Farmer’s mental health: Maharashtra Govt can do much better

For the people of India, right now, the primary sector of economics i.e. agriculture has become such sector which can neither left nor can involve in to it. Many people can never leave it because they have no alternative path of livelihood or path of income to decide for them. In common, any people cannot adopt it because with its earning no future financial security is expected; with the sole involvement or with the earning of it, one can at least maintain its family food needs not the expenditure at all. Therefore it becomes the last option for the people of India who, by any means, no way of livelihood. Despite of bearing immense possibilities it turns into the shelter of the unfortunate people. Surprisingly as such it is now treated as the least important sector and thus farmers are committing suicides and the economists as well as the government leaders are trying to avoid it from consideration. The leaders of Maharashtra government is accounting the matter with some value and declares schemes of Rs-23.82 crore fund for the treatment of the mental health of the farmers. I hope they are trying to do something for the farmers finding the suicide is as the mental ill health. It is the matter of section, dissection and cross section for finding the factors responsible for it.

I would like to conclude that it is not the shelter of the frustrated people any way. The farmer’s suicide is not related to their ill mental health. There are better solutions to prevent the suicide tendency of the farmers right now. It is primary, for us it is fact that here the peoples can easily engage themselves for its alive, for its food. Our attitude turns it into last option from its first position therefore the tragedy arises. In total, it turns in to the shelter of the frustrated people just because of its present status. It is an inevitable by product of the circumstance while first comes at last or vacillation in maintaining its order of natural series. Any way now the farmers of India are in a state of full scale uncertainty. For the many Indian people it is now a painful last source of livelihood and despite of its intension they cannot opt for the modern agricultural mechanism. They have just the negative in their front (a) they cannot adopt modern agricultural method due to its financial limitation, (b) they even cannot courage to proceed further with the bank loan because the uncertainty waits in its surrounding area, which leads the farmer in to the path of killing its life. At the same line, one important corner I have seen that the literate person after getting education normally maintains gap from it or the feel detachment from agricultural work. In the path of education while a child proceed ahead he gradually going away from agriculture farming because of phenomenal reasons, like its parents never allows them to be in agriculture or they feels financially insecure in agriculture or farmers life style naturally starts pushing back. These feelings are now turns in to a social feelings therefore collectively we are making it as its present status. We have maintained the department specially termed as agriculture but the result of the various activity of the department is frustrating. I am not criticising the agricultural department but as an analyst I am concluding the truth in general. The entire phenomenon grows from the attitudes in total, turns it into ornamental character in its policy formulation and its policy implementation; consequence of its policy and policy implementation compels the farmers to be frustrated and in extreme mental state of this phenomenon they decide to kill themselves.

I hope we should go further in to its more depth. On one of my enquiry, “why one occupation has chosen by a person” (!); I have drawn a conclusion from the observation of last few years that every person like to choose that specific job or occupation which bears financial security for man from all corners. Doctor, Engineer, IAS, IPS or like that first class job, and gradually to the lower salaried jobs up to a private company even, who bears at least desired financial security to it. Now my intension to say only the financial security is the strong base of choosing a job for any person. Person gradually by its quality looses its possibility of having top salaried job and enters in to the bottom salaried jobs. In some cases despite of bearing quality under some unavoidable compulsion of the circumstance a person used to choice an occupation below its quality. Finally the marginal category of the population compulsorily comes in to the farmers. Many be many answer or finding for many with their own base of findings. I do not like to contradict with them any way because they thought because they have base in its relation. I will just say mine. I saw from my observation and from my personal query that, in our country there are least jobs; therefore the marginal youths or workforce, even remains unproductive despite of being educated, but due to agricultural sectors non attraction, they remains attached in to it as disguised unemployed. There are some exceptional personalities also, but study is a discussion of general context. As such the compulsion and unwillingness makes the agricultural sector less productive because attitude makes any work productive. Most of all, along with these negative elements, the impractical policy and initiative of the government; compulsion of selling agricultural product in lost; torture of draught and flood like natural calamities, enhances the pain of the people involved in agricultural sector. Consequently agriculture comes to the light as unattractive and therefore the new generation never likes to offer their option on farming occupation for its life on any cost.

