INTRODUCTION:

Suicide is one of the epidemiological problems in the world. The factors like social, psychological, cultural and other factors are very determining factors stimulate suicidal behaviour. Farmers’ suicide is one most incidence happen in the world, particularly, in India, farmers suicide is most important issues. After the Green Revolution emerged, our agricultural growth was stagnated until 1990s. The introduction of economic reforms period, there is financial depression and devolution of money and foreign exchange rate drastically declined. It was affected not only in agricultural sector, but also in economic growth.

Thereafter, it was changed the economic conditions due to open market of International Monetary Fund in India. Therefore, this leads to globalization, liberalization and privatization of our economy.

A large majority of the farmers are small farmers in the world as well as in India. The farming system is delinked from the earth, the soil, the biodiversity, the climatic change and linked to global corporations and global markets. In recent years, due to global economic system, is totally destroyed the small farmers. Farmer’s suicides are the most terrible events in the Indian peasant’s history. In 1997, first incidence of farmer’s suicide was happening in Indian soil. The main reasons behind it is increase in indebtedness, falling price of agricultural commodities, mount amount of cost of cultivation, crop loss, monsoon failure, seed monopoly are major challenging factors for increasing farmers suicides in India.

The World Bank’s structural adjustment polices was implemented in India during 1998. After this scheme, seed sector is enlarged to global corporations like Cargill, Monsanto and Syhgenta. The corporate sector is changed their input policy of seed sector in India. The farmers are save their own seed for future cultivations. The system is changed by corporate seeds by the multinational companies. The traditional way of seed creation is totally destroyed by those companies instead of those corporate companies got patents and generating seeds with one time basis. The seed saving habit among the farmers was transformed due to the global pressures. The seed selling is one of the big businesses in India with huge profit making one and multinational seed corporations started to take control of the seed supply.

The seed saved habit is changed from traditional method to corporate monopolies of the seed supply. As results, the farmers are forced to buying the seed with need based every year. This kind of instances is down their life into poverty and leads to increase in debt among the farming community. The debt payment is increase and it could not repayable by the farmers. This incidence is creates the farmers suicides in India. The monocultures practices are increasing the risks of crop failures in India. The corporate seed companies are not selling quality seeds to the farmers with reasonable price (Kumar, Singh, K.M. and Sinha, (2010)).

The objective of the paper is finding out the incidence of farmers suicides in districts levels of Tamil Nadu and causes of it. The first is introductory in nature; the second deals with incidence of farmer’s suicides in India level. Third describes the growth trends of farmer’s suicides in Tamil Nadu at district level. Fourth section deals with procedure adopted and criteria for compensation and lastly provides concluding remarks and policy suggestions.

2. Incidence of Farmers’ Suicide in India:

In the World, the suicides were begun four decades back in industrialized countries and it was begun during last decade in India. At presently, we stand fourth in suicide rate in the World. The suicide rate is increased in India over period of time due to modernization of the cultural and social attitude, and physical and psychological behaviour of the people. The incidence of suicides was increased from 40, 000 in 1967 to 1,35,445 in 2014. It accounts for three fold size increased over the six decades. When look at the gender-wise suicide rate among male and females, the male rate is increased from 59 percent (52,357) in 1995 to 65 percent (88,453) in 2012 and female rate is decline from 41 percent (36,821) to 35 percent (46,992) in 2012. But in real terms, the female rate also increased. In India, the farmer’s suicide was happened on 12^th December, 1997 and Mr. Shivaraj Mainalle of Siddeshwar village in Bidar district committed suicide (National Crime Record Bureau, New Delhi, 2014).

According to India’s National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reported total suicide rate is increased from 89,178 in 1995 to 1,31,666 in 2014. Out of which, farmers suicide is increased from 10,720 to 12,360 in the same period. The percentage share of farmer’s suicide in the total suicide is decline from 12 percent to 9.4 percent and on the other hand, in real terms it is increased. When compare male with female farmers, male farmers are predominately 77.4 percent to 87 percent in the same period. But for female farmers is decline trend from 23 percent to 13 percent. The female rate is declined due to the emotional bounding. The reported noted that 131,666 people committed suicide and 9.4 percent of them are farmers (12,360) in India. It is noted that the social and economic status of the farmers, cultural, environmental and other external factors are determining to stimulating commit the suicide. Even though, government and civil society is involved to solve this issue, but the farmers suicide is not reduced (National Crime Record Bureau, New Delhi, 2014).

