Farmer suicides: Now, Punjab relies on shrink aid

CHANDIGARH: Perturbed over unabated suicides in the countryside, the Punjab government has now pinned its hopes on psychiatrists for a bailout of indebted peasantry. According to an affidavit filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court by Anita Bhalla, under secretary, department of agriculture, New Delhi-based All India Institute of Medical Sciences has trained 44 medical officers and 20 psychiatrists from the state health department to counsel farmers and stem their suicidal tendencies.
Lauding the initiative, Dr Adarsh Kohli of PGI's department of psychology, claimed, "Counselling, self-help methods and problem-solving skills form a vital part of psychiatric healing. The aim is to instil hope in a person who feels he's reached a dead end. The Punjab government's step is in the right direction."
Though the move offers a ray of hope for the peasantry, farmer leaders feel it alone may not suffice. Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan, general secretary, Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ugrahan), claimed, "Counselling will make a positive difference and deter dejected farmers from taking their own lives but its effects will not be long lasting if the basic problem is not addressed properly." His organization has pegged farm suicide figures in the state to around 13,000.
Kokrikalan's views find a ready echo in Umendra Dutt of Kheti Virasat Mission, an NGO working for farmer causes. Dutt, too, asserted that the move would be reduced to a "gimmick" if real issues are not handled swiftly. Statistics reveal that debt burden on Punjab farmers is about Rs 22,000 crore (2007 figures). While the average farm debt per hectare is Rs 56,442, in the cotton belt of south-western Punjab it is as high as Rs 69,518.
Given the grim situation, the government is preparing to conduct state-wide surveys to assess the "extent of farm suicides". Also in the offing Rs 2 lakh financial assistance to a family of farmer or farm labourer who committed suicide due to indebtedness since January 2000. Besides, come July and all payments for farmers' produce would be made via account payee cheques only.
In a concerted effort, chief minister Parkash Singh Badal has "ordered creation of a new law with regard to loans and interest thereon which are advanced to farmers and farm labourers". A special committee, headed by chief secretary, has also been constituted for the purpose.