99 Suicides in 44 days
While the entire media has their camera and mikes focused towards Jodhpur’s Central Jail to catch the latest foot or fart sound from Salman Khan the great, while many are shedding rivers of tears over Salman Khan’s jail sentence, while many are involved in heated debates over Sallu-jee’s imprisonment… sadly one news has just been slipped to us in a way we wouldn’t notice or even care about since it’s not a Page 1, 2 or 3 news.
99 Farmers in the last 44 days have committed suicide. The toll since June 2005 is 435. 435 famers killed themselves. 435 people ended their lives. 435 non celebrities extinguished their very existence. 435 families have lost one of their members. There is a vacuum in the lives of 435 wives or sons or daughters or mothers or fathers. 435 lives.
And here we sit fretting about Salman Khan in jail. While 435 farmers ended their lives in Vidarbha, Maharashtra. Hell we don’t care. They were farmers. Our life runs on watching the receding hairline, shaved chest and bulging biceps of Mr. Salman Khan. Our hunger finds temporary relief when we get to hear what Salman-jee ate in jail or what cream he used to protect himself from the mosquitoes in jail. Farmers no longer serve any point of purpose or interest in our lives.
According to Paromita Shastri at OutlookIndia the “Jan Aandolan Samiti has a weird pastime: it counts the number of farmers who kill themselves in that region. Past ten months’ toll: 435″
The reason for the suicides: Farming in India is becoming uneconomical.
So what is the government doing? Reportedly the government has offered a Rs 1070-crore relief package. The families of the dead farmers are yet to see any of this money.
But then what do we care. Dead Farmers don’t attract Television or Print space in the media. And they don’t attract the Government’s attention, who doesn’t have the time to stop and look into the matter cause its too busy filling its pockets with your tax money. To be fair, the Outlook article points to a few policies the governement is trying to put in place, but due to it’s snail pace to execute these policies… there may be no farmers left in Vidarbha by the time the benefits (if any) start rolling in. But who cares…. we don’t have time to do anything right away. We are too busy.
435 dead farmers. 435 suicides. The shock value is far less than a Salman Khan’s prison sentence….. Does it need to be spelt out or have we on our own - hung our heads in shame on reading this news?
April 12th, 2006 at 8:29 pm
Rs. 30 crores is spent for the benefit of some chosen few. Our Govt. isnt that bad, is it? [/sarcasm] :-”
April 12th, 2006 at 8:31 pm
True, and very said indeed:(
vi
April 12th, 2006 at 8:31 pm
i mean sad
April 12th, 2006 at 10:01 pm
That is how it goes in good ol’ India pal! And for reasons still unknown to me, the central government metes out a step-motherly treatment to Maharashtra everytime!
Mumbai is the financial capital of the country, yet when it comes to providing funds for infrastructure development, there is no response from the center. Widespread damage and loss of life due to flooding last year in Mumbai, the aid provided by the central government is not even enough to buy a roll of toilet paper to wipe my ass! But Orissa gets pumped with cash every year as flood relief.
Mumbai metro rail project gets clearance after what seemed like a century. But Calcutta and Delhi have their metros up and running.
The farmer suicide is almost like a yearly event in Maharashtra, but the center does nothing about it. Had it been the case in any other state, I’m sure that there would have been an immediate cash flow to that area.
~Manoj~
April 12th, 2006 at 10:28 pm
Manoj, I beg to differ. In AP (ruled by Congress), farmers’ suicide is still happening, though it doesnt get much media attention. There is electricity prob, added with water shortage and inability to sell crops at a good rate. And inspite of Congress being at Center, there isnt much relief to them. Hence, this step-motherly attitude is towards everyone, except their own children (the rich and famous)
April 13th, 2006 at 2:18 am
The truth is darker than Pandora’s bush! I don’t know why I am thinking this right now.. but I wish we can bring back Shastri to life :(
April 13th, 2006 at 7:46 am
- Pavan, I read that. Perhaps they may justify that spending by saying it will bring more business to India. Fine. Business with whom? Dead Farmers?
- Vi, I hear ya
- Manoj/Pavan, I would say the step motherly treatment is towards all weak politicians heading the respective states. If you can’t fight and get for your state what is truly needed then you don’t deserve to be the head of that state. Unfortunately 99.99% people now live in a bliss of oblivion and don’t want to be disturbed from it. So the leaders keep ruling on. Unofficial Dictatorship signed by the sleeping people of the state.
- WB, Actually I was thinking of Shastri myself and his slogan Jai Jawan Jai Kisan, while writing the post.
One thing to ask is: Why haven’t we seen another Green Revolution in India again?
April 18th, 2006 at 8:35 am
I completely agree Oz…
Priorities need to be straightened out….