It has already disclosed that the courageous educated youth, after involvement in agricultural sector, definitely turns into an example of frustration for the others of the society. There are a few example of success which is not enough to put for the youth. Another corner I concluded painfully that the cost of production of the product is only known to the producer therefore if he decide price of it, there is possibility of surplus earning. But this has not happened in the case of agricultural pricing; I am sure to say it that it is the only instance of economics where producer never decide price of its product. I am looking this instance helplessly because the economists till this date are not serious about it. The price of the agricultural product decided by the businessman and politically backed by syndicates where the cost of production of the farmer has completely overlooked. This is the sole corner, which is responsible for the lost of the farmers and right from this end, the entire negative flows starts blowing and affect the entire agricultural sector and thus economy. The courageous youth who tries to opt the farming thus proves a comet that falls down from the skies and again started to spread negative flows in the economy. The frustrated farmers in this way frustrated more because it adds another negatives. Finally the primary sector of the economy turns into a painful sector.

The recent instances and information’s related to the agricultural sector is that the suicide cases of farmers is now epidemic in India. Along with the instances of the country the farmer’s suicide case has come to the notice in even Assam, during last 15 years. I hope the above discussion may help in concluding the fact. The fact is the farmers for better earning financial security from agriculture, started emphasised in it and for it they accept bank loan. Finally after harvesting he finds that from the earning of hard working of last few months he is even incapable to repay its bank loan, the financial condition of his family deteriorate more and mortgage of the loan even endangered. This family financial hardship, endangered mortgage of loan, non repayment of loan started to attack the farmer from three corners (i) create fears, (ii) create Frustrations and (iii) load stress. Any one of the three is enough to instigate one person for self killing but here for the farmer here there are three. The recent instances of the suicide of the farmers in India are related in to these three specifically. “Yavatman has been identified as one of the worst-affected districts, with over 3,500 farmer’s suicides since 2001” as per the report of Times of India. During last 15 years in suicide cases recorded highest in Maharashtra, especially in its Vidarbha region. As per TOI report “Vidarbha has witnessed a spurt in suicides in the last 18 months. While 721 farmers committed suicide in 2014, 446 did so in the first six months of 2015”. I hope it is a great challenge for the leaders of India who are dreaming to establish India in the platform of developed and powerful nation by 2020. Till this date, the instance of failour of finding the root causes related to it reflects that the policy formulation and its right implementation will take more time if it has not attempted from all intellectuals. Leaving the corner without sole solution, delivering speech of developed and powerful nation, I hope, both the activity of the Indian leaders never match and it is surprising to say that this mismatch is itself a tuff hindrance in the path of development and attaining the state of powerful nation in the world. I would like to feel from my finding, as a dreamer of developed and powerful India by 2020, with this state of farmers in agriculture sector, we are preparing a lame horse for race; but I fear to say because it will hurt our honourable leaders.

It has seen that the Maharashtra government recently comes forward for the farmers with a declaration of Rs-23.82 crore funds to take care the mental health of the farmers so that the intension and intensity of suicide among the farmer may not enhance more. As per the initiative, the community health workers of the state will carry a questionnaire and record the findings to access the mental health of the farmers. More and more psychiatry and psychologist is going to deploy in suicide prone district hospitals like Amravati, Beed, Buldhana, Hingoli, Parbani, Jalna, Osmanabad, Wardha and Washim and in the sub divisional hospitals like Akola, Aurangabad, Nanded, Lathur and Yavatmal. The state government is going to focus on aspects like induct more and more psychiatry and psychologist in the suicide prone area, training to the community health workers and hiring counselor on contract basis to resist the painful epidemic. It is also noticed that in Yavatmal and Aurangabad district these activities had already been started. The state government is going to expand this mission in to more 12 districts of the state within October.

