The despair and suicide of indebted farmers are tragic and recurring themes. In India, their epicenter lies in Vidarbha, in Maharashtra, where farmers grow genetically modified cotton. The tragedy, for the families and communities left behind, has been caught by photographer Johann Rousselot, at Oeil Public. He shows the body of Praveen Vijay Bhakamwar, whose accumulated debts of Rs 40,000 - less than US$ 900 - pushed him to suicide. Bhakamwar leaves behind three daughters and a son. ... read more »

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Posted on 15 January, 2007 - 20:14

The Hindu carries a report today in which Maharashtra's Chief Minister, Vilasrao Deshmukh, comes to the same conclusion as Stuffed and Starved: Farmers' suicides happen all over the world.

But that's where the similarity ends. For Deshmukh

"The goal is to fully rehabilitate the farmer," Deshmukh said adding the state government was striving hard to ensure that farmers get the market price for their land and employment to a family member.

Suicide is a crime in India and, even if dead, the farmer is a criminal. 'Rehabilitation' for the dead farmer means that the (usually-male) farmer's family gets paid, and then sent to the city. Or to one of a humber of 'special economic zones' - of which the state of Maharashtra has the highest number in the country. From the field to the maquiladora, from the devil to the deep blue sea. There's little chance that the Minister could concieve of rural change owned and driven by rural people, and with income redistribution concomitant with that. But then this kind of myopia is also, sadly, global. ... read more »

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Posted on 28 November, 2006 - 03:25