Whitefly attack: Debt-ridden Sirsa farmer commits suicide

Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Sirsa, October 3

A farmer reportedly committed suicide following whitefly attack on his cotton crop in the district’s Fatehpuria village on Friday. The deceased has been identified as Vinod Kumar (32).

His crop spread over 4 acres suffered more than 75 per cent damage. He went to his field last evening and returned after consuming some poisonous substance, his family said.

“I want to die because all hopes of repaying my debts have been dashed,” he told his brother, Subhash, after returning from the field. He fainted immediately after it. “We took him to a private hospital in Sirsa, where a doctor declared him brought dead,” Subhash told the media.

Vinod is survived by his wife, a daughter and a son, who study in Class VIII and V, respectively.

The family said Vinod was under depression ever since his crop was damaged by whiteflies. “Vinod owed Rs 7 lakh to banks. He was unable to pay off his debts because of poor crop. To meet his household expenses, he had taken a loan from an arhtiya and a moneylender. He had high hopes from cotton crop this time. Whiteflies not only devoured his crop, but also the money spent on pesticides to save the crop,” Subhash said.

Former district Congress president Hoshiari Lal Sharma, who visited the family today, demanded a compensation of Rs 20 lakh for Vinod’s family.

He alleged the BJP government was insensitive to the problems of farmers. He alleged that the state government was neither providing seeds and fertilisers to farmers in time nor was it giving compensation to them at the time of crop loss due to natural calamities.

Jasbir Singh Jassa, state executive member of the INLD, demanded waiver of Vinod’s loan and compensation for his family.

Meanwhile, farmers today accused the district authorities of “lackadaisical approach” in conducting a special girdawari in Sirsa.

Farmers Durga Dutt, Mahavir Suthar and Surender Beniwal alleged despite several representations, the authorities were not yet conducting special girdawari in villages of Sirsa’s Dabwali sub-division.