MANDYA/BENGALURU: The suicide by four members of a debt-ridden farmer’s family who consumed poison-laced
kebab in Sunkatonnur village of
Pandavapura taluk on Saturday triggered a war of words. It became a political slugfest after BJP state president BS Yeddyurappa slammed chief minister HD Kumaraswamy’s “insensitivity” in hosting yajnas and homas in
Sringeri for his well-being.
Nandish 35, committed suicide along with his wife Komala, 28, Chandan, 10, and Manu, 13, apparently dejected at Kumaraswamy’s inaction in r esolving his mounting debt. The farmer’s relatives claimed he had borrowed over Rs 10 lakh from various banks and moneylenders.
“Nandish had been under tremendous pressure over crop losses and debt. He had taken a Rs 3.5-lakh agriculture loan from
Kaveri Grameena Bank. He met the CM twice at the Janata Darshan programme but to no avail. When he couldn’t find a solution and lost faith in the CM’s intervention, he took the extreme step” alleged villagers.
In his suicide note, Nandish said: “Earlier I had informed my problem to you (Kumaraswamy). I am not a coward. Though I had done everything to save myself, I decided to commit suicide as my problem finally proved to be insolvable. Kindly, do not allow our dead bodies be touched by anybody and hand them to corporation. This is our last wish. Agriculture is the reason behind our deaths and no one is responsible.”
Kumarswamy urged all farmers to not take any extreme step with regard to loans. He said the government has already released the first installment of farm loan waiver towards nationalised banks and all pending amount towards last year’s Congress scheme of waiving farm loans from co-operative banks.
Angry villagers
Residents of Pandavapura village expressed anger against the CM for hinting that Nandish committed suicide due to personal issues. “He was a mild-mannered person. Kumaraswamy saying that he may have killed himself due to personal reasons should be condemned,” said villagers.
