Unseasonal rains and hailstorms have destroyed fruits, grains vegetables and orchards of an untold number of farmers in Beed in Maharashtra.
The ongoing Gujarat cotton farmers' agitation demanding better minimum support price took a new turn on Wednesday, after a 21-year-old farmer died due to self-immolation at the district's Vinchhiya marketing yard, because of not getting a good price for his cotton.
Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com offers his take on India's agrarian crisis that has driven thousands of distressed farmers to commit suicide this year.
Take a look at how Tamil Nadu farmers are making their voices heard.
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday accused the Modi government of "abandoning" farmers at a time when the country is faced with an agrarian crisis.
Jawan springs a real surprise when it boldly and directly points fingers at the ineffective government and appeals to recognise the power of the finger and vote. Six months before the next general Indian election, this is no coincidence, observes Sukanya Verma.
'If the BJP thinks they can suppress the farmers' movement by opening fire, they are wrong.' 'It will create a boomerang effect which will be very difficult to manage.'
To build one's political and ideological arguments on the dead bodies piling up outside our crematoriums is despicable and breaches the basic tenet of human civility, argues Vivek Gumaste.
Over 3,500 police personnel have deployed as the farmers began their march from the Ramlila Maidan to Parliament at 10.30 am.
The prime minister is scheduled to visit two villages -- one each in Kurnool and Mehboobnagar districts.
This time, the price of potato had shot up to Rs 50 per kg.
The Maharashtra Kisan Sabha announced that the strike will be intensified in the coming days.
After some tough talk that the Centre has been given a 'long rope' and 'failed' to break the deadlock and not been 'effective' in handling the stir, the court said it will pronounce orders on Tuesday on various issues related to the farm laws and the farmers' ongoing stir at Delhi borders.
While India boasts of its nuclear strength, 600 million people are still living in darkness, 150 million do not have access to health clinics and farmers' suicides make it to the pages of newspapers now and then, Tharoor said at a 'Face To Face' programme organised by Bengal Initiative, a conclave of front-runners in different fields of the state, on Sunday night.
Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi said the Congress would root out the weeds in the form of the Akali-Bharatiya Janata Party combine.
Congress on Sunday ridiculed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assurances to the farmers.
'We will celebrate Independence Day as usual, but not this celebration from August 15 to 22 (as sought by the Modi government).'
Beyond the macro data, there has been little enquiry into the profile of the indebted farmer households, says Shailesh Dobhal.
Palaniswami said, "I will take up with PM Narendra Modi the demands put forward by the farmers. I urge them to end this protest."
Several farmers in Bangalore Rural district committed suicide after being unable to repay their debts owing to crop failure.
Despite toiling hard for long hours, they hardly get the right price for the produce nor do they get timely assistance from the government.
Setting up dairy cooperatives modelled on Gujarat's 'Operation Flood' could ease agrarian distress and stop suicides by farmers in the region.
The farmers' suicides and the Naxal issue could be high on the agenda.
Elections are scheduled in five states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur, Goa and Punjab.
Suicides, drought, natural calamities, slump in market...Nothing can deter the determination of farmers in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh.
Gajendra Singh, who committed suicide at an Aam Aadmi Party rally in Delhi, was cremated at his native village on Thursday in the district, with a large number of people including politicians converging.
The farmers, who have been staging a protest for the past 41 days demanding a Rs-40,000 crore drought relief package, farm loan waiver and setting up of the Cauvery Management Board by the Centre
The two-day rally will be one of the largest congregations of farmers in Delhi, the AIKSCC has claimed.
'Agriculture has been given the wrong kind of attention.' 'More innovations are needed for the sector to be successful,' says Devi Murthy of Kamal Kisan.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday said the issue of alleged suicide by farmers hit by natural calamities in Andhra Pradesh would be looked into.The assurance was given by the prime minister to a delegation of seven opposition parties which met him to draw his attention to the plight of farmers in the southern state, Communist Party of India leader A B Bardhan told reporters after the meeting.The delegation also handed over to him a letter from TDP chief C Naidu.
The Delhi high court on Wednesday sought the government's response on its cabinet's decision to accord "martyr" status to a Rajasthan farmer who had allegedly hung himself at an Aam Aadmi Party rally in New Delhi in April.
A countrywide call for a 'gram bandh' between June 1 and 10 is set to be centred on Mandsaur district of the state.
The whitefly outbreak has intensified a debate over GM crops just as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office reviews a proposal to allow farmers to grow GM mustard.
With paddy growers being blamed for causing air pollution, farm experts and farmers' outfits said they are compelled to burn stubble as they do not have any other feasible and cheap option.
'I fear that Karnataka is going to the polls next year and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has staked claim to Akkalkot and Solapur'
