Since June 1, farmers in Madhya Pradesh have been protesting for better prices for their produce and debt relief. (Representational Image)
Amid tension in the state regarding farmer debt relief, two farmers from Madhya Pradesh’s Shivpuri and Hoshangabad districts committed suicide on Thursday, news agency IANS reported.
50-year-old Narmada Prasad Yadav, a resident of Chaplasar village in Hoshangabad, was reportedly found unconscious and foaming at the mouth on Wednesday. He was later taken to a hospital where was declared dead later at night.
“His family says that he had an outstanding debt of Rs 50,000 and was being pressurised to clear the debt. The debtors were even asking him to give his tractor as repayment. Distressed by this, he allegedly committed suicide. We are investigating the case,” a police official was quoted as saying by IANS.
Meanwhile in Shivpuri’s Bineka village, another farmer Kalla was found hanging from a tree. According to his relatives, Kalla had sufficient land in his name but due to drought conditions in the region in the last three years, he had an increasing amount of debt to his name.
Following their deaths, the number of farmer suicides in Madhya Pradesh in the last three days has risen to six.
Since June 1, farmers in Madhya Pradesh have been protesting for better prices for their produce and debt relief. On June 6, the protests took a violent turn after six farmers were killed in a police firing in Mandsaur. The agitation in the last few days has spread to nearby districts, including Bhopal and the Malwa-Nimad area. Roads have been blocked, property vandalised and vehicles have been set on fire during the protests.
Following the violence in Mandsaur and the deaths of the six farmers, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan ordered a judicial probe.
(With IANS inputs)
