By A. Mirsab, TwoCircles.net,
Mumbai: Maharashtra farmers are continuing to commit suicide due to drought, unseasonal rains and hailstorm damaged crops in thousands of hectares of Maharashtra, mainly in Vidarbha and Marathwada.
The latest is that the five farmers have resorted to commit suicide within a week in Hingoli district alone which raises questions on ruling party BJP who during its campaigning for parliamentary and assembly elections blamed Congress for farmers’ deaths in the state and had assured of improving their position.
The situation has not changed in the state even after regime change, both at center and state, and farmers are still in a despair because PM Narendra Modi and new CM Devendra Fadnavis has not initiated anything practical to help drought hit farmers.
Hingoli district in Marathwada region of the state has witnessed 5 farmer’s death in last 7 days. Drought hit farmer Marvat Rao, a resident of Chatepai town in Hingoli committed suicide by drinking poison as he was under depression and worry for managing money for his daughter’s marriage and to repay crop loans.
Caught in the similar circumstances, other farmers Sopan Rao, Laxman Murlidhar, Navnath Bhoyar and a farmer from Kalamnuri town Shankar Raju Kadam committed suicide by hanging themselves.
There is a growing intolerance against government amongst the state farmers who have now planned to hold a sit in on November 30 at Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s Nagpur house at Dharampeth to press new government for providing relief to farmers.
The agitation will be led by Shetkari Sanghatana. The Sanghatana says that farmers in the state are stumbling under crisis as all major crops including soyabean, cotton and paddy besides orange and grapes are ruined due to insufficient rains in the state.
“Narendra Modi had stressed during the poll campaign that farmers would be paid rates to cover input costs plus 50 per cent of the cost as per the M S Swaminathan Commission recommendations. Modi should not forget his electoral promises,” said Sanghatana’s regional leader and ex-MLA Wamanrao Chatap.
Meanwhile Congress and Shiv Sena both have urged new BJP government to tackle farmers’ drought situation or to face agitations and protests. Shiv Sena has said that it will take up the issue of drought-affected farmers in the winter session of the state legislature beginning at Nagpur from December 8.