3. Intensity of Farmers' Suicides in Tamil Nadu:

Farmer’s suicides are one of the threats in recent years. The farmer’s livelihood is questionable in recent years. The farmers are exploited by middle men, government, private and corporate sectors from plantation to cultivation. After the economic reforms periods, the farmers are struggling for basic needs in the society. The agricultural sector is become commercialization, competitiveness, no profitable and very lower prices for the produce. The Government and private sector is totally neglected this sector. A large majority of the farmers are small farmers in the world. In recent years, due to global economic system, is totally destroyed the small farmers. Farmer’s suicides are the most terrible events in the Indian peasant’s history as well as in Tamil Nadu. The main reasons behind it is increase in indebtedness, falling price of agricultural commodities, mount amount of cost of cultivation, crop loss, monsoon failure, seed monopoly are major challenging factors for increasing farmers suicides in India and Tamil Nadu (Deshpande R S and Saroj Arora, 2010).

District-wise details of farmers’ suicide in Tamil Nadu during 2015-16 are presented in Table 1. Out of 32 districts in Tamil Nadu, 16 districts have the incidence. Tirunelveli district are having highest 18 percent of incidence of committed suicides and followed by Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts are having 16 percent and 13 percent. Delta region such as Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam and Thanjavur districts are seriously happening the incidence. A large number of farmers in this region are mainly depending up on Cauvery water. The farmers of the delta region is expecting opening of Mettur Dam water every year. Otherwise, they are seriously affected, if not open of the dam. Water is the fundamental issue and its adequacy is very essential for the successful farming. However, complete absence of assured water is main challenge to be reckoned. Almost all the farmers are in the delta region critically depends on Cauvery river water. If it is not given, the farmers face very high risk and uncertainties most of the times and pushed towards depression as there are no other water sources.

Table 1: District-wise Details of Farmers' Suicide in Tamil Nadu: 2015-16

Name of the Districts	No. of	Percent	No. of farmers	No. of farmers'
	Farmers’	to	suicide per lakh	suicide per lakh
	Suicides	State	hectare of	hectare of Gross
		Total	Net Sown Area =	cropped area =
			(no. of farmers'	(no. of farmers'
			suicides x	suicides x
			100,000) / net	100,000) / gross
			sown area in ha)	cropped area in ha
Ariyalur	1	2.22	1.01	0.89
Coimbatore	2	4.44	1.15	1.13
Dindugal	1	2.22	0.44	0.42
Madurai	1	2.22	0.80	0.77
Nagapattinam	6	13.33	4.01	2.23
Niligiris	2	4.44	2.69	2.69
Pudukottai	1	2.22	0.87	0.84
Thanjavur	4	8.89	2.09	1.48
Theni	3	6.67	2.67	2.35
Tirunelveli	8	17.78	4.83	4.13
Tiruvarur	7	15.56	4.45	2.14
Trichirappalli	1	2.22	0.62	0.56
Vellore	3	6.67	1.76	1.48
Villupuram	2	4.44	0.59	0.42
Virudhunagar	3	6.67	2.42	2.35
Total	45	100	0.93	0.75

Source: Commisiuonarate of Agriculture, Government of Tamil Nadu, Chennai-5and Various News Papers, Chennai

In southern part of Tamil Nadu, Tirunelveli and Virudhunagar districts are recorded the highest rate of 18 percent and 7 percent, respectively. Tirunelveli, Virudhunagar, Theni and Madurai districts’ farmers are mainly depending upon the Vaigai, Thamiraparani and Mullai Periyar water sources.

