Agrarian Crisis and Women (and seasonal migration)
Abstract:
Agrarian crisis – symbolized by the continuing spell of farmers’ suicides in different parts ofthe country, growing indebtedness among the peasantry; distress-driven migrations; perpetualrecession; sporadic protests; migrations and hunger deaths; delayed marriages; among othersymptoms – has been a compelling political and economic story of the country past twodecades.
While social, economic and political transformations in the post-liberalized era – a welfareeconomy metamorphosing into a market-driven economy – are one set of challenges, thechanging climate and ecological devastation are new dimensions compounding theuncertainties of the rural masses.
I have divided this working paper into two parts: In the first one, I explain the crisis, the roleof women in farming underpinned by growing feminization of agriculture, and in the second, I bring stories from my own field experience as a reporter chronicling the agrarian distressand transformations, glimpses of distress; its victims; suicide-households; struggling widows;women farmers, and migrations,
