Lives of those left behind: An ethnographic study on the vulnerabilities of women in the aftermath of farmer suicides in Yavatmal, Maharashtra, India

Agriculture is the primary sector in India. A large percentage of the population still relies on agriculture for its employment in one form or another, thereby making it the largest employer in the country. Despite its obvious relevance in terms of generating employment and creating agricultural self sufficiency in India, the government has continued to ignore its importance by gradually decreasing its investment in agriculture. Adding to this, liberalization of the Indian market in 1991 proved to be a turning point for the agricultural sector, which was bombarded with new investors, commercialization of crops and increased competitiveness. As a result of this, Indian farmers were left vulnerable and unprotected, forced to bear the brunt of inadequate policies and safeguard mechanisms. Farmers, under the pressure to increase productivity and perform well, started committing suicide. Certain states, because of their geographical location and its connection to certain crops, became more susceptible to crop failure, in this era of climate change. The state of Maharashtra which is primarily suitable for growing cotton, is one of them. Statistics began showing that every thirty one minutes, a farmer committed suicide in India. This issue started gathering a lot of attention in the mid 2000s. Various forms of media started visiting these suicide prone sites in an effort to understand the phenomenon. Since then, a lot of research has been done on the reasons for farmer suicides. However, very little has been written on the repercussions of these suicides on the members of the household who survived, especially the women. These women are forced to deal with the harsh reality of not just a loved one dying but also the additional burden put on their shoulders at the loss of an earning member of the family. In an effort to understand the lives of these women, this paper will aim to highlight their stories and their vulnerabilities, thereby providing a medium to hear their voices and set a starting point for further research on how their lives can be made more secure.