Latest news with #Mirabai
The Star
7 hours ago
- Politics
- The Star
Climate change heightens risk of Indian farmer suicides
BEED, India: On a small farm in India's Maharashtra state, Mirabai Khindkar said the only thing her land grew was debt, after crops failed in drought and her husband killed himself. Farmer suicides have a long history in India, where many are one crop failure away from disaster, but extreme weather caused by climate change is adding fresh pressure. Dwindling yields due to water shortages, floods, rising temperatures and erratic rainfall, coupled with crippling debt, have taken a heavy toll on a sector that employs 45 per cent of India's 1.4 billion people. Mirabhai's husband Amol was left with debts to loan sharks worth hundreds of times their farm's annual income, after the one-hectare soybean, millet and cotton plot withered in scorching heat. He swallowed poison last year. "When he was in the hospital, I prayed to all the gods to save him," said 30-year-old Mirabai, her voice breaking. Amol died a week later, leaving behind Mirabai and three children. Her last conversation with him was about debt. Their personal tragedy is replicated daily across Marathwada, a region in Maharashtra of 18 million, once known for fertile farmland. Last year, extreme weather events across India affected 3.2 million hectares (7.9 million acres) of cropland -- an area bigger than Belgium -- according to the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment research group. Over 60 per cent of that was in Maharashtra. "Summers are extreme, and even if we do what is necessary, the yield is not enough," said Amol's brother and fellow farmer Balaji Khindkar. "There is not enough water to irrigate the fields. It doesn't rain properly." Between 2022 and 2024, 3,090 farmers took their own lives in Marathwada, an average of nearly three a day, according to India's Minister of Agriculture Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Government statistics do not specify what drove the farmers to kill themselves, but analysts point to several likely factors. "Farmer suicides in India are a consequence of the crisis of incomes, investment and productivity that you have in agriculture," said R. Ramakumar, professor of development studies at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences. Farming across many Indian smallholdings is done largely as it has been for centuries, and is highly dependent on the right weather at the correct time. "What climate change and its vulnerabilities and variabilities have done is to increase the risks in farming," Ramakumar said. This "is leading to crop failures, uncertainties... which is further weakening the economics of cultivation for small and marginal farmers." The government could support farmers with better insurance schemes to cope with extreme weather events, as well as investments in agricultural research, Ramakumar said. "Agriculture should not be a gamble with the monsoon." Faced with uncertain weather, farmers often look to stem falling yields by investing in fertilisers or irrigation systems. But banks can be reluctant to offer credit to such uncertain borrowers. Some turn to loan sharks offering quick cash at exorbitant interest rates, and risking catastrophe if crops fail. "It is difficult to make ends meet with just farming," Mirabai said, standing outside her home, a tin-roofed hut with patch-cloth walls. Her husband's loans soared to over U $8,000, a huge sum in India, where the average monthly income of a farming household is around $120. Mirabai works on other farms as a labourer but could not pay back the debt. "The loan instalments piled up," she said, adding that she wants her children to find jobs outside of farming when they grow up. "Nothing comes out of the farm." The agricultural industry has been in a persistent crisis for decades. And while Maharashtra has some of the highest suicide rates, the problem is nationwide. Thirty people in the farming sector killed themselves every day in 2022, according to national crime records bureau statistics. At another farm in Marathwada, 32-year-old farmer Shaikh Imran took over the running of the family smallholding last year after his brother took his own life. He is already more than US$1,100 in debt after borrowing to plant soybean. The crop failed. Meanwhile, the pop of explosives echoes around as farmers blast wells, hoping to hit water. "There's no water to drink," said family matriarch Khatijabi. "Where shall we get water to irrigate the farm?" - AFP
Straits Times
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Climate change heightens risk of Indian farmer suicides
The agricultural industry has been in a persistent crisis for decades, with high suicide rates being a nationwide problem. PHOTO: AFP BEED, India - On a small farm in India's Maharashtra state, Ms Mirabai Khindkar said the only thing her land grew was debt, after crops failed in drought and her husband killed himself. Farmer suicides have a long history in India, where many are one crop failure away from disaster, but extreme weather caused by climate change is adding fresh pressure. Dwindling yields due to water shortages, floods, rising temperatures and erratic rainfall, coupled with crippling debt, have taken a heavy toll on a sector that employs 45 per cent of India's 1.4 billion people. Ms Mirabhai's husband Amol was left with debts to loan sharks worth hundreds of times their farm's annual income, after the 1ha soybean, millet and cotton plot withered in scorching heat. He swallowed poison in 2024. 