Shiv Prasad Mewada, 40, ended his life in Birjis Nagar in Ichhawar (Sehore) on Saturday. He hanged himself in the room on his fields. He had taken a loan of Rs 4.8 lakh from the bank and another Rs 80,000 from Kisan Credit Card and he was tensed because he was unable to pay installments timely.
The crop had failed. His brother told him that they would sell land to pay back the amount. But Shiv Prasad committed suicide. His wife said that Shiv had borrowed money from villagers also and the repeated visits of bank officials who came to ask for payment drove him to commit suicide.
The other suicide was reported from Bhopal's Berasia where another farmer hanged himself to death. Gokul Prasad had just half-acre of land and the pangs of hunger were reportedly the reason for his decision to end his life. Police claimed that he was mentally unstable.
But the suicides are no exception. Incidents in Damoh's Haa and Harrai in the last fortnight show that there is something horribly wrong. The Agriculture minister, the Chief Minister and the entire state government must take urgent corrective measures to redress the grievances of farmers.
