Full Description
Agrarian distress in the era of globalization has manifested in the suicides of farmers and agricultural labourers. This book, using empirical research and field data from north India, especially Punjab, examines the different facets of this tragic phenomenon in rural India. Situating Indian agriculture in the context of globalization it looks at the underlying causes of farmer suicides in a state that was the model of modern capitalist agriculture and development. It also attempts to understand why other farmers have chosen not to take the same path. With a comparative framework and coverage of nearly 1400 rural households, it brings out the brutal manifestation of this complex and multidimensional situation in the Indian countryside. Topical, comprehensive and rich in data, this book will be valuable to scholars and researchers of political economy, agricultural economics, South Asian politics, political sociology, and public policy.
Contents
List of Abbreviations List of tables List of figures Foreword Preface List of Contributors 1. Introduction 2. Perspectives on Agrarian Distress and Rural Suicide 3. Economic Development and Rural Distress in Punjab 4. Rural Households: Socio-Economic Characteristics 5. Determinants of Agrarian Distress in Punjab: Magnitude and Manifestation 6. A Village on Sale: Microscopic analysis of Rural Distress 7. Summary, Conclusions and Policy Suggestions References Appendices
