A farmer from Kattumannarkovil in Cuddalore district attempted suicide by consuming pesticide allegedly due to humiliation after recovery agents of a nationalised bank threatened to seize his tractor for defaulting on loan payment.
The farmer was rushed to the Kattumannarkovil Government Hospital and referred to the Rajah Muthiah Medical College and Hospital.
Sources said S. Muthuramalingam (52), a farmer of Aranthangi in Kattumannarkovil, had taken a loan of Rs.7 lakh from the State Bank of India (SBI) for purchasing a tractor. He is said to have paid Rs.4 lakh but had defaulted on four instalments.
On Tuesday, a group of recovery agents from the bank had seized the tractors of two other farmers –Govindasamy of Agaraputhur and Maharajan of Sarvarajanpettai for defaulting on loan payment. The agents had visited the farmer’s residence and allegedly used foul language against the family members for defaulting on the loan payment.
On learning about the incident, over 50 farmers led by K.V. Elangeeran, president of the Veeranam Vettuvaikkal, Naraikkal Eri Paasana Vivasayigal Sangam staged a protest in front of the bank premises on Wednesday. The protest took a serious turn when Muthuramalingam allegedly pulled out a bottle, suspected to be a pesticide, and consumed it.
Tension prevailed and the agitated farmers hurriedly shifted Muthuramalingam to the Kattumannarkovil Government Hospital. However, after initial treatment, he was referred to the Rajah Muthiah Medical College and Hospital in Annamalai Nagar.
Mr. Elangeeran said that unmindful of crop failure for two successive years due to the 2015 floods and seepage of water from the Veeranam into agricultural fields, the bank was insisting that farmers repay their loans on time.
He claimed that though Mr. Muthuramalingam had paid about Rs.4 lakh out of the total loan amount of Rs.7 lakhs the bank insisted that he had to repay Rs.9 lakhs along with penal interest to avert action.
Farmers’ representatives had recently met the bank manager and apprised him of the problems faced by the farmers
“We had sought time till January 2017 to sell agricultural land and repay the loans. But the bank without any prior information had resorted to seizing the tractors and using foul language against the family,” he said.
K. Balakrishnan, former MLA and Central Committee Member of CPI (M), said that the farmers had mortgaged their lands with the banks as surety for purchasing tractors. The farmer Muthuramalingam had paid about Rs.4 lakh of his total loan. But the bank had deputed recovery agents to forcibly seize the vehicle.
People in distress can contact the State Health Department’s helpline-104 or Chennai-based Sneha suicide prevention centre at 044-24640050.
Farmers’ representatives had recently met the bank manager and apprised him of the problems
