Worst figure in six years Total number of farm suicides since 1997 is 2,16,500 The share of Big 5 States remains very high at 10,765 At least 17,368 Indian farmers killed themselves in 2009, the worst figure for farm suicides in six years, according to data of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). This is an increase of 1,172 over the 2008 count of 16,196. It brings the total farm suicides since 1997...
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“PM will look into ryots' suicides” by J Balaji
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has assured a delegation of TDP-Left parties combine that he would look into the issue of alleged suicide by farmers in Andhra Pradesh who were severely affected in the unprecedented rains and cyclonic storm in the last few months in the State. The delegation highlighted the plight of farmers who were hit as their produce like paddy, cotton, tobacco, red gram, chillies and oil seeds were damaged/discoloured...
More »Money for nothing. And misery for free by Rohini Mohan
IT WAS a windfall five years ago that taught Panchali Satyavva the power of a lie. It happened one Monday afternoon in Someshwar village of Nizamabad district in Andhra Pradesh. It was raining in sheets and she had just placed a bucket under the steady trickle of water from the roof of her hut. Two men were at her door, holding umbrellas and offering her an unsolicited Rs. 5,000. They...
More »Those other problems in Andhra Pradesh by P Sainath
If present political trends and shifts in Andhra Pradesh intensify, the State could see an election within a year. And not just over Telangana. When Chandrababu Naidu sits on a hunger fast for suffering farmers, you know something is afoot in Andhra Pradesh. Excessive rains have devastated the crops in the State. And losses have been enormous. But a farmer losing over Rs.15,000 on an acre of paddy will get less...
More »Panel hears Tirupur workers' woes
FOLLOWING a Frontline Cover Story (“Driven to despair”, October 8) that highlighted the factors contributing to the high incidence of suicide among migrant workers and their family members in Tirupur in Tamil Nadu, the Central government set up a team to look into the issue. The team's visit to the knitwear capital of India on November 30 has raised the hopes of workers, trade union functionaries and labour rights activists.Headed...
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