Table 2 Month-wise Farmers' Suicide in Tamil Nadu: July, 2015 to June, 2016

Months	Numbers of Farmers	Percentage to Total Number
	Suicides	of Farmers’ Suicides
July, 2015	3	11.54
August, 2015	1	3.85
September, 2015	2	7.69
October, 2015	3	11.54
November, 2015	1	3.85
December, 2015	2	7.69
January, 2016	2	7.69
February, 2016	2	7.69
Marh,2016	3	11.54
April, 2016	2	7.69
May, 2016	2	7.69
June, 2016	3	11.54

Total	26	100

Source: Commisiuonarate of Agriculture, Government of Tamil Nadu, Chennai-5and Various News Papers, Chennai

They highly sensitive and emotional bonding due to the traditional cultural behavior. There is dispute of Mullai Periyar water crisis among the Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Government of Kerala is troubling and making politics in the sense. The availability of water in Mullai Periyar River is enough for both states. There is no decline of water in the river because, of natural and climatic and hill station.

Monthly-wise farmers' suicide in Tamil Nadu during July, 2015 to June, 2016 is given in Table 2. The highest percentage of farmer’s suicides in Tamil Nadu is happening to11.5 percent during July and October, 2015, March and June, 2016, respectively. The South-West and North-East monsoon is main factors behind it. During July, 2015, the farmers are not ready to cultivate the crops. The Government of Tamil Nadu is not opening the Mettur Dam during the season in time during October, 2015, the delay of North East Monsoon in Tamil Nadu.

4. Procedure Adopted and Criteria for Compensation:

During 2012-13, Hon’able J Jayalalithaa, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu has announced to all these districts of Tamil Nadu except Chennai became drought affected area. The government has distributed compensation to affected farmers worth of Rs. 15, 000/acre including cost of cultivation. It is first state issued separate Government order in the country. She has declared that the cost of cultivation highest losses to the farmers during that period. During that period, she also announced Rs. 3lakhs for committed farming suicides. During 2014-15, she has announced Rs. 5700 crore for loan waiving for small and marginal farmers those get loan from cooperative banks in terms of short and medium term crop loan. Nearly, 8.5 lakhs farmers were benefited from this announcement (Seasonal Crop Report, 2014-15).

During 2015-16, Hon’able J Jayalalithaa, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu has announced special packages for both the kuruvai (short-term) and samba (long-term) paddy crop seasons. She also including three-phase power supply to delta districts to keep existing tube well irrigation going when the Cauvery issue was on the boil, have a limited utility and scope. Totally Rs.20,000 crore were distributed in terms of crop loan to the farmers from cooperative banks during 2011-16. During 2016, the government has distributed worth of Rs. 6, 000 crore through cooperative society (Seasonal Crop Report, 2016).

Generally, the government has adopt the field visit from every farming households by the government officials. The official is estimating the fact of the crop position and how much cost incurred and losses to the farmers. The agricultural official are estimating ranging from 10 percent,33 percent, 50 percent, 60 percent, 80 percent and 100 percent, respectively based on affection of crops. In recent days, the government has created Global Information System for predicting the soil and crop condition of particular village by Anna University. The system operated in the way of Mobile Phone in terms Povan off by the government. The Revenue, Agricultural and horticultural departments, Government of Tamil Nadu have been estimating the crop position in the village in Tamil Nadu. The government adopt the 10 percent of the total village have been selected from drought districts of Tamil Nadu. Each village have been given separate number for estimating purposes. The government is estimating 31districts of Tamil Nadu. Village Administrative Officers are involved to estimating the crop failure. Normally, 33 percent of the drought hit area are become taken into account for estimating of crop position.

The government has adopted certain norms and conditions. The committed suicides are due to farming operations not by others. The farmers are having own land and cultivating the crop during the period. If any crop losses occur during this incidence. The First Information Record is to be filed for the cases of farming suicides. The Revenue Department is also given certificate relating to own land details, cause of suicides. The medical certificate received from the Government Medical Hospital. The above said documents are very essential for getting the compensation worth of Rs. 3 lakh from government.

5. Compensation Paid and Actions by Tamil Nadu to Avert in the Future:

Hon’able Paneerselvan, Chief Minister, Government of Tamil Nadu has announced the committees for estimating the drought situation due to deficient rainfall during northeast monsoon. As per the Centre’s revised guidelines, the crop condition in 10 percent of the villages should be inspected and estimated to decide to whether or not declare the districts concerned as drought-hit. All District Collectors have been instructed to inspect the crop condition and drought situation and submit their reports to the government on 10^th January, 2017 (The Hindu, Chennai, 2017).

