Nagpur: Though 10 farmers have committed suicide in various parts of Chhattisgarh in the last two weeks, the State claims that a very few of these suicides were related to farming.
According to Chhattisgarh Kisan Mazdoor Sangh, an umbrella group of 21 farmers’ and labour organisations, 10 farmers in Durg, Kawardha, Rajnandgaon, Mahasamund, Kanker, and Dhamtari districts, have killed themselves between June 11 and June 26.
“Kuleshwar Devangan of Durg killed himself on June 11. On June 16, Bhushan Gayakwad committed suicide in Gopalpur village of Rajanandgoan. A day later, Ramjhul Dhruv ended his life at Lohara of Kawardha. Manthir Singh Dhruv and Hiradhar Nishad, residents of Bagbahara in Mahasamund, killed themselves on June 22 and June 24. On June 24, Gyaniram Andi of Kanker and Sitaram Kaushik of Kawardha committed suicide. Two more killed themselves a day later in Rajnandgaon, and the latest suicide of Chandrahas Sahu was reported from Bagdehi village in Dhamtari,” said Mr. Sanket Thakur, a member of the Sangh’s convener committee.
Mr. Thakur alleged that all of these farmers’ suicides were due to increasing debt. “Farmer Manthir Singh Dhruv’s son Mohan has given a written statement to the tehsildar that his father committed suicide due to increasing debt. Farmer Hiradhar Nishad of Mahasamund district consumed poison. He was under stress as he could not repay ₹21, 000 loan and had received a notice from the bank.”
However, Agriculture Minister Brijmohan Agrawal said, “According to our information, these are natural suicides, and a very few of them may be related to farming.“They are conspiring to deny facts and taking officials along with them. We have organised a meeting in Raipur on June 28 to formulate a strategy to deal with the government’s apathy,” said the Sangh on Tuesday.
