Farmer immolates self to protest land acquisition

LUCKNOW - A farmer in Uttar Pradesh’s Mahoba district set himself on fire, protesting the acquisition of his agricultural land for an irrigation project and demanding higher compensation for the same, officials said Saturday.

Babbu Kushwaha, a resident of Jhir village, set himself ablaze Friday and was rushed to the Jhansi Medical College. He succumbed to his burn injuries Saturday.

“Kushwaha, who is around 35 years, died this (Saturday) morning. He had over 70 percent burns while he was brought for treatment,” Jhansi Medical College’s Chief Medical Superintendent Bal Kishan told IANS over phone.

According to officials, Kushwaha and several other farmers were carrying out protests, demanding higher compensation for their land that is being acquired for a project of the irrigation department.

Farmers say Kushwaha immolated himself after a heated argument with district official Anwar Farooqui over the compensation for the land.

But Farooqui said that while he was talking to a small group of farmers from Jhir village, he saw Kushwaha enveloped in flames after which he was rushed to a hospital.

Mahoba is some 250 km from Lucknow.