Despite Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s repeated assertions regarding the “prosperity” of farmers in his regime, yet another incident of a farmer committing suicide due to crop failure and increasing debts has been reported from the State.
Crop failure
Police sources admitted that Jilubha Jethwa, a farmer in Raheja village in Mangrol taluka of Junagadh district in the Saurashtra region, committed suicide on Friday because of crop failure due to inadequate rainfall this year.
Jilubha had sown groundnut in his four ‘bighas’ of land, but due to insufficient rainfall, the crop failed. Getting no assistance from the State government and being neck-deep in debt, the farmer committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree in his farm.
According to official records, this is the 39th suicide due to crop failure in the Saurashtra region alone this year.
Mr. Modi, however, has claimed that with more than 11 per cent “growth rate” in agriculture, most of the farmers had earned the ability to own four-wheelers.
Mr Modi would like to paint a picture of 'all is well in Gujarat'.A
politician wants to win elections.On the other hand,anti-Modi
campaigners will swear 'nothing is alright'.Till now the stress was on
the 'communal angle'.As it may not work any longer,anti-Modi
campaigners are now questioning the claims of development.Death of
even a single farmer should shame the govt.But the sad situation
should not be exploited for narrow political purposes.Gujarat govt
should immediately and earnestly address this serious issue of
farmers.The media may not report the good work on many fronts,but can
and should highlight the failures.Even though the Hindu on many
occasions in the recent past has not been fair to Mr Modi,I feel that
the Hindu should relentlessly take up such issues like that of
farmers.
Mr. Modi said 'most' of the farmers. He can't ensure EVERY farmer
gets enough resources so he can earn money and buy a car. What
about suicides happening in other states? Why aren't they reported?
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