FROM THE STATES
and financial institutions initiate loan Farmers’ Suicides and Statehood recovery processes, farmers face threats of losing their possessions and social esteem. Demand in Bundelkhand When they are not able to cope up, they commit suicides. In Bundelkhand, 70%- 100% farmers are in a debt-trap owing to A K Verma rising prices of agricultural inputs and lack of support prices for their produce. Farmers’ suicides in Bundelkhand undelkhand is competing with Many suicides could have been avoided are a result of several years of Vidarbha, Andhra Pradesh, Karna had banks and lending institutions followed neglect of the agricultural sector Btaka and Kerala in the number of the directives of the Reserve Bank of India farmers’ suicides. All the seven districts in which exempt mortgaging farmers’ land for and industrial backwardness. Uttar Pradesh (UP) – Jhansi, Banda, Jalaun, Kisan Credit Cards up to Rs 1 lakh, and Neither the Uttar Pradesh nor the Chitrakoot, Mahoba, Hamirpur and Lalitpur, permit loan recovery in instalments in 10 Madhya Pradesh government has and six in Madhya Pradesh (MP) – Datia, years. The total outstanding rural bank debt made efforts to address the basic Tikamgarh, Chhatarpur, Panna, Sagar and in UP Bundelkhand today is Rs 4,370 crore, Damoh, that comprise Bundelkhand are up by 21% since 2010 (Rs 3,613 crore). In issues of ecological degradation, severely affected by this malady. The official Banda, Hamirpur, Lalitpur and Jhansi alone, agricultural modernisation and figures for farmers’ suicides in UP Bundel farmers owe banks about Rs 2,750 crore. rural indebtedness. The demand khand are 568 (2009), 583 (2010) and 519 Interest on agricultural loans is 3% in MP, for a separate state only serves (January-May 2011). In MP, the corre but 7% in UP. This imbalance needs to be sponding figures are 5,838 (2006-10) and corrected urgently. The UP government to satisfy political ends and is no 348 (January-May 2011) with a large provides exemption on loan interest only to solution for the multiple problems number from Bundelkhand. those farmers who have more than five ha of Bundelkhand’s farmers. It is no wonder that the ravine-rich and of cultivable land. In the 2008-09 Union dacoit-peopled Bundelkhand, sandwiched Budget, the government announced the between the northern plains and the rocky “Agricultural Debt Waiver and Debt Relief soil of the Vindhya ranges, unfit for agricul Scheme” to exempt the agricultural loans ture and industry both, is facing this crisis. of marginal and small farmers holding land The total area is 30 lakh hectares (ha), of up to five acres. This was revised in May which 24 lakh ha is agricultural land, but 2008 to cover 237 dry land districts where cultivation is hampered by the lack of irri farmers with more than five acres were gation facilities. Some of the big dams like offered a one-time settlement rebate of Matatila, Rajghat, Sukhwan-Dhukwan, and 25%, subject to their paying the balance Dhasan have inundated large parts of the loan amount without interest in three fertile land. Most farmers are totally depen instalments up to 30 June 2009. Though all dent on rains. Unfortunately, Bundelkhand districts of UP Bundelkhand figured in that has just 60,000 ha of forest cover, which is list, farmers did not adequately benefit fast depleting due to the reckless cutting of owing to administrative neglect. trees, and hence the region suffers from Two recent developments have brought scanty rainfall and regular droughts. Never the plight of the Bundelkhand farmers to the theless, agricultural produce in Bundel fore. On 15 June 2011, Justice Sunil Ambwani khand increased by 16% during 2010-11. and Justice Sabhajit Yadav of Allahabad High Court took suo motu action on farmers’ Flawed Policies and Suicides suicides in Bundelkhand, issuing notices to Regular droughts, crop failure, scanty the UP government, Ministry for Rural rains, poor irrigation facilities, burden of Development and Ministry of Finance to agricultural and private loans, damage to report the causes of each and every suicide, dignity, and worry about their families’ as also steps taken by them to provide relief future appear to be immediate causes of to the farmers. The UP government was also the farmers’ suicides in Bundelkhand. The directed to report on rural indebtedness rural agricultural credit system, entrap with regard to agricultural loans given by A K Verma ([email protected]) teaches at ping farmers into public and private debts, banks, cooperative banks, khadi boards Christ Church College, Kanpur. has a large role to play in this. When banks and other financial institutions, and prevent
10 july 9, 2011 vol xlvi no 28 EPW Economic & Political Weekly FROM THE STATES them from taking coercive steps to recover form a Bundelkhand Development Authority Bundelkhand and Harit Pradesh. The sec loans. The second development was on (BDA). The MP government also set up a BDA ond is Sanjay Pandey, national convenor 18 June, when the chief minister of UP, in May 2007 for the development of its part of Bundelkhand Ekikrit Party. Both of Mayawati, wrote to the prime minister to of Bundelkhand and allocated Rs 10 crore them belong to the film and the television waive off loans disbursed till 31 March 2011 for the Eleventh Five-Year Plan (2007-12). world and live in Delhi. Others include for about 15 lakh farmers in Bundelkhand. Agriculture in Bundelkhand is not mod Balmukund Goswami and Babulal Tewari She also directed her officials to not use ernised, there are problems of ecological of the BMM, and Badshah Singh, who has force to realise loans up to Rs 2 lakh. degradation, and acute shortage of drink abandoned the cause after becoming the The UP and MP governments have taken ing and irrigation water. All its