About 10% to 12% of the global population is estimated to have a job in the agricultural sector. Roughly 50% of those laborers suffer from some form of mental health issue and are 3.5 times more likely to die by suicide compared to the rest of the population. These statistics represent a zoomed-out dataset, so the numbers might not seem significant yet. However, when I share that more than 300,000 farmers have died by suicide since 1995 in India alone, the case becomes undeniably severe.
There is a region in India known as Vidarbha. Despite being recognized as a "mineral hub," it is, unfortunately, highly underdeveloped. Many families there are involved in the farming business, which is a dreadful tale of its own. Given the number of farmer suicides recorded, the area is better off being named a "suicide hub." Ashok Saatpaise, a hardworking farmer based in that region, succumbed to intense pressure and stress, deeming it right to leave this world to cure his pain. He left behind his devoted wife, Sangeeta who was suddenly forced to become the breadwinner of the family and his two sons. His background reflects the immense suffering that not only he, but other farmers in the region face daily: water scarcity, a lack of proper hospitals, mounting debts, and a dangerous cycle of despair that has resulted in hundreds of deaths. Yet, these tragic deaths are not even the shocking part, nor are they the main component of this article. The true tragedy is the absolute ignorance and ingratitude of the general public, the media, and government officials.
Farmers are easy targets. Naive and vulnerable, they are preyed upon by local banks, predatory moneylenders, corrupt bureaucrats, and land sharks. They are exploited, blackmailed, and manipulated until they are sucked dry and left with nothing. It is a vicious cycle; crushed by the immense burden of feeling worthless, they ultimately turn to giving up on life. The aftermath that follows is an ugly truth. Widows are left not only with the pain of losing their significant others, but also with the massive responsibility of facing societal stigmas, acting as the primary money earners, and striving to provide the best for their children. In places like Vidarbha, where suicide statistics remain chillingly consistent, women must walk three kilometers just to fetch water, and using a clean toilet is a comfort their families cannot afford. The ugliest truth of all is that the scammers and corrupt predators who prey on these vulnerable laborers comfortably eat the food grown in the very fields of their victims. They eat with dirty hands and no remorse whatsoever, while widows are forced to eat plain lentils for two months straight due to severe money shortages.
Governments are incredibly well-equipped to establish welfare measures and schemes to prevent such deaths. Yet, even though they have established nominal protectionist measures for laborers in the agricultural sector, the numbers paint a completely different picture as casualties increase day by day. In fact, acts like the Landlord Act in India were manipulated or abolished, leaving farmers stripped of their land without a single penny of compensation, throwing them and their families onto the streets to suffer. What is even more laughable is that the same high-ranking officials involved in robbing farmers of their assets are the very ones who visit these impoverished villages, offering hollow promises of aiding them and solving issues that originated from their own corrupt doings.
What is truly devastating is that despite being failed by the justice system and falling into the jaws of vicious, inhumane predators and despite the stories of these unfortunate incidents making the headlines, people still do not care. It is our collective ignorance that has allowed this wound to fester and grow. We simply move on with our lives while they cry and plead for a saving grace. Everyone has their own problems, but millions of farmers suffering from the exact same systemic pain? That demands a remedy. If we simply extend a hand to them, we can boost their confidence and help echo their voices globally. All they require is for someone to be on their side and take a stand with them. In the end, we are all human. As many textbooks note, "Humans are social animals." We, of all creatures, need people in our lives and so do our farmers.
Sources Used
Saju S, Reddy SK, Bijjal S, Annapally SR. Farmer's mental health and well-being: Qualitative findings on protective factors. J Neurosci Rural Pract. 2024;15:307-12. doi: 10.25259/JNRP_403_2023
South Dakota Suicide Prevention Center. "Farmers and Ranchers: Risk Factors and Population Statistics." SD Suicide Prevention. https://www.sdsuicideprevention.org/risks/populations/farmers-and-ranchers
Al Jazeera. (2016). "Stories of survival: Widows of India's farmer suicides." Al Jazeera English. https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2016/11/3/stories-of-survival-widows-of-indias-farmer-suicides
Times of India. (2022). "Farmers' suicide and the politics of freebies." The Times of India Readers' Blog. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/readersblog/my-voices/farmers-suicide-and-politics-of-freebies-1355/
Quora Regional Analysis. "Why has Vidarbha lagged behind Mumbai and Pune in development despite having similar resources available?" Quora Development Forum. https://www.quora.com/Why-has-Vidarbha-lagged-behind-Mumbai-and-Pune-in-development-despite-having-similar-resources-available