Madhya Pradesh farmers' unrest: Five commit suicide over financial problems since Sunday

Bhopal: Five farmers committed suicide in different parts of Madhya Pradesh reportedly due to debt and other problems since Sunday evening, taking the total number of such farmer deaths to 27 in over a fortnight. [caption id=“attachment_3707013” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Reuters.[/caption] Ghisiya Khan, 70, committed suicide by hanging himself in the well in his farm in Harsud in Khandwa district. The farmer’s body was found in the well on Tuesday. The farmer was under debt as he had recently bought a new tractor. “The cause of suicide is not clear yet. As far as debt is concerned, it will be revealed only after we record the statements of his kin,” Harsud Police Station Incharge Vishwadeep Singh Parihar told IANS on Tuesday. Similarly, Chandra Lilhare, 42, consumed insecticide in Bharweli Jagpur village in Balaghat district. The farmer, who was reportedly upset over debt, died on Tuesday morning. Lilhare had three acres of land but he sold one acre to pay back his debt, said his family. The farmer took the extreme step as he still owed money to the lenders, his family said. “He had received a recovery notice of Rs 1,18,000 from the Syndicate Bank. He also had a debt of Rs 70,000 which he had taken from the society. The police is investigating the cause of suicide,” said Bharweli Police Station Incharge Brajesh Vishwakarma. Another farmer Pawan, 20, drank insecticide on Tuesday in Dharnawada village falling under Ghandinagar Police Station area in Indore. The farmer’s family has pointed to debt as the reason for his suicide. Ghandinagar Police Station Incharge Adesh Sattavat, however, said there has been no report hinting that Pawan, who worked as a labourer, owed money to the lenders. The police is investigating the matter. “Pawan used to do sharecropping, but he incurred a heavy loss. The farmer, who married in April this year, also had a loan burden of Rs two to three lakh. His family said that he committed suicide due to debt,” said MLA Jeetu Patwari. Another tribal farmer Jahu drank insecticide on Monday in Para Chowki area in Jhabua district due to financial crunch. “Jahu’s son ran away from his home and got married. As per the tradition, the panchayat of the Adivasi society directed Jahu’s son to pay a dowry of Rs 4.5 lakh to the girl’s family. Jahu mortgaged his land but still could not make the full payment and eventually committed suicide,” said Jhabua Police Station Incharge RK Baskare. Another farmer Manohar Singh, 50, drank poison in Dewas, upset over a debt of Rs five lakh. The farmer from Kesli village in Tonk Khurd Tehsil was admitted to hospital in Dewas in a serious condition. He was shifted to Indore but he died during the treatment on Monday. Farmers in Madhya Pradesh had launched a protest earlier this month demanding better prices for their produce and debt relief. On June 6, six farmers were killed in police firing in Mandsaur. Though the protest has been called off following intervention by the government, farmers have been ending their lives over debt and other problems.