Suicide cases high
among farmers
It is really sad that a 43-year-old farmer Kailash Arjun Nagare from Vidarbha, who was the recipient of the ‘Young Farmer Award’ from the Maharashtra government, has taken his own life a couple of months ago, citing unaddressed irrigation demands. Painfully, more than 700 farmers died by suicide in Vidarbha in 2024 alone, an alarming truth that failed to gain traction in Parliamentary debates. It is strange that while the Niti Aayog report says that Indian agriculture uses 2 to 3 times more water per tonne of crop compared with several developed nations, access to water for irrigation by farmers in our country remains a combative issue. The pain of a farmer’s suicide isn’t just a statistic — it is a family shattered, dreams buried with the soil, and a silent cry that never reaches the halls of power. How many more lives of farmers must be lost before we wake up? The hands that feed us are trembling with despair, yet our politicians continue to look the other way. This is not just a fight of farmers, but ours too. Government of a country that lets its farmers die is a country that has lost its soul.
Ranganathan Sivakumar, Chennai
Are we coming to
terms with job scams?
This has reference to the report ‘Job scam alert……….’ (Herald May 15, 2025). The unemployment scenario in our country is indeed frightening. This case of a 27-year old youth struggling for an overseas job, spending lakhs of rupees in the process is perhaps one more instance of job seekers fleeing the country in search of jobs, greener pastures. So, what do the authorities have to say about the job scenario in our country? Are they going to come to terms with the reality or are we going to continue living in a world of make belief? Unemployment is just of the issues among others issues which needs attention rather than focusing on irrelevant issues.
Melville X. D'Souza, Mumbai
Right to life of
stateless persons
Recent reports in the media suggest that 43 Rohingya refugees escaping the brutal Myanmar military junta and wanting to seek shelter in our country were dumped into the sea by Indian authorities near the Myanmar coastline. If these reports are true then they indicate a new threshold of inhumanity that the Indian state has successfully crossed. It is reported that 40 Rohingya refugees managed to reach the coastline. If that is the case, the question arises as to what happened to the three who did not make it.
If the reports of 43 Rohingya being abandoned in distant waters by Indian officials are not true then they indicate that even the just cause of defending the right to life of stateless persons needs to be exercised with caution. Embroidering the truth in the direction of exaggeration does not serve the cause of justice.
Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim
Time to thank
our jawans
Now that the heat has cooled down post India’s definitive and strong response to the covert acts of violence by our neighbour, it is time to really thank our jawans and combat personnel from the Army and Navy. Every Indian will surely want to express their gratitude to all those were in the front line to defend our nation and congratulate the administration for a befitting and courageous reply to the heinous act that took place in Pahalgam, where we lost our dear countrymen and women for no fault of theirs.
At the same time the one most important question that remains unanswered is, “How did the cowards reach Pahalgam – deep into our territory to kill so many of our dear ones? Did we fail as a nation to protect our borders and our people? Why and how were we caught napping?
While taking credit for the response to the attack, the government should also take the blame for the lapse that claimed so many innocent lives. A high-level investigation should be initiated to find the real reasons. Or should we concede that the reply we gave Pakistan was a cover up for our lapse? Years ago, a great Indian leader resigned from his designation of minister after a train accident that killed many. Will someone follow suit, or keep finding excuses?
Jaret de Silva Chandrapurkar, Chandor