Farmer suicides. The issue that is, at times, shoved under the rug and only ever so slightly cracks the surface in mainstream media.
The causes of this issue are manifold. As pressure on the agricultural system mounts-with farmers struggling with inconsistent crop yields, soaring grain prices and the advent of genetically modified crops-many farmers take out crippling loans to provide for their families, entering into a debt agreement many find impossible to repay.
In a much-needed effort to shed more light on this issue (and prompt further discussion about a resolution), veteran journalist P. Sainath released the documentary “Nero’s Guests” in 2009. If recent figures about farmer suicides are anything to go by (one article states that a farmer commits suicide every 12 hours), it must be said that the problem is far from resolved and action is needed to assist the people who are so essential to India and its greatest industry.
Check out Sainath’s documentary below.
Nero’s Guests (P. Sainath: Inequality and India’s Agrarian Crisis) from The Atomic Potato on Vimeo.