I wholeheartedly am offering my thanks to the Maharashtra government because they even try its effort. Welcoming its effort I would like to say that they should come much forward for its up rooting initiative. Offering psychiatry and psychologist for the farmer’s mental ill health is necessary but it cannot uproot the attitude of suicide from the mind of the farmers. Deployment of psychiatry, psychologist, training to the community health workers and hiring counselor on contract basis to resist the painful epidemic is just time being solution or consolation in the epidemic. It will be the best if they initiate the effort to uproot the factor. From my finding and conclusion, I would like to say that suicide of the farmer is the symptoms only. Treatment on the symptoms never brings any satisfactory cure regarding. I would like to conclude strongly that, suicide case of farmer is the ultimate result, which is looks like mental illness. But the root of this mental ill health has grows from (i) fears, (ii) frustrations and (iii) stress of the farmer. These three factors again strongly related to the earning of their farming. The earning of farming of the farmer related to the price of the product. The price of the agricultural product is related to the agricultural price mechanism of the sector. My finding and the root is the pricing of the agricultural product. Decide a price which derives profit for the farmer, I do believe strongly that farmers fear, frustration and stress will disappear as miracle and the intension and intensity of suicide automatically removed. I recommend a price determination tool where the cost of production accounted properly with profit, as a remedy of the mental ill health case of the farmers of Maharashtra, to uproot the epidemic in true sense. After these prime steps, I believe, deployment of psychiatry, psychologist, training to the community health workers and hiring counselor will not arise any way. It is fully economical.

Everybody is trying to conclude the instance of farmer’s suicide from its own corner on the basis of its findings. Their basis and finding are limited to their field of knowledge but we need sole solution, therefore we should discuss right because we need permanent solution. We should account everybody’s finding but should walk on the right. Dr. Harish Shetty comments it as a good decision of the government and according to him only the community health workers are enough for the mission. On the other hand Dr. Prashant Chakkarwar on another stand, the mental health intervention is also related to social and economical solutions. After Dr. Shetty and Dr. Chakkarwar I am in the third stand; it is totally economical instance, only with a right price mechanism this epidemic can uprooted fully.

Now, we are in confusion, here we have got three stands, Dr. Harish Shetty, Dr. Prashant Chakkarwar and mine. Can we think like Dr. Harish Shetty that it is a mental health related matter and with the help of the community health workers it is possible to solve? Or can we think like Dr. Prashant Chakkarwar that to solve it social and economic solutions are also necessary? Or can we think that only on deciding a suitable agricultural price mechanism the entire problem will come to an end?

Here we need some frankness; one should not account the comments on the basis of the status of the commentator while decide, just the true explanation and observation should account for. As I have seen that the comments bear some interrelations, these should not overlook. But I am completely disagreeing with Dr. Shetty, because it is not a matter of mental health. It is a symptom or branch not the root related to it. Without treating the root or treating the symptoms or on the branch, the treatment can never be fruitful. Dr. Chakkarwar has born some convincing corners because the mental health of the farmer only possible to treat while social and economic solutions are also considered parallelly. I hope both are the doctors therefore it is quite possible to account the health corners as prime issue. Actually the case of farmer’s suicide is a result; i.e. bulb is not lighting, its switch is agricultural pricing mechanism, switch is off as such changing the bulb or changing the wires is not the solution of the light problem. Switch of the bulb should on and that is the solution. Therefore the solution need right focus on prime cause. The mental health treatment therefore comes subsequently after removing the prime treatment. It is not intended to hurt the honourable doctors and the honourable leaders of the Maharashtra state who is trying to do something on farmer’s suicide. As their intension of the betterment of the farmer, I also intended alike, in that intension to trace out the root cause of the farmers suicide, I find agricultural price mechanism as the main switch, therefore I put it considering as best. Offering due respect to the honourable doctors and to the honourable leaders of Maharashtra state, I am just sharing my findings. With my finding the treatment of the doctors may also arise or may even not arise.

While I went into the depth of the root; I account the suicide of the farmer first. Generally suicide needs a lot of courage in a person. That shows that the farmer’s courage status comes down and equalized to zero. I saw courage becomes zero for many reasons like fear, frustration, stress, feeling own valuelessness, addiction of fear-frustration-stress. I conclude regarding the suicide factor like fear, frustration stress, feeling own valuelessness, addiction of fear-frustration-stress are solely related. Fear of financial insecurity, fear of failour in loan repayment, fear of not bear ability of maintenance of its family, fear of loosing valuable of the house in mortgage of loan etc are related to the farmers. Frustration of failour of earning enough from its hard work and state of living in seriously poor state are also seen working in the case of the farmers. After repeated effort, repeated hard labour, the farmer’s fail to understand the cause of its failour, again failour in providing the fundamental needs of the family he started feeling its valuelessness. As a result of the total action and reaction of these negative elements releases more and more stress. Finally under the grip of five factors they left to evaluate in between right and wrong; in their measuring rod, in between life and death, death proves better for him and thus kills himself.

