Between Communist -Congress Blame game, One more Farmer commits suicide

Farmer commits suicide in Kuttanad

Pioneer News Service | Alappuzha

A paddy farmer, Pushkaran (65), committed suicide by consuming poison in Kuttanad following the loss of crop in the summer rains and ensuing debts.

Taking up cause of the farmer’s suicide, the BJP conducted a hartal in the Kuttanad area from 2pm to 6 pm.

The CPI(M) and its farmers’ movement, the KSKTU had created problems in the area following the decision of the farmers to use machines for the harvest and the farmers union had blocked the decision.

The sudden arrival of the summer rains and its continuation for a week changed the whole situation causing heavy losses to the farmers as most of the paddy had germinated in the rains. The farmers put the blame squarely on the KSKTU and the UDF even conducted mechanised harvesting on the farmlands with leader of the Opposition Oomen Chandy and KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala participating in the programme.

The CPI(M) was cornered on the issue and by carrying out several campaigns and by putting the blame on the summer rains the party leadership was trying to wriggle out of the situation when the farmer committed suicide .

Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan has been maintaining that the farmers’ suicide had come to a halt in the State and that this was owing to the positive work conducted by the LDF Government. The CPI(M) and its feeder organisations had also been repeating the same claim.

The suicide of Pushkaran and the subsequent hartal by the BJP have put the CPI(M) once again on the defensive and the party would have to answer for.

It seems that the situation in Kuttanad which is the rice bowl of the State is precarious with the farmers and the farm labourers in a deplorable situation. While the farmers are suffering huge losses owing to the summer rains and the threat from banks and other lending institutions to foreclose on the loans made by them. The farm labourers too are in trouble as they are unable to get work owing to the crisis in the farm sector.

Meanwhile, Chandy said the CPI(M) was responsible for the farmers suicides and the woes faced by the community in Kuttanad. He was addressing mediapersons after visiting the residence of Pushkaran.

State Minister for Civil Supplies C Divakaran, who had earlier said that the Government would not procure paddy which was germinating, retracted his statement and said that the Government would give necessary direction to Civil Supplies Department to procure paddy.

The minister had faced the wrath of social activists and political parties as the BJP had come out strongly against his statement that the civil supplies corporation would procure only good paddy and not the germinating one.

The BJP members had even staged walkout from the meeting convened by the minister in Kuttanad the other day for sorting out this issue.

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