Clashes due to agrarian crises double

Clashes due to agrarian crises have doubled in India in the first half of 2015 compared to last year, according to the home ministry.

An analysis by the home ministry has shown that there were 74 incidents of unrest due to agrarian crisis in the first six months of this year, as against 37 reported in 2014 until June, a ministry official said.

This year, Maharashtra topped the list with 17 incidents, followed by Haryana at 12, Bihar at 8 and West Bengal at 7.

Five incidents each were reported from Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.

The analysis attributed the reasons for protests to the land acquisition bill, demand for minimum support price and insufficient supply of seeds and fertilisers among others.

The proposed amendments to the land acquisition bill had landed the government in a tight spot this year, prompting political parties and farmers' organisations to protest.

The government had decided not to go ahead with the amendments, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself announcing they would not re-promulgate the ordinance to enforce the planned amendments.

According to the latest figures available with the government, 5,650 farmers, including 472 women, committed suicide last year due to agrarian issues.

Inability to repay farm loans and crop failure accounted for more than one third of farmers' suicides. Bankruptcy or indebtedness was the reason for 20.6 percent suicides among farmers, while 16.8 percent took their own lives due to crop failure.

Of the 5,650 suicides, 1,163 cases were related to repaying loan and 952 due to crop failure.