Click to play videoBhatinda (Punjab): Maharashtra is not the only state where farmer suicides have see an alarming spurt.
Farmer suicides have turned the Green Revolution belt of the country into a ghost land. Punjab, the state that had once been the cradle of India’s premier agriculture produce, is now in the throes of a severe crisis.
Despite a significant rise in the number of farmer suicides in the state, Punjab is still not on the map of states requiring relief package.
Pyari Kaur of Pakka village in Punjab has lived through three suicides - first her husband, followed by her eldest son and then the younger one.
The trio committed suicide for not having been able to pay back the debt owed to the bank as well as private moneylenders at huge rates of interest.
"My husband killed himself because the pressure of debt was rising. I had raised my children with great difficulties. Now my both son’s have committed suicide. My son’s spent everything we had on crops, but we didn't get anything from it," Pyari Kaur says, adding, "My son took a loan few months back. He was not able to repay it. Finally he killed himself."
This is not just the story of Pyari Kaur.
In Pukka village alone, 40 debt-related suicides have been reported and similar plight echoes through southern Punjab.
The ones who have survived have to deal with recurrent notices from banks.
"For the last 10 years we haven't had any yield. The soil has become completely infertile. Money lenders have taken our everything-land, jewelery, everything has gone to them because we could not pay back the money owed to them. 40 farmers have committed suicide till now. Some of them consumed poison and some hung themselves. Only, few farmers are left now. Where do we go?," farmer Mahal Singh asks.
In the past few years, underground water level has plunged to an all-time low in the state, adversely affecting agrarian productivity.
Farmers are left with no option but to take loans and with the prices of their produce plunging, it's not easy for them to repay their loan.
(With inputs from Jyoti Kamal and Amit Chaudhary)
(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest)
More on IBNLive Right Now
MOST SHARED
PHOTOGALLERY
