Odisha Farmer Suicide Clock - 2017 from WIO: 3rd Death

Bulu Reddy, a farmer from Ganjam district's Chikrada committed suicide on 13th March due to crop loss.  Ganjam is the Odisha Chief Minister's constituency. 

As per available reports, he took his life on 10th March owing to crop loss.  He had borrowed an amount of 1 lakh rupees (source of borrowing not known as of now) for tomato and chilly cultivation.  He got a good production of tomato but the rate for the product had crashed in the market, forcing him not to harvest it but let it die in the field.  He consumed pesticide and died.

While the government officials, as in other cases, have been trying to find reasons for the suicide and would surely come up with a false and funny reason (something other than crop loss and debt burden), the fact remains that farmers are dying due to governmental apathy.  Both the state and central governments have perpetually failed our farmers.

Ranjan Panda
Water Initiatives Odisha (WIO)
&
Combat Climate Change Network, India

Email: ranjanpanda@gmail.com

Tweet @ranjanpanda
Tweet @MahanadiRiver

Odisha Farmer Suicide Update - 8th March 2017

Odisha government must learn an urgent lesson from villagers' anger in Kendpali village!

Yesterday, when two govt. officials went to re-investigate the cause of death of Khaenu Bagarthy (who took his life owing to farm distress), they were detained by the villagers for hours and then were asked to write the report in front of them only so that they don't change their report after returning from the village. The officials admitted that Khaenu Bagarty died of farm distress and debt burden.

Earlier, the Bargarh district administration's fake report was exposed as the family members of the victim and villagers challenged the report that was supposedly sent by the District Collector to the Agriculture Minister, based on which the Minister had informed the assembly that the farmer died of family quarrels and not farm distress. Thankfully the opposition united on this issue and cornered the govt. and the lie was exposed.

The govt. of Odisha has the habit of covering up each farmer suicide case and its officials have been submitting false investigation reports each year. By doing this, the govt. has now forced people to take actions such as the one that happened yesterday in Kendpali village.

The government should immediately realise its mistake and correct course without further delay. To restore people's faith in the government in such cases, it must immediately re-investigate all farmer suicide cases (at least for last three years), admit that farm distress is the sole reason for farmers ending their lives, and compensate the bereaved families adequately.

Such re-investigations must be done by an independent expert committee and not just by govt. officials as has been the practice. Ironically, the same officials who are guilty of neglecting farmers' plight do the investigation as a routine affair. This practice needs to change immediately. Or else, the farmers's angers will pile up further and there is every possibility of BJD feeling the heat in next Assembly elections. Its poor performance in just concluded local self govt. elections is just a beginning.

As such also, Odisha needs to take up many innovative initiatives to revive its farm sectors and raise income and living standard of its ailing farmers who are in dire distress now. For this also, the govt. must consult experts and practitioners from all the sectors, not just the ones who have the habit of praising the govt.

We need you to intervene Mr. Naveen Patnaik. Naveen Pattnaik Fan Club

Ranjan Panda
Water Initiatives Odisha (WIO)
Mahanadi River Waterkeeper

First Farmer Suicide case of 2017 from Odisha reported! Timely action needed!!

Farmer Suicide Clock starts ticking in Odisha again!

The first farmer suicide case of Odisha was reported yesterday from Bargarh district, considered the rice bowl of the state. 55 year old Khainu Bagarti of Kendpali village consumed pesticide and succumbed to death in VIMSAR. Irregular power supply, that failed his bore well, is said to have caused the distress, depression and death.

The Odisha government, that is drowning the state under thousands crores of debt to provide 24x7 power supply to #SmartCities should look inwards at the farmers' plights without any further delay. As such also we are expecting one of the hottest summer ever, such incidences may repeat!

Ranjan Panda

Water Initiatives Odisha (WIO)

Mahanadi River Waterkeeper (Member, Global Waterkeeper Alliance)

Email: ranjanpanda@gmail.com

Tweet @ranjanpanda

Tweet @MahanadiRiver

Farmer suicides haunt Odisha!

In Odisha: a farmer ends life each 3 and half days, a daily wage labour commits suicide each one and half days, and an unemployed youth takes self life each day.

This is figure for 2014 by the National Crime Records Bureau. This is only statistics, the reality may be more shameful to learn. However it doesn't fail to show us the fact that the current development model has failed the poor and needy...

-----------

The stats: Suicides in 2014 (for state of Odisha)

Total number of suicides: 4160 (1832 F, 2328 M)

Farmer suicides: 102 (4 Females) (5 land owners, 97 sharecroppers and agricultural labours)

Daily wage labours: 205

Unemployed Youths: 360

--------- 

Ranjan Panda

Convenor, Water Initiatives Odisha

Mahanadi River Waterkeeper (Member, Global Waterkeeper Alliance, New York)

Mob: +91-94370-50103

Email: ranjanpanda@gmail.com

Yet another woman farmer ends life.

Dear All,

Adding to the shame on our state, another woman farmer ends her life.

Dileswari Patel, a 40 year old farmer from Purnapani village in Kuchinda block, consumed poison owing to crop failure.  Dileswari had taken up farming of paddy on 10 acres but due to failed monsoon she was hopeful of harvesting only on one and half acres.  Reports said she had taken loan from various sources including Microfinance and Kisan Credit Card. 

On 26th of August, not very far from Kuchinda, in Phalsabahal village under Jamankira block, another woman farmer Soudamini Naik had committed suicide earning the state a dubious distinction, of first women farmer suicide.  

It is high time the state and its machineries look towards the farmers and other distressed people rather than devoting energy defending environmental crimes of Vedanta, POSCO, JSPL and all such industries.  

Thanks and regards,

Ranjan Panda

Water Initiatives Odisha: Fighting water woes, combating climate change... more than two decades now!

Mobile: +919437050103
Email: ranjanpanda@gmail.com, ranjanpanda@yahoo.com

Skype: ranjan.climatecrusader

Blog: http://www.climatecrusaders.blogspot.com/