Crop loss claims one more farmer's life in Baran

KOTA: Another farmer succumbed to crop loss in Kedaheri village, Baran district on Friday. Raghuraj Singh had gone to irrigate his fields last night, and did not return. A search was started for him in the morning. At 7 am, his body was found floating in the canal.
Raghuraj Singh (45) has five daughters and two sons. Only one daughter is married. He had 13 bighas of land and was the only earning member of the family.
“During the last two years both wheat and soybean crop had been destroyed due to natural reasons,” said Nand Singh, Raghuraj‘s cousin.
“It’s very difficult in a time like this, when we all have burdens of loans, ” he said.
“Raghuraj was not suffering from any ailment or heart problem. The body was sent for post-mortem and the police have been informed,” said Nand Singh. “Farmers are by nature a sturdy lot and used to hardships, but crop failure since last three years without respite is making it just impossible to bear,” said Nand Singh.
“Loans may have been taken but in this state of shock who can I ask, his daughters and wife are inconsolable. Facing the sahukars (merchants) each day is an ordeal, and we have to fix priority who to pay off that day,” he ad ded. “Bas roti ka kharcha nikal jaye to kafi hai,” he said.
“Only Baran farmers are dying because out of 1,200 villages only in 183 villages compensation was given,” said Satya Narain, prant pramukh, Balakhera village, Tehsil Kissanganj, Baran.
“There’s a situation of famine in Baran and the administration is yet wake up or even give us any sympathy.
We have not even got a verbal promise, it’s a state of hopelessness,” he added.
“The administration has no news about this death,” said Baran collector Lalit Kumar Gupta. “I will make relevant enquiries about the same.”