The Chief Minister, Government of Tamil Nadu has declared a drought hit districts because of deficient northeast monsoon on 12^th January, 2017. He has declared that the all these districts are drought hit districts except of Chennai. The announcement as land tax payable by all these districts will be waived completely. The second is short-term crop loan from cooperative and commercial banks will be converted into mid-term loan. He has reported that the paddy farmers and those who had sowed other irrigated crops and have suffered over 33 percent loss will be provided with Rs.5, 465 per acre as relief while, it will be Rs.7, 287 for long-term crops. Paddy farmers suffering 100 percent loss eligible for Rs. 21, 500-26,000 per acre as crop insurance. Farmer producing maize, turmeric also eligible. He have been taken for providing crop insurance. The Government plans to contribute to the crop insurance worth of Rs. 410 crore (The Economic Times, Chennai, 2017). As much as 86 percent of crops cultivated in 12.86 lakh acres in Cauvery delta region have been insured. About 6.71 lakh farmers in non-delta regions have insured their crops paying a premium totally Rs. 36.30 crore. The state contributing Rs. 410 crore as its share of premium. In the case of paddy, claims up to Rs. 25, 000 per acre would receive based on loss incurred (The Hindu, Chennai, 2017).

According to the Disaster Relief guidelines, farmers who faced a yield loss above 33 percent would get assistance. For delta region, Rs. 25, 000 could be claimed for 100 percent of loss of crops. Rs. 20, 000 for 80 percent crop loss, Rs.15, 000 for 60 percent crop loss, Rs.8, 250 for 33 percent crop loss. For other districts, financial assistance would be paid above 33 percent crop loss. The claim differs from crop to crop; Rs. 50,000 for turmeric, Rs.45, 00 for sugarcane, Rs.20, 000 for maize and Rs. 12,000 for pulses per acre will be given. A detailed report will be submitted to the Union Government for seeking financial assistance to protect the farming community in the state. The government has announced that the 3 lakh will be provided to the families of 17 them who committed suicides. The District Collector also has been directed to submit detailed report relating the suicides (The New Indian Express, Chennai, 2017).

6. SUMMARY:

In India as well as in Tamil Nadu, the generally the farmers suicides are due to the mental stress. The stress is cause of poverty, crop failure and loss and indebtedness among the farmers in rural area. in recent years, indebtedness and the not earning adequate income to relief the debt is affect the farmers feeling of self-esteem and respect in society. This feeling is becoming the mental stress and worries leads to the backward or underdeveloped. This kind of mind set is accumulates and creates a heavy mental burden. It is note that the most farmers who committed suicide probably blamed themselves for their poverty, crop loss and indebtedness. In recent years, the cost of cultivation is very high, lower price for agricultural commodities and no profitable of farming community is led to the indebtedness.

7. REFERENCES:

1. Kumar, A. Singh, K.M. and Sinha, S. (2010), Institutional Credit to Agriculture Sector in India: Status, Performance and Determinants, Agricultural EconomicsResearch Review, 23. Pp 253-264

2. National Crime Records Bureau, (2015), Ministry of Home Affairs, Governmentof India, New Delhihttp://ncrb.nic.in/ADSI2014/adsi-2014%20full%20report.pdf

3. Deshpande R S and Saroj Arora. (2010), Agrarian Crisis and Farmer Suicide: Land Reforms in India Volume 12, New Delhi: Sage Publication.

4. Seasonal Crop Report, (2014-15, 2015-16), Directorate of Economics and Statistics,Government of Tamil Nadu, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

5. The Economic Times, Chennai Edition, 14th April, 2016. The Times of India, Chennai Edition, 7th January, 2017.

6. The New Indian Express, Chennai Edition, 4^th January, 2017. The New Indian Express, Chennai Edition, 11^th January, 2017. The Mint, 6^th January, 2017.

7. The Hindu, Chennai Edition, and 6th January, 2017. The Hindu, Chennai Edition, 7th January, 2017

8. The Hindu, Business Line, Chennai Edition, 10^th January, 2017 World Health Organization Report, (2015), Rome

Received on 26.06.2018 Modified on 14.07.2018

Res. J. Humanities and Social Sciences. 2018; 9(4): 819-823.

DOI: 10.5958/2321-5828.2018.00137.7