Documentary questions theories about farmer suicides

Screening of a documentary on the issue of farmer suicides at the Punjab Agricultural University on Thursday raised some uncomfortable questions. The film,Harvest of Grief,presented by activist Inderjeet Singh Jaijee,questions many established theories,many of them propagated by the Green Revolution. In the discussion that followed,certain PAU officials were visibly in discomfort over this. The film was screened in a rare such instance at the university.

“Farmer suicides is a complex issue,which is not only agrarian but also socioeconomic and political,” said Dr Manjit Singh Kang,Vice-Chancellor,PAU. Dr Kang was referring to well-known physicist and environment activist Dr Vandana Shiva’s comments on the Green Revolution as shown in the film,wherein she questions monoculture among other things. Dr R S Sidhu,Dean,PAU College of Basic Sciences and Humanities,said,“The filmmakers should have incorporated PAU’s viewpoint too.”

Some members of the PAU faculty referred to drug addiction,heavy spending on social functions,illiteracy and changing lifestyle as major causes of suicides rather than only failing agriculture. But Jaijee countered,saying that studies by the PAU itself debunk this theory. “Failing agricultural and rising debt are the biggest reasons,other so-called reasons are mere excuses for farmer suicides,” he added.