The Hindu : Debt traps continue to haunt farmers

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Mar 22, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Debt traps continue to haunt farmers

By Maleeha Raghaviah

KOZHIKODE, MARCH 21. The growing incidence of suicide among farmers in Wayanad district is a clear indication that loan recovery proceedings were continuing to haunt them, the State chairman of Farmers Relief Forum, A.C. Varkey, has opined.

Incidentally, two farmers in Wayanad district, Joseph (48) of Sulthan Bathery taluk, and Paulose (41) of Vellamunda in Mananthavady taluk, took their lives on March 19, the very day the Chief Minister, A.K. Antony, had chosen to have a quick tour of the drought-hit district and get a first-hand picture of the farmers' plight there.

Even the Chief Minister's promise to freeze loan recovery proceedings for six months did not deter the farmers from taking the extreme step. Speaking to The Hindu , Mr. Varkey said that in the last couple of weeks, four farmers in the district had committed suicide as they were being confronted with revenue recovery proceedings by financial institutions at a time when they were reeling under severe drought conditions.

"On March 26, we will organise a picketing to highlight the threat which had been unleashed on us by banks and other financial institutions in spite of the difficult situation farmers were facing," he said.

Mr. Varkey said the unprecedented fall in prices of agricultural commodities such as pepper, coffee, tea, cardamom and ginger in the last four years besides the drought and widespread pest menace had resulted in the present plight of farmers. The farmers were also being threatened by loan sharks.

The high rate of interests ranging from 18 per cent to 36 per cent on agriculture loans was also crippling the farmers.

Meanwhile, sources pointed out that many men in places like Pulppally and Mullankolli had left for the neighbouring States in search of labour. The Chief Minister's promise to freeze revenue recovery proceedings for six months has not left much of an impression on the farmers.

Moreover, the Government was yet to provided any assistance to the families of those who had committed suicide, the sources said.

The Kisan Janata State Committee is of the opinion that the freezing of revenue recovery proceedings was not a solution to the farmers' miseries.

The committee demanded that the agriculture loans ought to be written off. The Chief Minister must seek more assistance from the Centre to end the woes of the farmers, it said.

The committee wanted steps to be taken on a war-footing to tackle the severe drinking water scarcity in Wayanad, Palakkad, Kannur, and Kasaragod districts.

It also demanded assistance for farmers in Palakkad district who had suffered crop loss due to lack of water.

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