'When he was in the hospital, I prayed to all the gods to save him,' said 30-year-old Mirabai, her voice breaking. Mr Amol died a week later, leaving behind Ms Mirabai and three children. Her last conversation with him was about debt. Their personal tragedy is replicated daily across Marathwada, a region in Maharashtra of 18 million, once known for fertile farmland. In 2024, extreme weather events across India affected 3.2 million hectares of cropland – an area bigger than Belgium – according to the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment research group. Over 60 per cent of that was in Maharashtra. 'Summers are extreme, and even if we do what is necessary, the yield is not enough,' said Mr Amol's brother and fellow farmer Balaji Khindkar. 'There is not enough water to irrigate the fields. It doesn't rain properly.' 'Increase the risk' Between 2022 and 2024, 3,090 farmers took their own lives in Marathwada, an average of nearly three a day, according to India's Minister of Agriculture Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Government statistics do not specify what drove the farmers to kill themselves, but analysts point to several likely factors. 'Farmer suicides in India are a consequence of the crisis of incomes, investment and productivity that you have in agriculture,' said Professor R Ramakumar, professor of development studies at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences. Farming across many Indian smallholdings is done largely as it has been for centuries, and is highly dependent on the right weather at the correct time. 'What climate change and its vulnerabilities and variabilities have done is to increase the risks in farming,' Professor Ramakumar said. This 'is leading to crop failures, uncertainties... which is further weakening the economics of cultivation for small and marginal farmers.' The government could support farmers with better insurance schemes to cope with extreme weather events, as well as investments in agricultural research, Professor Ramakumar said. 'Agriculture should not be a gamble with the monsoon.' 'Make ends meet' Faced with uncertain weather, farmers often look to stem falling yields by investing in fertilisers or irrigation systems. But banks can be reluctant to offer credit to such uncertain borrowers. Some turn to loan sharks offering quick cash at exorbitant interest rates, and risking catastrophe if crops fail. 'It is difficult to make ends meet with just farming,' Ms Mirabai said, standing outside her home, a tin-roofed hut with patch-cloth walls. Her husband's loans soared to over US$8,000 (S$10,290), a huge sum in India, where the average monthly income of a farming household is around US$120. Ms Mirabai works on other farms as a labourer but could not pay back the debt. 'The loan instalments piled up,' she said, adding that she wants her children to find jobs outside of farming when they grow up. 'Nothing comes out of the farm.' The agricultural industry has been in a persistent crisis for decades. And while Maharashtra has some of the highest suicide rates, the problem is nationwide. Thirty people in the farming sector killed themselves every day in 2022, according to national crime records bureau statistics. At another farm in Marathwada, 32-year-old farmer Shaikh Imran took over the running of the family smallholding in 2024 after his brother took his own life. He is already more than US$1,100 in debt after borrowing to plant soybean. The crop failed. Meanwhile, the pop of explosives echoes around as farmers blast wells, hoping to hit water. 'There's no water to drink,' said family matriarch Khatijabi. 'Where shall we get water to irrigate the farm?' AFP Find out more about climate change and how it could affect you on the ST microsite here.
France 24
8 hours ago
- Climate
- France 24
Climate change heightens risk of Indian farmer suicides
Farmer suicides have a long history in India, where many are one crop failure away from disaster, but extreme weather caused by climate change is adding fresh pressure. Dwindling yields due to water shortages, floods, rising temperatures and erratic rainfall, coupled with crippling debt, have taken a heavy toll on a sector that employs 45 percent of India's 1.4 billion people. Mirabhai's husband Amol was left with debts to loan sharks worth hundreds of times their farm's annual income, after the three-acre (one-hectare) soybean, millet and cotton plot withered in scorching heat. He swallowed poison last year. "When he was in the hospital, I prayed to all the gods to save him," said 30-year-old Mirabai, her voice breaking. Amol died a week later, leaving behind Mirabai and three children. Her last conversation with him was about debt. Their personal tragedy is replicated daily across Marathwada, a region in Maharashtra of 18 million, once known for fertile farmland. Last year, extreme weather events across India affected 3.2 million hectares (7.9 million acres) of cropland -- an area bigger than Belgium -- according to the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment research group. Over 60 percent of that was in Maharashtra. "Summers are extreme, and even if we do what is necessary, the yield is not enough," said Amol's brother and fellow farmer Balaji Khindkar. "There is not enough water to irrigate the fields. It doesn't rain properly." 