Damaged crop forces farmer to attempt suicide
By IANSMonday, January 10, 2011
BHOPAL - A farmer tried to kill himself in Damoh district of Madhya Pradesh Monday after his crops were destroyed due to the intense cold and frost. This is the second such incident in the district in the past three days.
Uday Singh Parihar, 28, a resident of Devran village, consumed pesticide in an attempt to commit suicide. He has been admitted to the district hospital.
The farmer had cultivated crops on 20 acres land, of which five acres were his own. The crops got destroyed because of the intense cold and frost in the region. Parihar had taken Rs.2 lakh loan to cultivate the land.
“I had taken around Rs.2 lakh loan. But the crops have got destroyed,” said Parihar in a broken voice from his hospital bed.
On Friday, Gulab Singh, 50, of Tikri Pipariya village consumed pesticide and tried to commit suicide.
On Dec 15, a farmer, Nand Kishore Yadav, committed suicide in Damoh, the first case of suicide. Damoh town is over 273 km from here.
Significantly, Damoh is the native place of Agricultural Minister Ramkrishna Kusmaria.
On Sunday, farmer Shiv Prasad committed suicide in Sehore district.
Some farmers in Sehore Monday held a demonstration at the collectorate office to demand compensation for their damaged crops. The farmers were angry that the administration has not even begun a survey to take stock of their damaged crops.
State Congress president Suresh Pachouri visited the house of Shiv Prasad at his village Brijesh Nagar.
“In such situations the government should come forward and support the farmers. The landlords and banks are pressing farmers for their loans, which is forcing them to commit suicide,” said Pachouri after meeting relatives of Shiv Prasad.
