The Hindu Business Line : A networking approach to avert farmer suicides

Tele-psychological treatment using video-conferencing to avert farmer suicides could certainly be the first step to treating minor problems and identifying those that need face-to-face counselling. Mobile vans fitted with video-conferencing systems could move in areas and among groups with the highest incidence of suicide cases.

H. Kaushal

Recently, there was an uproar in the Maharashtra Assembly, with the Opposition demanding waiver of loans to farmers. It was argued that rural indebtedness was responsible for the high rate of suicides. Though the State and Central Governments are aware of the magnitude of the problem, there is no solution in sight.

Statistics of rural suicides in different States for 2005 reveal an aggregate of 312 suicides everyday, or roughly one every 30 minutes. The picture for 2006 has not changed substantially.

This data has been analysed based on FIRs registered for the suicides. Some startling facts stand out. Suicide rates are highest in progressive, prosperous and advanced states such as Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, followed by Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and so on. The not-so-modern States such as Bihar and Jharkhand do not have much problem in this regard.

Poverty and bankruptcy account for less than 3 per cent of the suicides. Actually, the rate of suicides is higher among farmers with large farms; 86 per cent of farmers committing suicide had more than two acres of land, and in 60 per cent of the cases, the farmers owned more than four acres of cultivatable land. Further, property problems caused a mere 2.2 per cent suicides. Hence, poverty has no direct relationship with the number of suicides.

No link with indebtedness

The 2002 National Survey registered that 27 per cent households in Rural India were in debt. Andhra Pradesh had the highest indebtedness of 42 per cent. This State also had second highest suicide rate. However, the link fails thereafter. Maharashtra, with an indebtedness of 27 per cent, was close to UP and Bihar, where indebtedness was 24 per cent and 22 per cent respectively. However, the number of suicides in Maharashtra was 31.6 times those in Bihar. Hence, indebtedness has no links with the suicide statistics.

It is argued that availability of institutional finances could reduce the number of suicides because a farmer in the clutches of an unscrupulous money lender is left with little choice but to end his life since he cannot pay exorbitant interest rates.

This line of reasoning is buttressed by the fact that in the decade 1991-2002, the availability of institutional finance fell from 64 per cent to 57 per cent.

The Maharashtra Government and Prime the Minister’s relief packages lay great emphasis on making institutional finance available. Institutional finance more than trebled to Rs 2,583 crore in Maharashtra. This has not been able to lower the suicide rate and the State continues to top the list with 3,926 suicides in 2005 and 4,453 in 2006.

On the other hand, Bihar registered a steep decline in the availability of institutional finance — from 73 per cent to 37 per cent. This decrease coincided with a fall in the suicide rate too. Thus, institutional finance appears to have little bearing on the suicide rate.

Loneliness no cause

Statistics show that over 70 per cent of those who committed suicide were married, 90 per cent were over 45 and around 30 per cent were women. Hence, loneliness is not the cause of suicides.

Many earlier reports on rural suicide had concluded that they were due to indebtedness and non-availability of institutional finance. This does not appear correct. Making institutional finance available, reducing interest rates, re-scheduling loan repayments or even a general waiver of loans would not solve the problem.

Secondly, crop failure, un-remunerative prices, relief for natural calamities, etc., are sometimes stated to be the cause for suicides. This argument also fails compared to the conditions of the urban poor.

Analysis of data on urban suicides would bring out the lack of applicability of these causes. An in-depth analysis of eight suicide cases showed that none of these were due to agriculture-related causes.

Lavish weddings, expenses on family functions beyond available resources, sickness, purchase of white goods, etc., have been identified as the causes. Recent thinking attributes the cause of many farmer’s suicides to be mental illness.

Undoubtedly, the psychological angle of the farmers committing suicide has not been investigated in detail. However, the mindset created by the political environment is more likely to be the cause for aggravating suicidal tendencies among certain groups.

The root cause of psychological disorders among specific groups/regions must be diagnosed by qualified psychiatrists and treated/counselled.

Mobile solution

Unfortunately, curing mental illness has generally not received its due recognition in our country. There are not enough qualified psychiatrists to treat this problem. Fortunately, current generation technology can come to the rescue. The country has been employing tele-medicine for some years, though not in desired concentration.

Tele-psychological treatment using video-conferencing may not be the best solution, but could certainly be a first step to treating minor problems and identifying those that need face-to-face counselling.

Mobile vans fitted with video-conferencing system could move in areas and among groups where suicides cases are concentrated.

For example, in Maharashtra, farmers’ suicides are taking place mainly in six districts. The vans could tour these areas and the central hub could be located at Amravati or Nagpur. Potential cases could interact through video conferencing with a central nodal point, where a qualified psychiatrist can conduct diagnostic/counselling sessions.

ISRO has been handling tele-medicine links between mobile vans and centrally-located hospitals and could also be given the mandate to operate video-conferencing links for psychiatrist treatment of potential suicide cases.

Expenses miniscule

Other agencies could also be considered for assigning the task of handling video-conferencing links. It is worth mentioning that the expenses on such a project would be minuscule compared to those planned for loan waivers.

The suggested method would also overcome the shortage of qualified psychiatrists for handling this task or the reluctance these professionals may have to practise in tiny villages.

This approach is sound and logical and worth trying. However, other details — identifying the areas/groups to be monitored through video-conferencing by the centrally-located psychiatrist in each State; the number of vehicles needed, and so on — can then be worked out before the project is launched.

(The author is a former Group Captain, IAF.)