Sheopur (Madhya Pradesh): A farmer hangs self from a tree in Madhya Pradesh's Sheopur after suffering a heavy crop damage due to continuous rain since last 3 days.
The deceased has been identified as Kailash Meena. The suicide has triggered a widespread protest, staged by family members and villagers who are demanding a compensation.
According to villagers, said that Kailash Meena had cultivated paddy on approximately 9 bighas of land. However, due to continuous rain for the past three days, the entire crop in the field had started rotting in the water. Kailash was very upset by the loss of the crop he had grown with precious seeds, fertilizers, and hard work.
According to family members, Kailash had left home for the field in the morning. A short while later, villagers found him hanging from a tree in the field. Locals took the body down and rushed it to the district hospital, where doctors declared him dead upon arrival.
Upon learning of the incident, police and administrative officials arrived at the hospital and prepared a Panchnama. Officials further sent the body for postmortem.
Sheopur Congress MLA Babu Jandel arrived at the district hospital with his party workers. He met with the farmer's family and demanded that the administration provide compensation of ₹50 lakh to the deceased's family.
The MLA stated that the incessant rains in the district have worsened the situation for farmers, and that the government should take immediate and concrete steps to provide relief.
Preparations were underway to send the body home from the hospital via ambulance, but the MLA and his supporters blocked the ambulance, stating that they would not allow the body to be taken until adequate compensation was announced.
The villagers stated that they would not cremate the body until the government makes a concrete announcement regarding adequate financial assistance and a job for a family member. A heavy police force has been deployed at the farmer's house.
The administration is attempting to pacify the protestors. The SDM and the tehsil administration are continuously engaging with the villagers to find a solution.
Continuous heavy rainfall over the past two days flooded rivers and streams which severely inflicted a major blow to rural life and brought extreme losses for farmers.
The sudden change in weather brought relief from the heat but brought devastation for the agricultural community.
Fields that had been flourishing with cotton, chilli, maize and other crops are now submerged, leaving farmers anxious about their livelihood. One Sanjay Ningwal said that heavy rain has destroyed crops in most areas, severely affecting quality and reducing market value.
Many farmers who had already prepared their fields for the next sowing season will now have to start all over again.
The incessant rain since Sunday night has not only damaged standing crops but also drenched harvested produce that farmers were unable to clear from their fields. Moreover, overflowing rivers and streams have flooded low-lying farmlands and several wheat fields have also suffered losses.
[With inputs from FP News Service}
