Farmers Suicide

Maharashtra:
Sociological Study

in

State

of
A

SYNOPSIS
Submitted to the board of studies for the
considerations of Admission to Doctor of
Philosophy in Sociology
By
Prafulla Gupt

Department of Sociology
Faculty of Social Sciences
Aligarh Muslim University

Aligarh-202002

IntroductionIn very simple words, suicide is the act of

taking ones own life. Now a days in Indian
society, farmers suicide is being a hot issue.
The suicide rates among farmers is increasing
day by day and different states are showing
different
statistics
regarding
this
phenomenon.
There
are
states
like
Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala,
where farmers suicide rate is increasing
although the fact stand behind is that these
are the most prosperous crop commercial
states. The issue now a days attracting the
interest as well as focus of media is being
discussed in public in political and social
aspects. Whatever the reason is but
agriculture being our primary need is getting
fulfilled by farmers and thus they are playing
a very crucial role in getting our primary need
fulfilled. That is the reason that an issue like
suicides committed by farmers must be

discussed and a sociological study is required

for the study of this important phenomenon.
Different Sociological
Farmers Suicide-

Functional

Perspectives

Perspective-

on

Functionalism
conceives society as a system of interrelated
and interdependent institutions and follows
organic analogy in the study of society.
Durkheim, a functionalist, considered social
causes of suicide as important rejecting
biological and psychological one. Thus
farmers suicide appears both egoistic as well
as altruistic taking into account different
views. The suicide appears to be egoistic
because farmers feel that his relatives are not
with him and he feels socially detached. This
also appears to be altruistic because the
farmer thinks that his suicide will provide
government relieve aid to his family. Thus, it
cant be said with uniformity which kind of
suicide one is, but its sure that it occurred due
to social factors.

Marxian Perspective- Farmers suicide

can also be studied through a Marxian
perspective keeping in view the point the
differential distribution of ownership of means
of production. A farmer is compelled to take
loan due to limited resources and if the crop
goes failed there is no way around before
farmer. No type of aid or assistance is
provided to the farmer by the State. So state
is withdrawing on its behalf of farmers
responsibility. Thus, a Marxian perspective
leads us to quite understanding of how the
farmers are being indirectly exploiter in the
hands of either state or the landlord.

Symbolic Interactionist PerspectiveThis perspective focuses on the interaction

processes between individuals taking place
through verbal and physical gestures.
Individuals use interpretation of others what
they take our behavior to mean and
accordingly create a self perception. In case
of farmers suicide, they feel that if they
commit suicide due to indebtedness, then it

will provide their family some sort of

economic assistance by the hands of
government. Thus, this matter can also be
dealt with the help of farmers opinion about
their perception of situation.

Structural Perspective-This perspective

considers individual a puppet in the hand of
system. The structure of society is real and it
constrains the members of society. In this
way, the act committed by an individual are
not the acts of individual himself or herself
but its the indirect indoctrination of social
structures influence over individual. The
same happens when the farmers gets himself
helpless before the conditions put before him
by the larger society.

Post

Structural

Perspective-

This
perspective deals with Foucaudian opinion
about the ongoing discourses in the society.
The dominant discourse comes in the
depiction of reality based on particular forms
of knowledge. The dominant discourse in the
matter of farmers suicide is their insistence

on the thought that their suicide will result

into the remuneration of the family members
of farmers. Thus, the form of knowledge
operates in a particular way.

Farmers

suicide

in

India-

Mainly
commercial crops are responsible for farmers
committing suicides, means that it happens
only
in
commercial
crop
states
like
Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala etc. Lack of
functional mechanism deals with this issue
and proportionate action of government
towards the farmers. While lack of rational
and
distributive
wealth
in
terms
of
government act and bill also determines this
issue, and so far
inappropriate action of
planning and schemes made by government
proclaim farmers suicides.
Maharashtra is the highest farmer
committing suicide state and in 2012 to 2014
suicide rate increased from 732 to 1207 as
per the report of ministry of agriculture, India.
Although the rate was found decreased in
2013 that was 665. This data denotes not the

real figure but shows a brief sketch of the

phenomenon.

Objectives1. To develop the analysis pattern

committing suicide in Maharashtra

of

2. To find out the sociological bases and other

aspects of farmers suicide
3. To know about the variables related to
farmers socio- economic conditions
4. To develop the prominent indicators related
to their suicides

MethodologyIt would be a qualitative study based on

phenomenological foundations. The ontology
being used would be social constructionism
and the research strategy or logic of inquiry
would be abductive. The research purpose
would be description and explanation and
hence it will include both what and why types
of questions. The techniques of data
collection would be unstructured or open

ended interview and participant observation.

It would also take into account secondary
literature available related to concerned topic.

RelevanceThe study would put light on the sociological

and the social aspects of farmers committed
suicides and it would try to bring some new
measures for the policy reformation so that it
could be successful to prevent the vicious
incidents of farmers suicide to a possible
extent.

Review of LiteratureMeeta and Rajivlochan- Indepth study of

farmers suicides, their causes and remedies,
Publisher- Yashwantrao Chavan academy of
developmental administration.