From Our Bureau
NEW DELHI: The Congress on Tuesday noted the government’s own data from the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) showing that 10,881 farmers committed suicides in 2021, which means more thn 30 suicides every day or more than one suicide every hour.
Its spokesperson Supriya Srinate told a press conference that more shocking are NCRB data of over 53,000 farmers committed suicides in seven years since 2014 and the quesstion to be asked is who compels them to end their life.
She referred in this regard the suicide note left behind by a farmer, Dashrath Laxman Kedari, of Pune district on September 17, directly accusing Prime Minister Modi for compelling him to commit the suicide.
In his suicide noe, Dashrath wrote: “Modi saheb, you only think about yourself, not bothered about we the farmers. I do not hve money and he sahukar (money lender) is not prepared to wait. Because of your inaction, I am forced to commit suicide because you never bothered to get her the price for our crops.” He had also shared how the recovery agents harass on he issue of he MSP.
Srinate said the Congress endorses the Pune farmer’s charge that those who are responsible for forcing him to commit suicide are PM Modi and the failures of his government to meet the promise to double the income of the farmers in 2022. She said it is the same Modi government which had brought three farm laws against the farmers to behefit a handful of the moneyed friends and which it had to roll back, but only after 700 farmers committed suicides on Delhi border.
She said it is the same Modi government that told the Supreme Court that giving 50% MSP above the cultivation cost will upset the market.It even wrote to the state governments that it will not take the foodgrains if they buy over and above the MSP rates.
Srinate alleged that the government is trying for the rich friends’ back entry in agriculture by bringing the private sector in procurement of he crops removing the Food Corporation of India and not even allowing the state governments to directly buy from the farmers.
