Two more MP farmers commit 'suicide over farm debt'

Suicide by farmers under debt burden and mounting pressure from moneylenders continues in Madhya Pradesh, though some of these deaths have also been linked to reasons other than farm debt.

On Monday, one farmer committed suicide in a village in Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's home district Sehore, while another ended his life in Vidisha -- the parliamentary constituency of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

Bansi Lal, 54, committed suicide by hanging himself at his home in Jamoniya Khurd village within the jurisdiction of Doraha police station of Sehore district, police said.

"Bansi Lal had nine acres of land. He owed Rs 9 lakh to banks as well as moneylenders, and that is why he committed suicide," said his family members.

However, Munna Lal Chowdhary, the officer in-charge of Doraha police station, told IANS: "Bansi Lal has committed suicide. But what exactly drove him to take the extreme step is not known yet. It will be clear only after investigation."

In the second incident, the body of Jeevan Singh (35) of Sair Bamaura village, falling under Kararia police limits in Vidisha district, was found hanging from a tree in an agriculture field.

While the villagers insisted that debt burden led him to kill himself, police station incharge Rachna Mishra said that following a quarrel with his wife, he had left his home in the night itself and that Jeevan Singh committed suicide over the tiff with his wife.

In yet another incident on Monday morning, a 25-year-old man, Murlidhar Beldar, attempted to kill himself by consuming some insecticide in Beri village under Handia Police Station of Harda district. He was admitted to the district hospital in a serious condition.

Handia Police Station In-charge Siddharth Priyadarshan confirmed that Beldar had consumed some insecticide, but said more details were still awaited. His bid to end his life is, however, being linked to family dispute.

With two more deaths reported on Monday, the total number of farmers' deaths in the state in the last eight days has gone up to 13, out of which four deaths have been reported from Chouhan's home district Sehore.

A few days ago, Dulichandra, a farmer who had a debt of Rs 5 lakh, committed suicide in Jajna village in Sehore district.

Khaaju Khan, 75, of Bapcha Kala village and Mukesh Yadav, 23, the owner of one-and-half acre land in Lachaur village in Sehore's Narsullaganj, committed suicide earlier.

The farmers in Madhya Pradesh staged a protest from June 1 to 10 demanding loan waiver and remunerative price for their produce.

Five farmers succumbed to police bullets while protesting in Mandsaur district on June 6 while another succumbed to his injuries later.

--IANS

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