Chandigarh: An NGO, Ekatra, on Monday released a documentary film highlighting the plightof families of farmers who committed suicides in Punjab.
Thedocumentary film covers Lehra Gaga and Andana blocks of Sangrur district,around 100 km from here, where many cases of farmer suicides have been reportedin the last few years.
InderjitSingh Jaijee, who works for the welfare of victim families, said: "We havemaintained the records of farmer suicides since 1988. According to our figures,over 3,000 farmers commit suicide every year in the state."
But therecords compiled by police, district administration and other groups are quitecontradictory. Like police said that during the period from 2002 to 2007 onlyseven FIRs (first information reports) of suicide were registered whereasdistrict administration said that 232 cases of suicide were reported duringthis period," said Jaijee.
AnwarJamal, who has directed the film, said the documentary will be screened atvarious forums in the coming months.
"Farmerscommitting suicides is a major problem in Punjab but it is not only the failureof crop that prompts them to take this extreme step. In many cases, they wereilliterates, drug-addicts and had taken huge debts to fulfill their otherneeds," said GS Kalkat, chairperson of Punjab Farmers Commission, whoformally released the film.