Agrarian distress in the era of globalization has manifested in the suicides of farmers and agricultural labourers. This book, using empirical research and field data from north India, especially Punjab, examines the different facets of this tragic phenomenon in rural India. Situating Indian agriculture in the context of globalization it looks at the underlying causes of farmer suicides in a state that was the model of modern capitalist agriculture and development. It also attempts to understand why other farmers have chosen not to take the same path. With a comparative framework and coverage of nearly 1400 rural households, it brings out the brutal manifestation of this complex and multidimensional situation in the Indian countryside. Topical, comprehensive and rich in data, this book will be valuable to scholars and researchers of political economy, agricultural economics, South Asian politics, political sociology, and public policy. 'Punjab, not like Bengal or Gujarat, was particular on its own in Indian economic history. The book . . . examines the truth about the fortune and backlash of the region.' - Donghyu Yang, Professor, Seoul National University, South Korea '[A] pioneering work . . . [The] book is a wake-up call for policy makers who have so far left the peasant in the lurch.' - Dietmar Rothermund, Professor Emeritus and Former Director, South Asia Institute, Heidelberg University, Germany 'The book is very timely as it not only highlights the nature and magnitude of the agrarian distress . . . but also provides analytical insights into causes of the crisis at the micro level with a field based study from the state's suicide belt.' - Sukhpal Singh, Professor and Chairperson, Centre for Management in Agriculture, Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad, India