The reasons for agrarian distress in India lie in the conjunction of the changing nature of agriculture and democratic politics. With cultivation becoming an unrewarding occupation, the growing disparities of wealth between the rural and urban areas, the inability of farmers to unite and bring pressure on the governments and a disjuncture between the interests of the farmers and those of the political representatives, have all led to the neglect of agriculture and deterioration in the condition of farmers.

K C SURI

 

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he papers in this special issue of EPW deal with the various aspects of agrarian distress in different states of India affected by the tragedy of farmers’ suicides in recent years. They seek to relate this distress to the changing nature of agriculture, economics of production, policies of the government, and the ongoing reforms in the country. Since each paper highlights the agrarian distress in a specific state, all of them together enable us to understand the phenomenon in a comparative perspective. It is hoped that the papers would contribute to the ongoing discussion on the agrarian condition and ways to address the emergent challenges.