Meet Ram Das, he was 48 years old. He was living in Central Part of India. The central part of India is around Tropic of Cancer (23°26' N). Ram Das was very unfortunate. He left primary education at the age of eight years because his father wanted him to help in agriculture as it was the only source of income in their family. Ram Das could not help himself and decided to help his father in their family business (essentially agriculture) but he decided that he would not drag his son in to the agriculture and he would provide the best available education to his son.
As in India, Doctor would like to marry Doctor, Engineer to Engineer; here was this deal. Ram Das' father decided to settle his marriage with a girl named, Arpita. She was the only daughter of his uncle who was also a peasant. Remind you in any farmer's family, a woman equally take part in the agriculture.
This couple gave birth to five children. Out of five; four are daughters and one is their son. Slowly and gradually, Ram Das married his elder daughter and for his second daughter's marriage, he took a loan from the local moneylender. Time went on, He had the responsibility of four daughters and while doing so; he was totally in a debt trap. He was resolute in his decision to provide the best education to his son.
After successful marriages of his four daughters, he took the last chance to lend some more money for his son's education. He tried to provide the best education to the boy and like any man; He was blissful to address all his responsibilities.
His income sources were approaching zero except some old-age pension scheme by the Govt. of India. The success of farming depends upon many factors. The essential natural factor is the average rain. The area, where Ram Das live, is officially recognized as Drought affected area and it receives very less rain (typically in 6- 12 mm per week during the peak season for agriculture).
3 years passed, the recovery of loan was not possible and his son was not able to help his family through his minimal income source; as every one of us knows about the status and exploitation in the job sectors. Don't we?
All I wonder, What option Ram Das was left with? Are we responsible for his condition? Could we do something to save Ram Das?
He successfully committed suicide and Ram Das was not the only one. I will share an astonishing fact originally posted by Newsweek in the end of 2014:
In the U.S. the rate of farmer suicides is just under two times that of the general population. In the U.K. one farmer, a week commits suicide. In China, farmers are killing themselves daily to protest the government taking over their prime agricultural lands for urbanization. In France, a farmer dies by suicide every two days. Australia reports one farmer suicides every four days. India yearly reports more than 17,627 farmer suicides.
I am absolutely aware of the year, but this is the story every year and in every country. Since 2013, the farmer's income has been dropping steadily, According to the US department of Agriculture.This is insane and if I have no idea what I am talking about then read this statement:
The current incomes we've seen for the last three years ... have been about like farm incomes from early in this century -: a professor of agricultural economics at Purdue University in Indiana.
How many of us are employed in agriculture? How many farmers are giving up farming and shifting to urban areas to find a decent job?
In 1991, 43.28% of total employment was in agriculture and this % decreases to 26.47 in 2017 as estimated by World Bank Group.
What would happen if this trend continue?
Well, two things may happen. The first:
The Second:
All these private companies will take over the entire agriculture sector and sell inorganic food.
Well, I won't answer this one. Let's ask this question to 11-year-old Birke Baehr. Let him answer this one for us.
A verse for the people who works hard so that we can eat food.
A man
Gentle, hard-worker and calm
Food that we ate today
Grown in his farm.
Uneducated, simple and honest
Next time you meet
Pay him my regards
and say,
"He is the best."
Responsibility is the ability to respond. Some respond by actions and some through words. The one who does not respond at all, either he is irresponsible or dead.
I would like to hear your opinion. What are your thoughts on this matter? What is the condition of agriculture in your country and what initiatives are taken by Govt to tackle all these problems?
