Odisha farmer commits suicide, kin donate his eyes

Driven to end his life because of drought and debt in Odisha's Sundarpur village, in death Baidhar Mahali helped a visually impaired person to view the world once again.

Mahali of Sundarpur village in Bhadrak district, allegedly consumed poison to end his life and died at Cuttack SCB Medical College and Hospital on Sunday night.

His family, however, donated his eyes to help a blind person see.

"Life is immortal. But a man lives long through his noble deeds. This deep-rooted Hindu philosophy prompted us to donate his eyes in a bid to keep him alive through other forms," said Kamalakant Mahali, brother of the deceased.

"Since my brother took the extreme step due to crop loss and loan burden, we wish to compensate the loss by benefiting a needy. This act would definitely make him rest in peace," said Bhabna Mahali, another brother of Baidhar.

Family sources said Baidhar had cultivated paddy on one acre of land besides working as a share cropper in four to five acres.

He had taken a loan of about Rs.60,000 from a bank and had also borrowed money from local money lenders. But the weak monsoon left him in the lurch as the entire crop was ruined, forcing him to take the extreme step.

Despite the announcement of a special package by the Odisha government for the drought-affected, suicides by farmers continue unabated in the state.

Parikhita Nag, a farmer from Batharala village in Bolangir district, died on Tuesday due to the same reason. He consumed poison on October 25 and was admitted to Mission Hospital in Khariar in a critical condition for treatment.