Shockingly, two more distressed farmers ended their lives in western Odisha on Tuesday. Expressing grave concern over the number of farmers’ suicides which has gone up to five in a span of five days, the Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) has directed the State Government to file a counter on the issue within four weeks. The commission has asked the Secretaries of Revenue and Agriculture Departments to furnish replies within the stipulated period.
Dharmu Ada, a farmer of Khirmal village in Nuapada district, has committed suicide by consuming pesticide on Sunday after losing mental balance due to crop loss. Ada had been admitted to a hospital, where he died on Tuesday.
Ada’s father is a small farmer having three to four acres of land. He had not got the share of his paternal land. Hence, he took nine acre of land of other farmers by mortgaging gold of her wife for cultivation of cotton and paddy.
He took Rs 40,000 against the gold and invested the entire amount in cultivation. But unfortunately, both the crops failed due to shortage of water. “He did not listen to me, when I objected for taking the risk in other’s land. Investment in cotton cultivation was too high that brought this misfortune” said a teary-eyed Demati, who has two sons.
Following this, the BJP Khariar unit led by party leaders Jadumani Panigrahi and Sanjay Tiwari staged a dharna on the NH-353 demanding compensation for the family. The party demanded Rs 5 lakh compensation to the deceased’s family, judicial inquiry into the farmers’ suicide cases and declaration of draught in Nuapada district.
The district Collector has instructed the block administration to conduct an inquiry immediately.
In the other incident on the day, Magasira Majhi, a farmer of Tukula village of Bhatli block in Bargarh district, committed suicide after sustaining massive loss of paddy crop.