Coming on the heels of a dozen reported farmer suicides within three days in Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region, BJP MP Sanjay Dhotre has kicked up a major controversy after he said that farmers should be “let to die” if they are incapable of or cannot afford farming.
“Let these farmers fend for themselves. If crops fail, they will figure out what to do. And if they dying, let them die,” said Mr. Dhotre, the parliamentarian from Akola.
Mr. Dhotre’s comments came at a farmers’ conference in his constituency on Sunday. Revenue Minister Eknath Khadse was on stage and was seen nodding at Mr. Dhotre’s remarks.
"Very few of us know about organic and Genetically Modified crop even as they have been discussed for decades. If this is our situation, imagine the plight of the poor farmers. I have many times spoken in despair…let the farmers die if they must. Those who can afford farming will do it, others will not do it,” Mr. Dhotre said.
Mr. Dhotre came under attack from various corners for “casual” and “insensitive” comments. However, he later clarified that his words were highlighted out of context.
"What I meant was that the various schemes launched for farmers are not doing anything to improve their lives but only making it worse for them. So if the farmers are on their own they might as well be better off. I did not mean it in an offensive manner when I said that if farmers are dying we should let them die. I said it in anger,” Mr. Dhotre explained.
Within a span of 72 hours, 12 farmers had committed suicide in the cotton belt of western Vidarbha, according to the Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti, a local farmer interest group.
Mr. Khadse had last month raked up a similar controversy in Akola when he remarked that though farmers had the money to pay their mobile bills they were often found reluctant in clearing their electricity bills. Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray had criticized Mr. Khadse saying his comments were “insensitive.”
