Main Article Content
Abstract
In terms of occupation India is primarily an agrarian country. But, agriculture contributes a meager amount to GDP; resulting in a trap of vicious circle of underdevelopment for her rural populace. In spite of more than sixty five years of independence and developmental planning, the farmers’ situation remains pathetic. Earlier, it was nature’s fury which was taking their lives, now they themselves are taking their lives. Moved by growing spate of farmers’ suicide, this study intended to examine the nature and extent of agrarian distress in recent years from a holistic perspective by focusing its on a specific region i.e. Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh. The analysis suggests that the cropping pattern has been in contravention with the prevailing agro-climatic conditions leading to increased impoverishment of the peasantry. Further, there has been a growing marginalization of farmers in Bundelkhand. And a large section of peasants have been deprived of institutional credit and devoid of insurance cover. Moreover, the rising cost of cultivation and lack of appropriate government support prices in the face of slowing down of global commodity prices have increased their burden. On the one hand, the state has ignored them; on the other hand, the market has exploited them. Exorbitant rents of share cropping and high debt servicing obligations to village money lenders have further increased their burden. Owing to global warming and climatic change, the vagaries of weather in recent years add salt to their injury. To tide over the emerging crisis the study proposes a host of affirmative policy measures.