A day after a farmer committed suicide in Tiruvarur district, another distressed farmer from the district, this time from Athichapuram in Kottur union, collapsed while inspecting his field in the village on Friday evening and died in hospital. Villagers staged a protest attributing his distress over crop failure.
The farmer, T.Azhagesan (36) is said have been inspecting his his field in the village when he collapsed suddenly. He was rushed to a hospital, where was declared dead on arrival. Azhagesan is survived by his wife, two teenaged daughters and a nine-year-old son.
In a complaint lodged with Kottur police, his wife, Arockiyamary, said her husband had opted for direct sowing of paddy on his two-acre field.
But the seeds failed to germinate properly for want of adequate water. He had been worried about his crop failure for a few days, she said. Police have registered a case and are investigating.
On Saturday morning, a group of villagers and members of local farmers organisations resorted to a road roko near the Athichapuram bus stand alleging that the farmer died of distress over the crop position.
They demanded that the family be sanctioned adequate compensation immediately. Senior revenue and police officials rushed to the spot and persuaded the agitators to withdraw the stir. The body was handed over to the family after post-mortem.
On Thursday, a farmer, S.Govindaraj, from the district, committed suicide. Govindaraj’s family claimed that he ended his life as the seeds sown directly in his field had failed to germinate.
Cardiac arrest
The death of a farm worker in Thanjavur district on Saturday heightened anxiety among farmers. Rajesh Kannan (45) of Keezha Thirupanthurithi in Thanjavur district, who had been working at a field collapsed after complaining of pain in the head and stomach.
However, police sources said he died of cardiac arrest.
Family members say he collapsed while surveying his poor crop that failed for want of water
