Congress MP Randhawa Slams Punjab Government Over Deteriorating Farmer Condition
Congress Member of Parliament from Gurdaspur, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, voiced profound concern on Monday regarding the rapidly worsening plight of farmers in Punjab. His statement came in the wake of a tragic incident where two brothers died by suicide, unable to repay a mounting agricultural loan.
Demand for Action Against Bank Officials
Randhawa demanded immediate and stringent action against the concerned bank officials whose practices contributed to the financial despair leading to the suicides. He emphasized that the condition of Punjab's farmers is deteriorating alarmingly, with their grievances consistently ignored by authorities.
"Farmers have not received the minimum support price (MSP) for their crops to date, and flood compensation remains entirely out of the question," Randhawa stated. "When farmers take to the streets to legitimately demand their rights, the Punjab government responds with lathi charges and tear gas."
Farmers as the Nation's Backbone
The Congress MP underscored that Punjab's farmers constitute the backbone of the entire nation's food security. "Despite this critical role, they are being systematically neglected," he lamented. Farmers are not receiving fair prices for their produce, which forces them into sustained financial losses.
To protect their crops and sustain their households, farmers are compelled to take high-interest loans. When repayment becomes impossible, banks engage in relentless harassment, a pressure cooker situation that tragically pushes many toward suicide.
National and State-Level Suicide Statistics
According to data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), an average of 11,000 farmers die by suicide annually across India. Between 2014 and 2023, approximately 112,000 farmers lost their lives due to various distress factors, including crippling debt and unsustainable farming losses.
Media reports indicate that in Punjab alone, about 150 farmers died by suicide in 2023, highlighting a severe state-specific crisis.
The Faridkot Tragedy: A Case Study
The recent case in Faridkot involved two brothers who had taken a loan of Rs 25 lakh for farming purposes. Due to their inability to repay the instalments, the amount reportedly ballooned to Rs 50 lakh with accrued interest. Overwhelmed by this insurmountable debt burden, the brothers tragically chose to end their lives.
Randhawa asserted that the government should have intervened proactively to help them repay the loan, preventing such an outcome. He also referenced a claim made by Aam Aadmi Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal, who had promised that no farmer would die by suicide after April 1 once his party came to power—a promise that stands in stark contrast to the ongoing reality.
The MP's statements underscore a deepening agrarian crisis in Punjab, marked by policy failure, lack of price support, and institutional apathy, demanding urgent governmental intervention and systemic reform.
