Eight-year-old’s story reflects toll of farmer suicides in Telangana

An eight-year-old girl’s grief after her father’s death highlights the ongoing farmer suicide crisis in Siddipet’s Yelkanti village, where multiple families struggle without support, prompting calls for government intervention and assistance.

Siddipet: In Yelkanti village of Raipole mandal, where 16 farmers have died by suicide over the past two years, the story of eight-year-old Kummari Sahasra stands as a poignant reflection of the enduring grief faced by the bereaved families.

After her father, Swamy (38), died by suicide in September 2025, Sahasra painted an image of him hanging from the roof on the outer wall of their rented house. It was the last memory she had of him, leaving the child deeply traumatised.

She spends time near the painting, beneath which she wrote “Miss you, Nanna,” a message that has left visitors to the house deeply moved.

Sahasra now lives with her mother, Renuka, while her two elder siblings, Pravanvi (Class 7) and Manohar (Class 6), have been enrolled in separate government residential schools.

A Class 3 student at a local primary school, Sahasra’s upbringing now depends on her mother, who works as a daily wage labourer to support the family after Swamy’s death.

Renuka said mounting debts drove her husband to take the extreme step on September 21, 2025, which coincided with Pettaramasa, a day observed to honour departed ancestors.

Yelkanti village has witnessed a series of farmer suicides in recent years. According to local accounts, 16 farmers have died by suicide in the past two years, including 11 cases reported in 2024 alone.

Social activist Puli Raju, who has been working on issues related to farmer suicides for over two decades, recently visited the village and documented the cases.

He said each affected family has a distressing story, but there is little institutional support available to help them cope with the aftermath.

Raju urged the government to constitute a committee to study the pattern of suicides in the village and extend support to the bereaved families to help them rebuild their lives.