Farmers depressed due to lack of insurance: BJP leader

BJP Vice President Vinay Sahasrabuddhe today said here that farmers are getting hooked to drugs and falling prey to depression since crop insurance has never been a priority in India.
"We have never prioritised crop insurance so far and due to this cases of drug addiction and depression are increasing among farmers," Sahasrabuddhe said while addressing a two-day national conference on crop insurance here.
The BJP vice president, who is also director general of an RSS-run training centre for elected representatives and social activists called Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini, said merely 24 per cent of the total crop area in Madhya Pradesh is insured, adding, farming is a sector where uncertainty looms large.

"It is necessary for farmers to think not merely of crop insurance but also beyond it," he said speaking about existing crop insurance schemes and designing new insurance plans.
He said villagers, especially farmers, have now started approaching psychiatrists, which essentially used to be an urban phenomenon.
He said farmers are committing suicide due to diminishing social contact in villages. Temples and panchayats where villagers used to meet and interact earlier, witness thin attendance these days, he added.
The BJP vice president said like the school dropout rate, agriculture dropout rate should also be tackled.