Another farmer commits suicide in Rajasthan

So far two from Tonk, one each from Bharatpur and Alwar have been reported apart from Mahendra’s suicide in Beawar.

A 22-year-old farmer in Beawar committed suicide reportedly after suffering severe losses to his barley crop due to unseasonal rain and hailstorm. Mahendra Singh, the only breadearner of the family, was found hanging in his house in Fatehgarh village in Beawar on Saturday.

Mahendra had refused to accompany his family for a wedding in the village and when the others returned home they found him hanging from the ceiling of his room.

With 3 bighas of land owned by his father, Madan Singh Rawat, and another 3 bighas by his uncle, who lived away from the village, Mahendra used to till the 6 bighas all by himself. His father is asthamatic and mostly remained ill.

Locals said that ever since heavy rains lashed the state flattening the Rabi crop, Mahendra remained aloof and lost. Family members, neighbours and friends tried to talk him out of the depression but he used to stay pensive and worry about making both ends meet. Mahendra is survived by his wife.

Villagers said that in the first crop damage assessment report the patwari had reported 25 percent damage to crops. However after locals protested, he held yet another survey and reassured them that he had brought it up to 40 percent damage whereas on paper he reported 31 percent, which does not fall under the compensation criterion. The state government earlier offered compensation on 50 percent damage to crop but this was revised to 33 percent recently.

Following Mahendra’s suicide, villagers approached the local elected representatives and sought a fresh assessment of crop damage in the area. Meanwhile action was initiated against the tehsildar, who has been moved out and kept on awaiting posting order (APO).

After Bandikui farmer Gajendra Singh, who hung himself from a tree at an Aam Aadmi Party rally in Delhi on Wednesday, instances of farmer suicides across the state have come up.

So far two from Tonk, one each from Bharatpur and Alwar have been reported apart from Mahendra’s suicide in Beawar.

Source:: Indian Express