districts labour minister in the Mayawati govern no initiative in formulating a proactive, figure in the 200 most backward districts of ment. Organisations like Bundeli Sena, integrated and coordinated strategy for the Planning Commission. The scheduled Bundelkhand Navjavan Sena, Bundelkhand the holistic development of Bundelkhand. castes and scheduled tribes face greater Foundation, Bundelkhand Utthan Samiti, Even the central schemes (antyodaya, hardship because of limited access to water Bundelkhand Kisan Mahasabha, Bun mid-day meals, pension, etc) have not resources. The governments have paid delkhand Kisan Panchayat and others also been properly implemented and show lit hardly any attention to modern methods of occasionally come into picture. But most tle impact. There are no jobs under the water harvesting or the reckless deforesta initiatives are from the upper caste educated Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employ tion. In districts like Mahoba, export-ori people, even though they claim support of ment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), and cor ented betel farming has suffered enor dalits and backward classes. ruption is so rampant that the Supreme mously. Betel farming has shrunk from A small Bundelkhand state may face Court had to order an enquiry. 3,000 acres to just five acres today, owing formidable boundary and river-water to the neglect by governments. sharing problems with UP and MP besides An Agenda sans Development The region also lacks industrial develop being politically unmanageable, economi Suicides in Bundelkhand are not caste- ment. Except for Bharat Heavy Electrical cally fragile and socially divided between specific, but entrap all castes. In a society Limited at Jhansi (UP) and Birla Cement the people of UP and MP. The political par ridden with caste hierarchies, farmers factory at Damoh (MP), there are hardly ties are exploiting this issue because belonging to the higher castes are more any big industries. In May 2011, the Bharat assembly elections are due in these states. conscious of their social esteem, and thus Oman Refinery, with a capacity of six million Whether a smaller Bundelkhand state vulnerable to suicides. For instance, in tonnes per year, was opened in Sagar (MP). would perform better is controversial; Banda district alone, out of six farmers Recently, gold, diamond and platinum of farmers may continue to commit suicides who committed suicide in May 2011, four high quality have been discovered in UP even after its formation if their genuine belonged to what are considered upper Bundelkhand. This has led to the skyrocket problems are not addressed. But unless castes. With the dalit population in Bun ing of land prices in Jhansi and the adjoin development is prioritised, the pro-Bundel delkhand higher1 than the state averages ing areas. The National Highway Develop khand activists will continue to agitate. They (UP 21.1%, MP 15.2%), the chances of small ment Project makes Bundelkhand the centre derive inspiration from the earlier demands and marginal dalit landholders commit of Golden Cross, where east-west and north- for a separate state in 1949, 1955 and 1968, ting suicides, and dalit labourers fleeing south corridors cross each other. This might and the first SRC which was favourably dis Bundelkhand are substantial. accelerate development in Bundelkhand. posed to a Bundelkhand state on the basis of Farmers’ suicides in both halves of Mayawati has long been demanding its distinct language and culture. One won Bundelkhand are related to larger issues Rs 80,000 crore for Bundelkhand from the ders if there is a conspiracy to end the pre of poverty, backwardness, and lack of centre. But the prime minister announced dominance of UP in national politics today industrialisation and development. This is a package of Rs 7,266 crore, of which UP and by steadily slicing off a part of UP. despite the fact that both UP and MP claim MP received Rs 3,506 crore and Rs 3,706 Farmers’ suicides and agricultural to pay special attention to the development crore respectively. According to the central neglect in Bundelkhand and elsewhere of Bundelkhand. In 1990-91, the UP govern government, even 10% of this money are linked directly to the issue of good ment divided the state into four economic could not be utilised by these governments. governance, which hinges on pro-people zones – western, central, eastern and Bun policies, and not so much on the formation delkhand – and instituted a regional devel Separate State Not a Solution of new smaller states. opment fund “Bundelkhand Vikas Nidhi”2 Demands are often raised for a separate along with Poorvanchal Vikas Nidhi. In Bundelkhand state to end its plight and Notes 1970, the Bundelkhand Divisional Develop make it more prosperous. But, who are the 1 The percentage of scheduled caste (SC) population ment Corporation (BDDC) was set up, but people demanding it? Do they have popular in UP Bundelkhand: Jhansi (28), Lalitpur (24.9), Jalaun (27), Hamirpur (22.8), Mahoba (20.8), was wound up in 1992. The Mayawati gov support? The first is Raja Bundela, president Chitrakoot (26.3); and in MP Bundelkhand: Datia (25), Chhatarpur (23.3), Tikamgarh (24.3), Panna ernment revived the BDDC in April 2008 of the Bundelkhand Mukti Morcha (BMM), (20), Damoh (19.5), Sagar (20.5). and also formed the Bundelkhand Special who is trying for a bigger “National Feder 2 The allocation for Bundelkhand Vikas Nidhi has Area Development Authority (July 2008) ation for New States” that supports Telan decreased from Rs 10,000 crore (2007-08) to Rs 1,200 crore (2011-12); see http://planning.up.nic. to counter the demand by Rahul Gandhi to gana, Vidarbha, Gorkhaland, Poorvanchal, in/documents.htm
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