On Peasant Suicide Reports in The Tribune-My response

http://epaper.tribuneindia.com/694013/The-Tribune/TT_16_January_2016#page/12/2

‘This is full letter to The Tribune-These stories should come in Punjabi Tribune also, so that victims could read their own tragic tales!
For the last few days, The Tribune is carrying field reports on peasant suicides in Punjab prominently, which brings out the humane aspect-the tragedy of human lives-of these unfortunate happenings, which were otherwise just reported as anonymous numbers. I must record my appreciation of The Tribune and its young reporters-Vishva Bharti, Amninder Singh and Sanjiv Bariana, who are doing these most significant and unusual stories, which were earlier done only by P Sainath. I am sure P Sainath will feel vindicated to see that some young reporters are following his leads on India’s most tragic social phenomenon in the era of liberalization, which created 100+ billionaires in this liberal economy in the name of development, but at the cost of three lakh+ peasant suicides in 15 years or so. And the tragedy is unending, everyday there is news of suicide of peasants in many states, including Punjab. Irony is that in this era of ‘Deshbhakti’, everyone is charged with fever for 5, 6, 7 Jawans ‘martyrdom’, but there are no tears, no discussants on 24%7 TV shows, for those, whom in 1965, an humble Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri has given equal status with Jawan, by saying-‘Jai Jawan Jai Kisan’! Who is there to bother about this ‘kisan’, who was called ‘Anndata’-the caretaker of providing food, without which no Jawan can fight?
The Tribune stories are presented with passion and concern for the peasant-70% or so stake holder in country’s economy and with objectivity of the journalist. I wish that The Tribune continues with these stories and later bring these out in a book collection to be sent to all members of Parliament, if it could shake the conscience of some of them and bring a tear or two, as these stories had in eyes of a supposedly ‘Detached Academic’ like me!
During my Mauritius stay in 2009, I had visited a Monument, which was built in memory of those Indian labour, who used to commit suicide from that hilltop, not being able to bear the tortures of their life conditions in early 20th and late 19th century. Would one think about building a monument in memory of these three lakh and growing martyred peasants of 21st century India?!’

‘For the last few days, The Tribune is carrying field reports on peasant suicides in Punjab prominently, which brings out the humane aspect-the tragedy of human lives-of these unfortunate happenings, which were otherwise just reported as anonymous numbers. I must record my appreciation of The Tribune and its young reporters-Vishva Bharti, Amninder Singh and others, who are doing these most significant and unusual stories, which were earlier done only by P Sainath. I am sure P Sainath will feel vindicated to see that some young reporters are following his leads on India’s most tragic social phenomenon in the era of liberalization, which created 100+ billionaires in this liberal economy in the name of development, but at the cost of three lakh+ peasant suicides in 15 years or so. And the tragedy is unending, everyday there is news of suicide of peasants in many states, including Punjab. Irony is that in this era of ‘Deshbhakti’, everyone is charged with fever for 5, 6, 7 Jawans ‘martyrdom’, but there are no tears, no discussants on 24%7 TV shows, for those, whom in 1965, an humble Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri has given equal status with Jawan, by saying-‘Jai Jawan Jai Kisan’! Who is there to bother about this ‘kisan’, who was called ‘Anndata’-the caretaker of providing food, without which no Jawan can fight?
The Tribune stories are presented with passion and concern for the peasant-70% or so stake holder in country’s economy and with objectivity of the journalist. I wish that The Tribune continues with these stories and later bring these out in a book collection to be sent to all members of Parliament, if it could shake the conscience of some of them and bring a tear or two, as these stories had in eyes of a supposedly ‘Detached Academic’ like me!
During my Mauritius stay in 2009, I had visited a Monument, which was built in memory of those Indian labour, who used to commit suicide from that hilltop, not being able to bear the tortures of their life conditions in early 20th and late 19th century. Would one think about building a monument in memory of these three lakh and growing martyred peasants of 21st century India?!’