| Abstrakt: |
The issue of farmers' suicides has drawn considerable attention of the policymakers, administrators, and social activist groups. The increasing number of farmers committing suicides in different parts of India has been posing a severe challenge to the governments. The challenges include not only providing relief and rehabilitation to the victims' families, but also preventing the very phenomenon of farmers' suicides. The suicide by a farmer leaves his dependents in distress on several fronts--economic, social, and psychological. The family members have to face severe financial problems if the deceased farmer happens to be the main breadwinner for the family. The entire burden of repaying the debt and managing the family now falls on the shoulders of the wife of the deceased farmer. Apart from the psychological trauma caused by the loss of her spouse, she also has to suffer the humiliation meted out by the moneylenders as well as the society, all the while looking for sources of income for survival. This paper focuses mainly on the plight of such widows in the immediate aftermath of the suicide in the family and their coping mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
