As agitating farmers make their voice heard, 2 of them kill themselves in MP

The second day of the ongoing 10-day ‘Gaon Bandh’ agitation by farmers took an ugly turn with the news of two farmers committing suicide in Madhya Pradesh.

Tirath Singh Jhariya, in-charge tehsildar at Waraseoni in Balaghat distric told reporters of the death of Dhannalal Bopchey, a farmer. “He borrowed Rs 1.50 lakh from Punjab National Bank in 2017 and also some from Kisan Society. We are investigating the matter,” Jhariya said.

Bopchey lived in Matatola village of Kaspur Panchayat in Waraseoni. Gaurishankar Bisen, the agriculture minister of election-bound MP, is from Balaghat district.

Officials said the 70-year-old farmer consumed something toxic on Friday. His family took him to Waraseoni Family Health Centre, which referred to Balaghat District hospital where he died.

The senior citizen was worried about the rising financial burden, said his neighbout Ghanshyam Choudhary.

The suicide is bound to have an impact on the ongoing agitation – farmers are not supplying their produce to towns and cities. And this was not the only suicide.

On Friday itself another farmer, Jaipal Singh (55), of Purani Punarwas in Khandwa district reportedly killed himself by consuming pesticide.

Madhya Pradesh has seen violent agitation by farmers last year. Farm suicides continue to rise in the state: 1,321 cases – the highest since 2013 – Union Minister of State for Agriculture Puroshottam Rupala informed the Lok Sabha in March. Every eight hours a farmer committed suicide in MP in 2016.

As the farmers' agitation entered the second day, vegetable prices at various cities soared. Distribution of milk and vegetables in Bhopal, Sehore, Vidisha, Mandsaur, Ratlam, Neemuch and Agar Malwa districts were affected.

The police arrested two farmers for sharing videos of last year's agitation. “We found last year's videos were being shared in WhatsApp groups. We arrested the admins of two suh group. They are residents of Ratlam district,” Makrand Deuskar, Inspecttor-General (Intelligence) of MP Police, told reporters.

Jabalpur Police Friday registered a complaint against a Congress leader, four days ahead of party President Rahul Gandhi’s visit to the state. “The Bargi City Superintendent of Police (Jabalpur district) Deepak Mishra has registered an FIR against our leader Jitendra Awasthi on the basis of a complaint lodged by Bargi Mandi Secretary Suresh Soni in connection with an incident that took place on 22 May,” alleged Manak Agrawal, state media in-charge of Congress.

Gandhi will reach Mandsaur on 6 June to mark the anniversary of the death of six farmers in police firing.