'Increase the risks' Between 2022 and 2024, 3,090 farmers took their own lives in Marathwada, an average of nearly three a day, according to India's Minister of Agriculture Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Government statistics do not specify what drove the farmers to kill themselves, but analysts point to several likely factors. "Farmer suicides in India are a consequence of the crisis of incomes, investment and productivity that you have in agriculture," said R. Ramakumar, professor of development studies at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences. Farming across many Indian smallholdings is done largely as it has been for centuries, and is highly dependent on the right weather at the correct time. "What climate change and its vulnerabilities and variabilities have done is to increase the risks in farming," Ramakumar said. This "is leading to crop failures, uncertainties... which is further weakening the economics of cultivation for small and marginal farmers." The government could support farmers with better insurance schemes to cope with extreme weather events, as well as investments in agricultural research, Ramakumar said. "Agriculture should not be a gamble with the monsoon." 'Make ends meet' Faced with uncertain weather, farmers often look to stem falling yields by investing in fertilisers or irrigation systems. But banks can be reluctant to offer credit to such uncertain borrowers. Some turn to loan sharks offering quick cash at exorbitant interest rates, and risking catastrophe if crops fail. "It is difficult to make ends meet with just farming," Mirabai said, standing outside her home, a tin-roofed hut with patch-cloth walls. Her husband's loans soared to over $8,000, a huge sum in India, where the average monthly income of a farming household is around $120. Mirabai works on other farms as a labourer but could not pay back the debt. "The loan instalments piled up," she said, adding that she wants her children to find jobs outside of farming when they grow up. "Nothing comes out of the farm." The agricultural industry has been in a persistent crisis for decades. And while Maharashtra has some of the highest suicide rates, the problem is nationwide. Thirty people in the farming sector killed themselves every day in 2022, according to national crime records bureau statistics. At another farm in Marathwada, 32-year-old farmer Shaikh Imran took over the running of the family smallholding last year after his brother took his own life. He is already more than $1,100 in debt after borrowing to plant soybean. The crop failed. Meanwhile, the pop of explosives echoes around as farmers blast wells, hoping to hit water. "There's no water to drink," said family matriarch Khatijabi. "Where shall we get water to irrigate the farm?" © 2025 AFP
Hindustan Times
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Kaluram Bamaniya: 'Kabir invites us to go within'
You began your musical journey at the age of nine first as a manjira player with your uncle, father and grandfather. In 2024, you were awarded the Padma Shri. How do you look back at your journey? When I look back, I feel that all the hard work I have put in throughout my life has borne fruit. I have had the good fortune to meet many wonderful and kind people. I am grateful for the opportunity to spread the words of Kabir far and wide through my music. Since I received the Padma Shri, I have been even more deeply engaged in this work. I have hardly spent any time at home because I keep getting invited somewhere or the other to sing. People have been showering me with a lot of affection. During your concert at the Rajasthan International Folk Festival in Jodhpur, you said that Kabir, whose verses you sing, spoke out against the caste system. Kabir's poetry is reaching audiences all over India via music concerts. Do you believe the act of listening to these bhajans weakens the caste system? Yes, of course! Listening to these bhajans makes a world of difference. Kabir's words touch people. In fact, he launches a direct attack that pierces people's hearts and makes them burst wide open. That is the power of a saint's voice! I wish more people had a chance to hear and really understand what Kabir has to say. We don't have enough platforms for them to encounter Kabir in a deep way. If we did, it would transform them completely. What is the difference between encountering Kabir through oral folk traditions passed down from generation to generation in villages, and through concerts by urban singers who have learnt from these traditions and tweaked songs to suit their own style? I believe that, when this tweaking happens, the earthiness that gives folk music a fragrance of its own is lost. The element of renunciation in those songs is compromised. But I do not oppose anyone singing Kabir in their own style. If that helps people awaken, why not? Most people who attend concerts prefer listening to bhajans that offer comfort or uplift them. Several Kabir bhajans that you sang at Jodhpur RIFF like Jaao Nugri Kaya and Hoshiyar Rehna Re Nagar Mein Chor Aavega were about death, a subject that unsettles and scares people. What made you choose them? Kabir tells us, 'Don't be scared!' If we live our life with complete awareness, our fear of death will vanish. In any case, it is only the physical body that dies. Life continues. Between bhajans, you spoke about Kabir's critique of organised religion and urged your audience to not cling so tightly to their identities that they hurt others in the name of religion. When you share such ideas, do you find that people are open to listening? Yes, they are receptive. They listen and contemplate. These thoughts churn inside them for a long time. Some of them even call me to have long phone conversations. Apart from Kabir, you also sing the verses of Mirabai, Gorakhnath, Bannanath and other saints. What are the major differences that you find between them? Frankly, I do not see much of a difference. They said similar things in different time periods. But, from a spiritual point of view, I find Kabir to be the forerunner among them. One of the sakhis (couplets) that you recited was 'Patthar