Madhya Pradesh: 4 farmers commit suicides in 24 hours

Four farmers committed suicide in different parts of Madhya Pradesh in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of deaths since June 6 to 19, after farmers protest in Mandsaur turned violent.

Five farmers were killed in police firing in Mandsaur on June 6 while one farmer died on June 8 after suffering critical injures during police lathi-charge.

Among the 4 farmers who committed suicide in the past 24 hours are 48-year-old Gulri Kurmi of Sagar, Mahesh Tiwari of Chhattarpur, Shatrughan Meena of Hoshangabad and Shyam Yadhuvanshi of Chindwara.

Gulri Kurmi of Khimlasa village in Sagar left behind a suicide note in which he alleged that his farming land had been usurped by moneylenders. According to the suicide note, he owed Rs 2.5 lakh to a money lender of the same village.

Mahesh Tiwary of Narayanpur village in Chhattarpur district, who committed suicide by consuming poison, suffered losses of Rs 90,000 and he took the extreme step as he had nothing to give to the landlord from whom he had taken the farming land on rent, his family members said.

Shatrughan Meena of Godia village in Hoshangabad district too committed suicide by consuming pesticide. According to his family members, he owed Rs 12 lakh to banks and money lenders, and had suffered losses in farming this year.

Shyam Yadhuvanshi of Chindwara, who committed suicide by consuming pesticide, owned 2.5 acres of land and owed 1.5 lakh to a private bank. He also owed around 25,000 to money lenders.

The state government, however, continues to stay in denial and has refused to attribute debt traps and distress as causes that are forcing farmers to take their own lives.

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