1,500 farmers commit mass suicide in India

[katty]

more:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/1500-farmers-commit-mass-suicide-in-india-1669018.html

1,500 farmers commit mass suicide in India

Wednesday, 15 April 2009

Over 1,500 farmers in an Indian state committed suicide after being driven to debt by crop failure, it was reported today.

The agricultural state of Chattisgarh was hit by falling water levels.
"The water level has gone down below 250 feet here. It used to be at 40 feet a few years ago," Shatrughan Sahu, a villager in one of the districts, told Down To Earth magazine

"Most of the farmers here are indebted and only God can save the ones who do not have a bore well."

Mr Sahu lives in a district that recorded 206 farmer suicides last year. Police records for the district add that many deaths occur due to debt and economic distress.

In another village nearby, Beturam Sahu, who owned two acres of land was among those who committed suicide. His crop is yet to be harvested, but his son Lakhnu left to take up a job as a manual labourer.
His family must repay a debt of £400 and the crop this year is poor.

"The crop is so bad this year that we will not even be able to save any seeds," said Lakhnu's friend Santosh. "There were no rains at all."

[ceile]

1. no words....

[Why Syzygy]

2. OMG!

How tragic. Someone, stop this damn madness! The HAVEs and have nots. Shouldn't be this way.

[imdjh]

4. I don't think it's even a matter of haves and have nots.

I feel like it's a communication problem. How come we find out about this after these people are dead? Jesus, times are spare here, but I would love to put an Indian loanshark out of business by sending money to a debtor.

[imdjh]

3. That's disgusting

i had a neighbor kill herself over debt two years ago. I can't imagine why people do this. Granted, she wasn't going to starve like some of these farmers probably would. I have no idea what kind of public or private charity there is in India.

Kill yourself over £400? What's that? About $15 a piece to anyone in the west. I should think that almost anyone would b willing to send that if he felt secure that it would actually go to the intended people.

[pansypoo53219]

5. industrial farming

killed their ecology.

[biermeister]

6. funny how the word monsanto wasn't included in the article

a quick google reveals these

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=monsanto+india+farmers+suicide&btnG=Google+Search&aq=f&oq=

[katty]

7. my thoughts exactly

[truedelphi]

8. The M$M has people they answer to.

I kept wondering about how our press operates.

Then, over the years of covering the MTBE story, I became enlightened, courtesy of John Froines.

oldelmtree.com/discussion/index.php?action=printpage;topic=53.0

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[katty]

10. yes thanks for posting