Day after setting fire to his crop, farmer commits suicide

BARGARH/SAMBALPUR: A day after setting fire to his pest affected paddy crop, sharecropper Brundaban Sahu ended his life on Wednesday. He resorted to the extreme step due to crop loss caused by twin problems of deficit rainfall and pest attack.

Sahu (55) of Kalapani village under Bargarh district, who had reportedly consumed pesticide, was found unconscious by the villagers in his farmland. Sahu was rushed to Bargarh District Headquarters Hospital where he was pronounced brought dead. He is survived by wife Subhasini, married daughter Pushpa, college-going daughter Priti and son Rajesh. This is the fourth suicide in the district and second in an irrigated belt over pest attack after Alhya Dharai of Tora village committed suicide on Monday.Following Sahu’s death, agitated farmers led by Lingraj blocked the Kolkata-Mumbai National Highway 6 at Kalapani with the dead body. They demanded the State Government admit that the suicide was caused by crop loss for pest attack.

When Bargarh Collector tried to pacify them, they were not convinced on the ground that earlier Collectors had gone back on their assurances.Stating that the district administration had made a mockery of a spate of farmers’ suicide by attributing it to flimsy and whimsical reasons in 2015, Lingraj said the blockade would continue till the administration does not admit the gravity of pest attack. They also demanded compensation to the family of the deceased besides Government job to a family member. Later, Rajya Sabha member AV Swamy joined the protestors.

According to sources, Sahu had taken about 14 acres of land on lease but the Brown Plant Hopper pest robbed him of the entire yield. He was worried about paying back `4 lakhs private loan.
Meanwhile, more reports of farmers setting fire to their crop were received on Wednesday. Satyanand Seth of Pudapali village under Dhakauda block of Sambalpur district and Dileswar Pradhan of Ainlapada village under Lakhanpur block of Jharsuguda district set fire to their crop over pest attack.