The factors like fear, frustration, stress, feeling own valuelessness, addiction of fear-frustration-stress on the other hand grows from the insufficient earning of its occupation i.e. it linked with economic insecurity of agriculture. Actually insufficient earning builds family problem, fear, frustration, stress, feeling own valuelessness, addiction of fear-frustration-stress. If by dint of adequate pricing policy, the earning of the farmer enhanced up to the state of sufficient level, where fear, frustration, stress, feeling own valuelessness, addiction of fear-frustration-stress is possible to regulate than a good family relation, happiness will come in to its mind; in such mental state the people will like to live more instead of its suicide. After this state if the mental health of the farmer has not recovered than the support of the doctor is necessary.

This is the vital work. In the work of providing sufficient earning to the farmer; there is no any necessary to make major investment from the government. Sufficient earning needs the surplus from the selling the agricultural product. For making surplus in selling agricultural product, it is necessary to determine the price of the agricultural product on the basis of actual estimation of the production cost of the farmer. It should decide from the government because the agriculture is the unorganized sector and the persons involved in it are less educated. As such they are too incapable to determine its price of product to make some volume of surplus. Nothing any activity to perform from the agricultural department of the government accept the adequate price determination on agricultural product for its farmers on some volume of surplus value. The farmer will feel its value, its family problems will be settled, every type of fear will disappear; all frustration and stress generating elements will stop its work. On earning the sufficient income from its occupation, the silent killing attitude of farmers mind will dilute silently from their mind. In the family of the farmer the sourness and bitterness obviously diminish, in place of it love will grow among; due to this phenomenon the attitude of suicide will be least important. If after that effort the mental health has not regularized, it will vanish just on a simple effort of the doctors. Therefore I would like to recommend strongly, the suitable pricing policy of agricultural sector, to left some sufficient surplus value to the farmers, as medicine on its farmer’s suicide diseases. It is my strong conclusion and believes, if this recommendation has neglected or denied no medical treatment can recover the farmer’s mental health. This is the one and only prime treatment of the mental illness of the farmers. In my opinion, the suitable pricing policy of agricultural sector is the prime treatment and along with it the doctors assistance should also provided to some extent.

Other than farmer’s suicide case, as per the World Health Organisation report, in the last four decades the suicide cases have increases in rapid rate. As per their conclusion, economic circumstance, personal affairs and reciprocal elation of individuals are prime causes. 30% of suicide cases of the world are of India and China. From the WHO conclusion economic circumstance is the prime of all causes of suicide in the world. Other causes grow from this economic epicentre only.

This treatment of the farmer’s suicide case, obviously germinate some more other positive phenomenon. The corporate is highly benefited from it. The agricultural pricing policy to provide surplus value to the farmer will regulate the economy in the path of development. The leaders of our nation may obviously not agree with me, they may have no time for it. But it is for their convenience, if they want to save the corporate heartily, they should consider my IT age thought, this is utmost useful tool to help the capitalist or the corporate sector of the time. I do also believe in strong that with the effective pricing policy in agriculture sector the present leaders are capable to turn India into a great market of the corporate world which is necessary to attract FDI. With the suitable agricultural pricing policy, volume of Indian customer may visibly jump up to 80 crores or like that because all the farmers will get purchasing power. I hope it will be the greatest profitable market of the world. Every investor will prefer India to invest for the 80 crores plus consumers. Till this date the population of India has not turned into consumer because of its least purchasing power, but with the agricultural pricing policy, with the enhanced income, the farmer will turn in to a consumer because they will get purchasing power. Recently for the capitalist Market Creation of its product is also inevitable concept. The agricultural pricing policy can create a visibly profitable market in India. With one action the leaders can heat multiple targets (a) they may become hero in front of it’s voter, (b) the leader will create market for the corporate for which they are liable silently, (c) the Indian economic growth will get its consistency due to its balance of all sectors and (d) the dream of developed and powerful India by 2020 will come true in real sense.

The bullet is single i.e. Agricultural Pricing. The bullet hunts multi targets which is assured and desired for both the corporate and the poor. It is an IT age thoughts of political economics. I hope it is a thought for intellectual leaders; only they can understand it in right meaning, account it for right implementation and carry it to the right destination. Without interrupting the present state of benefits, the leaders can create better field of benefits for the corporate; offering better benefits even to the poor.