, Siddaramaiah questioned, "How did this happen despite officials being present? Why were toll gates not secured?"

Officials reported that the bank had no security personnel and only five to six staff members on duty during the heist. The Chief Minister has directed authorities to enhance security across four districts, intensify checks at toll gates, and arrest the accused swiftly to ensure stringent legal action.

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January 24,2025

Bengaluru, Jan 24: Following several reported suicides allegedly caused by harassment from Microfinance Institutions (MFIs), Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara on Friday acknowledged that the current laws are insufficient in dealing with the highhandedness of these institutions in the state.

Speaking to the media in Bengaluru, Parameshwara confirmed widespread complaints of MFI-related harassment, stating that existing laws were ineffective in curbing the issue. The Congress government plans to amend the law to ensure stricter regulations for MFIs.

"The reports from our department indicate that current laws are inadequate, and they lack the necessary strength to curb this menace," Parameshwara said. He added that new, stringent laws would be framed to regulate the MFIs, with the Congress government taking steps in that direction. In the meantime, officials have been instructed to take immediate action regarding ongoing harassment cases.

Explaining the situation, Parameshwara highlighted that MFIs often demand multiple signatures from loan recipients, which they might not fully understand. "This leads to forced raids, seizures of properties, and other actions," he noted, adding that such practices need to be addressed under law.

Law Minister H.K. Patil and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah have also taken note of the issue. Siddaramaiah has called for a meeting on January 25 to discuss the alarming rise in cases and the ineffectiveness of current laws.

The issue has sparked public outcry, with victims’ families, including the wife of a suicide victim, sending symbolic protests such as mangalsutras to Parameshwara, demanding action against the MFI staff involved. Numerous petitions have been filed in Deputy Commissioners' offices across the state, urging government intervention to stop MFI harassment.

In response, opposition leaders, including Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, BJP’s R. Ashoka, and Basavaraj Bommai, have accused the Congress government of losing control over MFIs, enabling the widespread exploitation of vulnerable citizens.

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January 18,2025

Sullia, Jan 18: In a shocking incident, a man shot his wife dead during a fit of rage over a minor argument and later took his own life by consuming poison. The heartbreaking event unfolded late Friday night in Kodimajalu in Sullia taluk of Dakshina Kannada.

The accused, identified as Ramachandra Gowda alias Chandra (53), used his licensed firearm to commit the crime. His wife, Vinoda (43), tragically lost her life in the incident.

On the fateful night, Ramachandra reportedly started an argument with his family after dinner over a trivial matter. The heated exchange escalated, and in a fit of uncontrollable anger, he allegedly aimed his firearm at his elder son, Prashanth. Vinoda intervened to prevent the attack, attempting to wrest the gun from Ramachandra.

However, enraged by her intervention, Ramachandra turned the gun on Vinoda and shot her, leaving her dead on the spot. Overwhelmed by the gravity of his actions, he consumed acid, commonly used for rubber processing, to end his own life.

Based on Prashanth’s statement, a case has been registered at the Sullia police station. The tragic sequence of events has left the village in shock and mourning, raising concerns about the unchecked escalation of domestic disputes.

This devastating incident underscores the importance of addressing domestic tensions before they spiral into irreversible tragedies.

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