Express News Service
MUMBAI: Death by suicide amongst Maharashtra’s farming neighborhood continues to be an space of concern with a median of eight farmers ending their lives day-after-day as a result of a number of elements together with financial misery and falling crop costs.
According to the state authorities knowledge, as many as 1,203 farmers have died by suicide within the final seven months beneath the Eknath Shinde administration’s rule, whereas 1,660 farmers died in the two-and-a-half-year interval beneath the Uddhav Thackeray-lea MVA administration.
As many as 5,061 farmers died by suicide through the Devendra Fadvais-led BJP administration between 2014 and 2019, as per the information.
Citing the information, senior NCP chief and Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar mentioned that farmer suicides had elevated beneath the Shinde-Fadnavis administration and accused the ruling authorities of being insensitive to farmers’ issues.
“We do not want to blame any individual or any particular chief minister, but it is the harsh reality that the farmers are ending their lives in the Shinde government in large numbers. Financial distress among farmers is one of the major reasons behind farmer suicide. The cotton, onion, and Soyabean growing farmers did not get fair prices for their crops this year. We have seen how onion farmers are throwing the products on the road while some of them are burning them on farms. The farmers are unable to recover their input cost and expenses as well,” Pawar mentioned.
“In the Marathwada region, 62 farmers committed suicide in the last two months, while a total of 22 farmers ended their lives in the Beed district,” he added.
The criticism comes amid Finance Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ slew of farmer welfare schemes as a part of the state price range for 2023-24 together with an extra monetary help of Rs 6000 yearly, together with the Rs 6000 per yr supplied by the Union authorities.
Meanwhile, NCP state president Jayant Patil mentioned that farmers have been being discriminated on the premise of their caste beneath the ruling authorities. Patil was referring to an incident within the Sangli district the place farmers have been allegedly being requested about their caste earlier than shopping for chemical fertilizers.
“Now while buying the fertilizers on a government site, the farmer’s caste has been asked. It is bizarre how they can humiliate the farmers by asking about their caste. A Farmer is a farmer, please do not divide them on the basis of caste and religion,” he mentioned
Criticising the caste discrimination incident, NCP Chief Sharad Pawar mentioned, “It is wrong to ask the farmers’ caste. Such a thing has never happened before in the history of this country or in the state. If farmers are being asked about caste, what is the reason for this? This should come up.”
The NCP chief additionally focused the state and central authorities for failing to assist or present subsidies to onion farmers. “The Govt should either buy the farmers’ onions or give them adequate compensation. Other neighbouring states like Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh are helping the farmers but our state is only making empty promises, nothing has been done on the ground that will arrest the anger of the farmers and pull them from the distress,” Pawar mentioned.
Farmer deaths by suicide in Maharashtra
A complete of seven,444 deaths within the final eight years
5,061 deaths between 2014-19 beneath the BJP administration
1,660 deaths between 2019-21 beneath the MVA administration
1,023 deaths between July 2022 – Jan 2023 beneath the Shinde administration
MUMBAI: Death by suicide amongst Maharashtra’s farming neighborhood continues to be an space of concern with a median of eight farmers ending their lives day-after-day as a result of a number of elements together with financial misery and falling crop costs.
According to the state authorities knowledge, as many as 1,203 farmers have died by suicide within the final seven months beneath the Eknath Shinde administration’s rule, whereas 1,660 farmers died in the two-and-a-half-year interval beneath the Uddhav Thackeray-lea MVA administration.
As many as 5,061 farmers died by suicide through the Devendra Fadvais-led BJP administration between 2014 and 2019, as per the information.googletag.cmd.push(perform() googletag.show(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2′); );
Citing the information, senior NCP chief and Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar mentioned that farmer suicides had elevated beneath the Shinde-Fadnavis administration and accused the ruling authorities of being insensitive to farmers’ issues.
“We do not want to blame any individual or any particular chief minister, but it is the harsh reality that the farmers are ending their lives in the Shinde government in large numbers. Financial distress among farmers is one of the major reasons behind farmer suicide. The cotton, onion, and Soyabean growing farmers did not get fair prices for their crops this year. We have seen how onion farmers are throwing the products on the road while some of them are burning them on farms. The farmers are unable to recover their input cost and expenses as well,” Pawar mentioned.
“In the Marathwada region, 62 farmers committed suicide in the last two months, while a total of 22 farmers ended their lives in the Beed district,” he added.
The criticism comes amid Finance Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ slew of farmer welfare schemes as a part of the state price range for 2023-24 together with an extra monetary help of Rs 6000 yearly, together with the Rs 6000 per yr supplied by the Union authorities.
Meanwhile, NCP state president Jayant Patil mentioned that farmers have been being discriminated on the premise of their caste beneath the ruling authorities. Patil was referring to an incident within the Sangli district the place farmers have been allegedly being requested about their caste earlier than shopping for chemical fertilizers.
“Now while buying the fertilizers on a government site, the farmer’s caste has been asked. It is bizarre how they can humiliate the farmers by asking about their caste. A Farmer is a farmer, please do not divide them on the basis of caste and religion,” he mentioned
Criticising the caste discrimination incident, NCP Chief Sharad Pawar mentioned, “It is wrong to ask the farmers’ caste. Such a thing has never happened before in the history of this country or in the state. If farmers are being asked about caste, what is the reason for this? This should come up.”
The NCP chief additionally focused the state and central authorities for failing to assist or present subsidies to onion farmers. “The Govt should either buy the farmers’ onions or give them adequate compensation. Other neighbouring states like Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh are helping the farmers but our state is only making empty promises, nothing has been done on the ground that will arrest the anger of the farmers and pull them from the distress,” Pawar mentioned.
Farmer deaths by suicide in Maharashtra
A complete of seven,444 deaths within the final eight years
5,061 deaths between 2014-19 beneath the BJP administration
1,660 deaths between 2019-21 beneath the MVA administration
1,023 deaths between July 2022 – Jan 2023 beneath the Shinde administration
