The Hindu : Opinion / Letters to the Editor : Farmer's plight

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Wednesday, May 30, 2007
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Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Farmer's plight

The statement of Sunanda Jayaram on the plight of a farmer's widow, "... her husband took his own life, she will pay the price all her life" ("Farmer's diet worse than a convict's," May 29), is heart rending. That this is the condition of farmers' families in a State from where we had a Prime Minister who took great pride in describing himself as a "humble farmer," and whose son is the Chief Minister, is unfortunate.

As pointed out by M.S. Swaminathan in the article "Dealing with the agrarian crisis" (May 28), "the well-fed individuals in government bhavans" need to view agriculture as the backbone of the livelihood security system. They should overcome their paralysis before the crisis worsens. We cannot afford to deny food to our hungry farmers.

T.V. Shankar Narayanan,
Hosur

* * *

The story of women like Jayalakshmamma, Chikktayamma, and Chenamma who earn less rice a day than a convict in prison is a telling commentary on the treatment society has meted out to its farmers. The concluding words that the women "stand up to it with incredible resilience and still try to run their farms... " should not make us evade our responsibility towards them.

L. Santhosh,
Bangalore

* * *

The plight of the women whose husbands committed suicide a few years ago is a reflection on the pathetic situation of many women farmers left to fend for themselves. The government should provide some support by initiating practical reforms to improve their lives.

B.V. Siva Prasad,
Vijayawada

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