Farmer Suicide menace in Punjab

Its always a matter of pride to associate yourself with a land that symbolizes divinity, culture, valour and abundance. This is exactly the same feeling that over-whelms us when we say that we belong to Punjab, the state known as bread-basket of India. The north Indian states of Punjab, Haryana and UP feed over 1.2 billion Indians. But now things are different as it is really hurtful to know the ground realities that have made Punjab a mere graveyard of the meek and helpless feeders of society. The issue that needs to be addressed immediately is unbelievably dreadful for the presenters in a way
that every single aspect verbalized on it resonates through the ears of the dead farmers and instead of acting as a sigh of relief for their dependents, it acts like salt over their wounds.

The Punjab that we all know, is no more the same place to live for those who're aware of the bitter truths of the faulty governance and inefficient administration. Rising above this blame game, it's a matter of those thousands of dead who've been victimized by either poverty or ignorance. Their plight never seems to be self-induced but exemplify the tyranny of suppressed class that has been the outcome of social evils like poverty, unemployment, illetracy, ignorance and social-stratification propagating through the ages.

Whether the Ministers in central govt. or state govt., Whether MP's or MLA's, Whether IAS or PCS officers. They all must realize that every moment wasted in exaggerating the issue about the causes, consequences and statitics is adding to the plight of the "have-nots"who've surrendered in front of the system which has taken away the lives of the bread-winners in their families. The lavish offices of beaureucrats and ministers, the legislative assembly of the state and the Parliament of India seems too far away for the poor farmers who've shed every drop of their sweat and blood to feed them.

There is an utmost need to awaken the entire nation about the fact that how can the starved bellies perform their jobs in the IT hubs, silicon vallies, Corporate offices, Flamboyant shopping malls, multiplexes or Special Economic Zones (SEZ's). Everyone needs food to live whether rich or poor, educated or illetrate. How can the nation flourish if it is running after embellishing itself with infrastructural landmarks at the cost of an emptied bread basket ??

Now the question arises whether Punjab needs a boost in the primary sector i.e. agriculture & allied activities, that has brought laurels to it in the past or does it need to grow in the more employment and revenue-generating sector i.e.industry and the service sector. Though several media outlets
in the country still claims that agriculture accounts for 70% employment and just over 20% revenue generation. Apart from this poor input-output ratio, agriculture is worst hit by poor storage and distribution of food grains and hundreds of millions of tonnes of food grains rot due to poor administration.

Now! Apart from the role of govt. officials/ agencies and the NGO's working on this menace. The key lies in the hands of the nextgen youth of Punjab. Does the nextgen youth obsessed with urban lifestyle, spiky hair cuts, fashion, accessories, music & dancing and SUV's will be able to come up with a solution or even care about understanding the horrible things happening (in the name of agriculture) over their ancestral land or will they prefer to rationalize on the issue and prefer to live in denial in the name of urbanization or modernization.

Will we ever see the Punjab that once we were proud of ?? or, Are we going through a crisis situation, that we never expected, to see a whole new Punjab ?? Let's pray to the almighty to give us strength to save its honor in the uncertain and enigmatic future.