Mumbai: Secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH), Maharashtra Abdul Mujeeb Shaikh has voiced concern over the high number of farmers suicides reported in Maharashtra.
In a statement on Saturday, Shaikh said, "A report prepared by the Amravati divisional commissionerate showed that 557 farmers in Amravati region committed suicide in the first six months of 2024. Of this Amravati had 170 suicides, Yavatmal 150, Buldhana 111, Akola 92 and Washim 34 suicides. Data shows that in 2023, Maharashtra had 2,851 farmer suicides, in 2022 it was 2,942 and in 2021 2,743 farmer suicides. This is extremely distressing and a cause of grave concern. The government should immediately explain the reasons for this situation and spell out its strategy to prevent such a tragedy."
The reasons for the high suicide rate are crop losses, inadequate rainfall, debt burden, and the absence of timely farm loans.
"In the absence of bank loans, the farmer is forced to take a loan through the "sahukar" (money lender) at a high rate of interest. In many cases, the farmers do not get the MSP. Small and marginal farmers cannot afford to buy the required chemicals, fertilizers, seeds, and equipment like tractors and submersible pumps. Jamaat-e-Islami Hind believes that farmers should be provided loans at zero interest and there should be a loan waiver scheme for deserving and marginalized farmers. The government should fulfill its promise of doubling farmers’ income and come out with a time-bound plan to solve Maharashtra's agrarian crisis and put an end to farmers suicides," Shaikh added.
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