Farm suicides on decline across India, Punjab show NCRB figures

BATHINDA: Latest data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) shows that since 2015, farm suicides have come down from 9.4% of the total suicides across India to 7.4% of total suicides in 2019. In Punjab, number of farm suicides has continued to hover around 300 since 2016, according to NCRB.
Across India, 12,602 farm suicides were reported in 2015. In 2019, the number came down to 10,281, shows the data was released by the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) under the head, “accidental deaths and suicides in India (ADSI)” on Monday.

In Punjab, the number of farm suicides in Punjab fell to 302 in 2019, from 323 in 2018. However, farm organisations and agriculture experts claim the actual figures are much higher. They cite a survey conducted by three universities of Punjab from 2000 to December 2016, to corroborate their point. According to the survey, 16,606 farmers and farm labourers committed suicide in Punjab over the 16-year period, taking the average to over 1,000 per year.
NCRB data reports 1,39,123 suicides across the country in 2019. Of these, just 10,281 suicides (7.4%) were farm related. Out of total farm suicides, 5,957 were by farmers and cultivators, while 4,324 were farm labourers. Of these, 9,312 were men and 969 were women. Among farm labourers, 3,749 were men and 575 were women. Among farmers who ended their life, 828 were cultivating leased land. In 2018, 10,349 farmers and labourers committed suicide, down from 10,655 in 2017. These accounted for 7.7% and 8.2% of total suicides in the country. (See table)
Consultant with the 6th Punjab Finance Commission, Prof Sukhwinder Singh, described this as a gross underestimation.
The professor had recorded farm suicides in Punjab in 2016-17 during his stint with the Centre for Research and Economic Change of the Punjabi University at Patiala.