Can't abandon farmers, need collective response to crisis: Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sought a collective response from political leaders to the agrarian crisis caused by unseasonal rains and resolved not to "abandon" the farmers.

He addressed the Lok Sabha on Thursday, a day after Gajendra Singh, a farmer from Rajasthan, whose crops were destroyed by unseasonal rain, hanged himself from a tree during the AAP rally against the land Acquisition Bill on Wednesday.

"For years, the issue of farmers committing suicide has been a matter of great concern. It should be our determination to find a solution to this problem... The issue has been there for too long... we will have to think together where we went wrong and what were the deficiencies in the system that resulted in the crisis," Modi said.

The prime minister appealed to leaders across the political spectrum to come together and share their suggestions to address the problem of the rising number of farmers' suicide in the country.

"For years the issue of farmers committing suicide has been a matter of great concern... There is nothing more important than the life of the farmer," he said, adding that the government would ensure help to them in every possible way.

Modi stated that he was pained by a farmer's death at the Aam Aadmi Party rally in the national capital and said: "Ab hum apne kisano ko nahi marne denge (we won't let our farmers die anymore)."

"We can't abandon our farmers... I welcome good suggestions (to address the situation) by all," he added.