Friday 9 February 2007

Time for Suicides - West Bengal

State: West Bengal

S.No. Name of Farmer Age Village Block District Date
Rabindranath Ghosh 38 Bishkoba Memati-II Bardhaman 03/03/2004
Judhisthir Debnath Kalna Bardhaman 12/03/2004
Dhirendranath Kundu Layekbandh Bankura 20/10/1997

Note: Despite several media reports on agrarian suicides in the state of West Bengal, the State Government does not acknowledge them. In fact the researcher covering the state was"requested" by one of the ruling party officials to desist from carrying out the study. Further, one of the respondents who had admitted to suicide of a family member due to indebtednes later retracted. It may be noted that most of the suicides are likely to have been committed in the districts of Bardhaman where cash crops like potato are widely cultivated and the level of indebtedness is also reportedly quite high.

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