Congress Blames BJP Govt’s Policies for Farmers’ Suicides in Country
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 20th Sept. The Congress party on Tuesday blamed the ruling BJP government’s policies for farmer suicides in the country, claiming that one farmer died by suicide every hour.
Addressing a press conference following the suicide of Pune-based Dashrath Lakshman Kedari on September 17, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said the farmer, in his suicide note, held “the BJP government’s policies responsible for his death and noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was concerned only with himself”.
“Dashrath Lakshman Kedari in his suicide note said he did not have any money to pay back his loans and was ending his life due to helplessness. He sought a reasonable MSP (Minimum Support Price) for farm produce as a farmers’ right and blamed the policies of the incumbent government for his decision to end life,” Shrinate said.
She stated that up to 10,881 people involved in agriculture committed suicide in 2021, accounting for 6.6% of the 1,64,033 suicide deaths last year.
“This means, every day 30 farmers are dying by suicide and every hour more than one farmer is dying,” she said.
According to data from the National Crimes Record Bureau, more than 53,881 farmers committed suicide between 2014 and 2021, equating to 21 deaths per day.
Shrinate found it ironic that 2022, the year by which the government promised to double farmers’ income, saw “barely Rs 27 average income” for them.
“Who is responsible for the dire straits of Indian farmers? The policies of this government,” the Congress leader said.
She also mentioned the deaths of over 700 farmers during the year-long farmers’ agitation against the three agricultural reform laws, accusing the government of “apathy toward farmers and the farm sector.”
Furthermore, she stated that the government’s statements before the Supreme Court that payment of MSP above 50% of farmers’ costs would distort the market, and that the Centre’s decision not to procure the produce if state governments paid more than the MSP clearly went against the farmers.
The Congress leader claimed that the government had “looted the farmers” by raising diesel prices and imposing a wide range of GST on farm products, including 5% on fertilizer, 18% on insecticides, 12% on farm equipment, and 18% on tractors, “pushing the production cost to Rs 25,000 per hectare.”
According to Shrinate, who cited data from the National Sample Service Organization, the average daily earnings of farmers are now Rs 12 compared to an average loan of Rs 74,000.
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