INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
A farmer from Maharashtra's Yavatmal district committed suicide on Tuesday
A suicide note found near the body said that the Narendra Modi government was responsible for him taking the extreme step
The family refused to perform last rites till the government addresses farmers' issues.47-year-old Alka Chayare was inconsolable as she
hugged her husband's body on being told about his suicide
Shankar Bhaurao Chayare , 50, of Rajurwadi village in Yavatmal District committed suicide by drinking poison after an attempt to hang
His daughter said, "He wasn't speaking to anyone at home and kept to himself
He was worried about how he would pay for our education and make ends meet
In the note he has written that he is killing himself because of loans and the Narendra Modi government is responsible."The suicide note has
been sent to handwriting experts to verify its authenticity, a senior police official told news agency PTI
The farmer's daughter submitted it to the police last night.Chayare leaves behind who has three daughters and a son owed around Rs 1.40 lakh
to banks and private money lenders
His ability to repay his creditors was affected after his cotton crop was damaged due to a pink bollworm attack
into about ?12,000 crore.Last month during the massive farmers' protest, the compensation demanded for pink bollworm affected crops was Rs
The government has announced compensation of Rs 30,000 per acre.Devanand Pawar, who heads the Farmers Committee for Justice in the area told
, "When we met the family they told us that till the time the Modi government takes responsibility for his suicide and does not provide help
we will not take the dead body and perform last rites
The Farmers' Committee for justice will take this up and stand by the family."Pawar claims this is the second time a farmer who has killed
himself after blaming the government for their situation
According to government figures 11,370 farmers committed in 2016 and the most among them is in Maharashtra where 3661 farmers took their
lives.Kishore Tiwari, who heads the Maharashtra government's task force on agriculture distress, and met the distressed family today says
"In Vidarbha and Marathwada the government's policies of compensation, loan waiver and fair prices are not being implemented properly
The farmers feel all this is only on paper
Farmers are in distress and they need help and I have told this to the government repeatedly," the chairperson of the State Agriculture
Mission told .The agrarian distress in Maharashtra has the potential to change the political fortunes of any party in the state
In 2014 the BJP performed impressively in rural Maharashtra as it promised relief from crisis
In 2019, if the party does not address these issues the story may be very different, political observers warn.