pooje hari mile, toh main poojun pahaad/ Yaa se toh chaaki bhali, jo pees khaaye sansaar.' Here, Kabir appeals to his listeners to question rituals like idol worship instead of participating in them mechanically. While explaining this, you spoke about how people are abandoning inner enquiry and limiting themselves to being part of a herd. Why is this happening? Kabir's message is very simple and direct. He asks us to stop wandering and searching outside. He invites us to go within. That's where all the answers are to be found. But people are led astray because there are so many people waiting to misguide them. How do you feel about conversations around copyright in the world of folk music? I do not have much to say on this subject. If someone copies me, I do not mind. Let them do that. As long as they are spreading the words of Kabir, why should I have a problem? Let those words travel freely so that they can reach more people and transform their hearts. Everything that I have learnt is from the oral traditions. I do not own the words or the tunes. Drawing inspiration from Kabir, have you thought of writing poems of your own? I have written a bit but I do not know if I will write any further. Kabir has left behind so much – like the countless grains of sand that you will find in the Ganga River. Have you considered experimenting with any new instruments? I am happy singing Kabir vaani with the accompaniment of just a tambura and a khartal. I had introduced the violin in my mandali (group) for a while but it did not work for me. It is a Western instrument. It does not go well with the sound and spirit of our folk music. Many folk artists, who are not as well-known as you, suffer tremendous financial insecurities due to lack of regular income. As a Padma Shri awardee, what advice would you offer the government with respect to what they can do to support folk singers? The government can and should do more to support folk singers. They will not be able to pursue and preserve these traditional art forms for long without financial support. The Ministry of Culture should think seriously about various ways to make this happen. Artists can be given fellowships, performance opportunities, and monthly retainers to help them. What message would you like to give your fans? Today, a lot of young people are struggling with addictions. I appeal to everyone to stop consuming tobacco, beedi, cigarette, ganja. Kabir was strongly against the consumption of these harmful substances. He said that they cause physical and mental harm, and ruin a person's life, so it is best to stay faraway from them. Do you plan to run a nashamukti (de-addiction) campaign using Kabir's poetry? I raise awareness against addiction, the caste system and communal violence whenever I sing Kabir's verses. But my impact is quite limited as compared to big film actors who endorse these harmful addictive substances. Anyway, I will continue to do my best. Chintan Girish Modi is a writer, educator and cultural commentator. He is @chintanwriting on Instagram and X.
Time of India
03-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Divine bond: Two sisters bring two faiths together
Panaji: The jatra in Shirgao in honour of the goddess Lairai brings together two faiths — Hindus and Catholics — as the goddess is said to be one of the six sisters of Our Lady of Miracles of Mapusa. Both feasts are celebrated within a couple of days of each other. Very rarely — just three times in over 50 years — has the feast and jatra been celebrated on the same day. 'Our Lady of Miracles (Milagres Saibinn) was one of the seven sisters who was converted by the Portuguese to the Catholic faith. She is called Mirabai ,' writes the Jesuit priest Father Apolinario Cardozo in the book, 'When Goa Celebrates'. The two sisters are also believed to visit each other on the day of their respective festivals. 'There is the tradition of gifts sent by the sisters to each other. While Lairai sends one 'couso' (pot) of oil, Milagres sends one basketful of flowers. These gifts are sent on the day of the feast and the jatra, respectively,' writes Maria de Lourdes Bravo da Costa Rodrigues in her book, 'Feasts, Festivals and Observances of Goa'. On Monday, the feast day of Our Lady of Miracles, both Catholics and Hindus offer candles, oil, money, and even miniature body parts made of wax, in exchange for favours granted. At the Shirgao jatra , it is not uncommon to see Catholics pay their respects. 'The (Our Lady of) Milagres (Miracles) feast is celebrated on the third Monday after Easter,' Vasudev Joshi, priest of the Shirgao temple, told TOI on Saturday. 'We believe she is Mirabai, sister of goddess Lairai. Some 60 years ago, we used to send flowers and oil from here to Milagres. It is believed that the feast should always be on a Monday and should not clash with the Shirgao jatra.' He said that it is believed that once, the jatra and feast happened on the same day, and a bench in the church caught fire. 'However, over the past 60-65 years, since I know of it, no exchange has taken place between the temple and Milagres. Though we believe they are sisters, the younger priests do not believe in it,' he said. A temple dedicated to Mirabai was located at Mayem, until the Portuguese, during the later part of their reign, captured the areas further north. Mirabai's temple is believed to have been destroyed in the process, but she took on the form of Our Lady of Miracles for devotees. Mirabai's six sisters, who were worshipped in different temples, are believed to have been Lairai at Shirgao, Mhamai at Mayem, Kelbai at Mulgao, Monai at Morjim, Mahalasa at Mardol and Adiadipa at Anjediva. Khetko is their only brother.
