Farmer’s suicide opens new political battlefront in Kerala
The Hindu
Opposition seeks to corner LDF govt. over looming agrarian crisis
The suicide of a 49-year-old paddy farmer, Rajeev, in upper Kuttanad has arguably emerged as an alarming reminder of the crisis facing the agriculture sector in Kerala.
Unseasonal rains, spiralling fertilizer cost, “shoddy” paddy procurement, raiding wild animals, and low harvest price indicated that another hard season of agrarian distress could be on Kerala’s horizon.
A preliminary government assessment has pegged the crop loss due to rains in Kottayam (1,071 hectares) and Pathanamthitta (795 hectares) between April 1 and April 12 alone at ₹21.58 crores.
Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of more rain in the coming days.
Agricultural misery is also shaping up as the next battlefront between the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) Opposition. It is also posing a thorny political and economic challenge to the government.
Leader of Opposition, V.D. Satheesan, visited Rajeev’s bereaved family in Niranam. He said crop-killing unseasonal rains, zero support from the government, faulty paddy procurement, delayed and paltry compensation for harvest loss, spiralling fertilizer price and coercive pressure from banks to repay agriculture loans had cast a gloom over the ailing agriculture sector in Kerala. “There are no agriculture officers in at least three block offices in Kuttanad,” he alleged.
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