Farmers suicides, documentary delves into crisis

BENGALURU: With a spike in farmers' suicides in recent months, the plight of peasants in the wake of the brewing storm in the farming sector has been brought out poignantly in a documentary with a critical analysis on the churning dyanmics in the distressed farming field.

The documentary film, "When death strides the fields" looks at the unabated farmers suicides in Karnataka, delving into a plethora of aspects, including market dynamics, state policy, cropping pattern and others that triggered the agrarian crisis.

Nearly 550 farmers have committed suicides in the past six months in the state, bringing the spotlight on the crisis.

Case studies of sugarcane farmers and progressive farmers have been done in the 28-minute documentary, that also has interviews with experts, farmers, activists and thinkers, according to a release.

Global changes, market controls, "unsolicited" farming policy and "impulsive" government doles form the main discussion points in the documentary, which also highlights the Gandhian way and the need to promote organic farming to save the farmers from the agrarian crisis, it said.

The documentary, brought out both in Kannada and English, is due for release towards the end of this month.

It is produced and directed by senior journalists Maya Jaideep and Kestur Vasuki, who travelled with a team of senior colleagues to the suicide-hit districts of Mandya, Tumakuru, Chitradurga, Davangere, Bagalakote, Belagavi, Ramanagara, Mysuru and Chamarajanagara.

The two journalists have to their credit other documentaries, including on illegal mining "Heat in Dust", on people's movement against the Chamalapura thermal plant near Myusuru "Death Knell to the Nilgiris Biosphere" and on Daroji bears "Please Bear With Us" to save the space for bears.