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Dowry system fuelling farmers' suicides in Vidarbha
The
dowry system is driving many farmers of Maharshtra's Vidarbha
region to suicide, a fact which was brought into national focus
Sunday on "Satyamev Jayate", Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan's
popular show. »
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Amravati (Maharashtra): Three more farmers have committed suicide since Sunday, one
of them Tuesday afternoon, taking this year's toll so far to 334
in western Vidarbha only, a non-government organisation fighting
for farmers' rights said.
Debt-trapped cotton farmer Tulsiram Gandhi, 65, committed suicide
by hanging himself in his house at village Sawala in Amaravati
district, Kishor Tiwari, president of the Vidarbha Jan Andolan
Samiti, said.
"It is ironical that a progressive farmer like Gandhi committed
suicide in the village that was in 2006 visited by Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh, who assured them of appropriate relief measures,"
Tiwari said.
Gandhi's recent crop loss put him in debt of over Rs.3 lakh. The
owner of 25 acres of land, he was facing crop failure since 2009,
Tiwari said.
Two other farmers -- Nandu Rathode of Kana village in Yavatmal
district and Prakash Gore of Dhamangoan (Bade) in Buldhana
district -- also committed suicide Sunday, taking the toll in 2012
to 334 in western Vidarbha, Tiwari claimed.
In view of water-scarcity situation in western Maharashtra, the
central government released Rs.700 crore relief earlier this
month. However, farmers have cried foul over the package, saying
several districts have been left out of the relief scheme.
The toll of 334 does not include five districts of eastern
Vidarbha, namely Nagpur, Bhandara, Gondia, Gadchiroli and
Chandrapur. The figures of farmer suicides were not available from
respective district collectorates and commissionerates despite
repeated attempts.
"We have also been making efforts to get an official figure of
farmer suicides from authorities, but have failed. However, we
have been able to document 112 farmer suicides in the year 2012 in
these five districts," Tiwari said.
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