New Delhi: Against the backdrop of rising cases of suicides by farmers across the country, the peasants’ wing of CPI(M) is conducting a survey to ascertain the reasons behind the deaths and figure out ways to combat the “grave” issue. According to the wing, All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), three lakh farmers have killed themselves over the past two decades.
“The AIKS is concerned about the issue. Over the last two decades, about three lakh farmers have committed suicides. To understand the situation…why it is happening, what are the reasons (behind it), what should be the remedy, we have undertaken the survey,” AIKS General Secretary Hannan Mollah told PTI. As part of its survey, the AIKS has decided to cover at least 20 homes of farmers who committed suicide in 11 states, which the peasants’ body said, have reported maximum deaths. Teams of AIKS’ national and respective state leaders will reach out to the families with a set of 20 questions seeking to know details such as peasants’ names, villages, size of land he/she held, type of crop cultivated, extent of loss suffered and why he/she took the step.
“Our teams will try to collect answers of those questions. We will compile a report by the end of July on the basis of the information collected. We will also prepare a charter of debate on how to combat and succeed in dealing with the grave issue,” the CPI(M) politburo member said. Accusing the Centre of failing to curb farmers’ deaths over the past one year despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi promising to do so, the former Parliamentarian said AIKS has also worked out an action plan to step up pressure over the Government in this regard.
“Farmers’ deaths are taking place, but it has remained a local issue largely. We want to bring it on national agenda. Hence, we will organise dharna by family members of 200 deceased farmers in Delhi on August 10 and August 11 to mount pressure on the Government during Parliament session,” he added. Mollah said family members of Gajendra Singh Chouhan, the Rajasthan farmer who had allegedly committed suicide during AAP’s rally at Jantar Mantar in April this year, will also take part in the protests. While it slammed the Centre for “neglecting” the agrarian crisis completely, AIKS also expressed concern over Haryana Minister OP Dhankar’s remarks that “those who commit suicide are cowards and criminals”.
“Central Government is completely neglecting the issue. Modi promised to curb deaths. But during one year of their Governance, farmers’ suicides have gone up by 26 percent. “A Haryana Minister says those who are committing suicide are cowards. Union Agriculture Minister (Radha Mohan Singh) says in Parliament that there have been lesser suicides. They are in denial mode, no compensation is being given, nothing is being done (for farmers). So, we want to take up the issue nationally,” he added. The AIKS has until now surveyed farmers’ families in Haryana, Rajasthan, Telangana, Andhra and Tamil Nadu. The rest of the states including Vidarbha region in Maharashtra, will be covered in the next 10 to 15 days.
