According to media reports, a farmer, after poisoning his family, committed suicide in the Congress-JD (S) ruled Karnataka. The six-member family was found dead in their house in Metagal village of Karnataka. Police suspect that the farmer poisoned his wife and four daughters before hanging himself.
On Saturday, the incident came to light when police broke into the house after neighbors informed about it. A death note was recovered from Bidanal’s (the farmer) pocket, in which he had mentioned about the loans that he had taken to cultivate the land he shared with his brothers.
Police have detained three people on the basis of the suicide note and a complaint filed by a relative. “Prima facie it appears that the rest of the family was unaware of the farmer mixing poison in the dinner,” a police officer said. He also added that food samples have been sent to labs for further testing.
Prima facie, based on the suicide note, it appears to be a case of a debt-ridden farmer suicide. A police officer probing in the case said, “There are no eyewitnesses and we cannot judge the sequence of death. But prima facie it appears that the family members were not aware of the poison mixed in their food. It is possible that Bidanal could have mixed poison in the dinner … after confirming their deaths, he could have hanged himself. A complaint has been registered against the relatives of Bidanal and in-laws of his daughters.” Reports suggest that Bidanal had borrowed a farm loan of Rs 6 lakh and had also taken loans from moneylenders for the marriage of his daughters.
But this is not a standalone case of farmer suicide because of debts. The state government of Karnataka under H. D. Kumaraswamy made a tall promise of farm loan waiver, which doesn’t seem to hold ground. Similar stories are coming from the other Congress-ruled states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan.
Earlier, a 44-year-old sugarcane farmer had committed suicide and left a note accusing CM HD Kumaraswamy. In the note, the farmer identified as Jayakumar held the government accountable over mounting debts. Similarly in Madhya Pradesh, a farmer of Khandwa district had committed suicide after he failed to qualify for the loan waiver scheme announced by the Kamal Nath’s government of the state.
While the Congress party and the party President Rahul Gandhi is busy in patting their backs after winning the elections of Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh; the conditions of farmers are worsening further. According to a report by the Deccan Chronicle, over 250 farmers have committed suicide so far in the Congress-JD(S) coalition which came to power in the state in June last year, in Karnataka only. However, Lutyens’ media has not been eager to cover these suicides as it’s not a BJP ruled state
In the context of the incident, Agriculture Minister of Karnataka, NH Shivashankara Reddy, who was in Koppal (a nearby town to Metagal) on a private visit, called the incident “the most unfortunate”. He further added, “The government will explore all possible ways to help the family’s relatives”. But reports suggest a contrary story, Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Kumaraswamy and current CM had promised loan waiver within 24 hours of coming to power. It has been around six months since the Congress-JD(S) alliance came to power in the state, and now the farmers feel cheated.
The Congress President, Rahul Gandhi had made false promises again and again, and it will only increase the troubles of the Congress party. The false and misleading promises of the Congress party will come to haunt them ahead of the crucial battle of the Lok Sabha elections.
