SUICIDES AND THE MAKING OF INDIAS AGRARIAN CRISIS The spate of suicides in recent years must not lead

d us to be dismissive of them; they should be seen in the wider context as a distress signalechoes the state of agriculture in the country. Some broad reasons for the distress: Impact of neo-liberal policies on Indian agriculture Rising cost of production Inadequate institutional support Decrease in wages,unemployment and indebtedness Loss in production, society and ecology Mainly 5 states-Andhra Prades,Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and Punjab Most victims were cultivating commercial crops- lacked economic strength and had marginal farm holdings Most were from the backward classes , which were non-cultivators at first This shows the attempt to move into agr. Bcos of loss of their traditional jobs,such as art, pottery, smiths, etc Social basis for suicides- main creditors are agribusiness agents, moneylenders, relatives and friends- inability to pay ridiculed AGRICULTURAL KNOWLEDGE DISSONANCE: The advent of green revn brought with it modern tech. , hybrid seeds and GM crops- resulted in dissonance in agr. Knowledge-adoption of commercial fads( seeds, fertilizers, etc) displacing local and traditional knowledge- led to agriculture deskilling: inability to use relevant practices Absence of knowledge dissemination in rural areas- only 8.4% has access to info from krishi vigyan kendras Lack of knowledge how to use tech, esp pesticides- used unnecessary pesticides-+ debts Change in cultural basis of Indian agr. Though largely hierarchical and caste-based, there was collective sharing of knwldge- done to suit ecological conditions

 Post green revn, the interdependence on customary structures declined but dependency on external structures + Continued caste prejudice resulted in isolation of new agriculturalistsface hostility from upper castes Internal comp. And lack of sharing of agr knwldge Social dimension- 1 person bearing risk Suicide in the face of large debts, loss of crops, loss of face RIsk borne by head of household, and double burden of low rank agriculturalists- individualization of agr. Displacing shared cultural and social basis of agr. Uncertainty in market, climate, quality of seeds, etc- risks of debts-loss of self and humiliation when unable to pay- drive to suicide Individual higher than in a shared social space, as was in the past Load of both worlds-isolation at economic/individual level and social pressure and stigma Marginalization of agr. And farmers issues in the public sphere and social consciousness over the years. Agr issues continually bypassed- not central to planning agendas All these show a state of advanced marginality Govt views as a sign of personal weakness on farmers part-blme on individuals Invisibility of issues in popular media Lack of political mobilization among agrclturalists- only in upper castes if any Overlooked by parties Neglect- disenchantment with agr way of life Very structure of agr. Changed -2 sets of cultural logics-individuals own economic benefit and social pressures Predicament of Indias agriculturalists- disappearance of what gives meaning to everything they kno- agr now a b State a distant actor-suicides- last act of desperate to speak in a political voice May induce an urban shift