2 more Madhya Pradesh farmers commit suicide

Two more debt-ridden farmers committed suicide in Madhya Pradesh's Shivpuri and Hoshangabad districts, police said on Thursday.

Narmada Prasad Yadav, 50, a resident of Chaplasar village in Hoshangabad district, was found unconscious and foaming at the mouth by his brother on Wednesday. He was taken to a hospital in a serious condition and was declared dead later at night.

Station chief Mahendra Singh Chauhan told IANS: "His family says that he had an outstanding debt of Rs 50,000 and was being pressurised to clear the debt. The debtors were even asking him to give his tractor as repayment. Distressed by this, he allegedly committed suicide. We are investigating the case."

Another farmer, Kalla, was found hanging from a tree in Shivpuri district's Bineka village.

According to Kalla's kin, he had two bigha land in his name. But due to drought conditions since the last three years, he had increasing amounts of debt in his name due to which he took his life.

One bigha equals 5/8 acre.

Station chief S.B. Sharma told IANS that Kalla used to consume alcohol in large amounts and even practised tantrik rites, which could be a reason for the suicide.

This brings to six the number of farmer suicides reported in the state in the past three days. On Monday, Dulichandra of Sehore district's Jajna village, who owed Rs 5 lakh in loans, died under mysterious circumstances.

On Tuesday, two farmers took their lives due to distress over debts. Makhan Lal, resident of Hoshangabad's Bhairopur village, was found hanging from a tree around 4 a.m., while Hari Singh Jatav of Vidhisha district's Jirapur village slipped into a critical condition and later died after he consumed poison.

On Wednesday, 40-year-old Ramesh, a resident of Ballarpur village, took his life by consuming poison. He had an outstanding debt of Rs 2 lakh and owned about one-acre land.

Farmers in the state protested from June 1 for better prices for their produce and debt relief. The agitation turned violent on June 6 when six farmers were killed in police firing in Mandsaur.

The violence spilled over to several other districts, including the Malwa-Nimad area, and even reached the state capital. Angry farmers blocked roads, vandalised property and set fire to vehicles.

After the farmers' killings, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has ordered a judicial probe.

--IANS

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