Two more farmers commit suicide in Madhya Pradesh

Two more farmers allegedly committed suicide in Dhar and Narsinghpur districts of Madhya Pradesh over the last 24 hours, taking the total number of farmer suicides over last six days to 10.

BHOPAL: Two more farmers allegedly committed suicide in Dhar and Narsinghpur districts of Madhya Pradesh over the last 24 hours, taking the total number of farmer suicides over last six days to 10.

While a 40-year-old farmer Jagdish Mori ended life by consuming pesticide in Ramapura village of Dhar district, a 50-year-old farmer identified as Imrat Patel also committed suicide in a similar manner in Chandlaun village of Narsinghpur district.

While in Jagdish’s case his kin alleged that he ended life under pressure of repaying a loan, the superintendent of police of Dhar district Virendra Singh claimed that since Jagdish had no land, there was no possibility of him having taken loan. 

It appeared that he committed suicide due to family reasons. Investigations are on in the matter, added SP Dhar. In the other case, Imrat Patel allegedly ended life over a long-pending dispute pertaining to registry of a plot with one Halku Patel. 

While farmer suicides go on unabated, Congress ended its 72-hour ‘Satyagraha’ launched for farmers’ rights in Khalghat town of Dhar district (250 km from Bhopal) on Saturday.

A united Congress leadership, including senior national leaders Jyotiraditya Scindia, Kamal Nath and Kantillal Bhuria, besides state leaders Arun Yadav, Ajay Singh ‘Rahul’ and Suresh Pachauri were present on the stage packed with Congress leaders.

The programme also doubled up as a grand conclave of farmers from West MP (which witnessed series of violence during recent farmers stir).

With the number of Congress leaders and farmers who courted arrests running into thousands, the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) announced their arrest from the stage and also subsequently informed that they were being released as there was no jail nearby where such big gathering could be housed after arrest.

Upbeat with the farmers' response to the Satyagraha spearheaded by Scindia in Bhopal, the Congress leaders fired salvos at both, the central government and the MP government.

Former union minister and Chhindwara MP Kamal Nath blamed the policy of unchecked import of agricultural commodities in the country ruining the life of farmers in MP and other states. While terming the MP government as “deaf and dumb,” he said maximum exodus of farmers is taking place from MP.

He also maintained that the peaceful protest would continue across MP till the government doesn’t waive off farm loans and raise the MSP for agricultural produce in proportion to rise in input costs.

The state Congress chief Arun Yadav promised that after the Congress government came to power in MP in 2018, the farm loans would be waived off. Sources in the Congress told the New Indian Express that after the programme, Scindia left for Mandsaur to meet the kin of the the five farmers killed in police firing.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com