MP 10-Day Gaon Bandh: Three Farmers Commit Suicide in the First Week of the Protest

Madhya Pradesh Director General of Police Rishi Kumar Shukla’s phone has been ringing ever since the rumour of a farmer’s suicide surfaced on Friday morning, the first day of 10-day long ‘Gaon Bandh’ or ‘Kisan Avkash’ announced by farmers’ group in the state. The protest is being done in the memory of the first anniversary of infamous Mandsaur firing incident, where six farmers were killed by alleged police firing.

However, the news of farmer’s death proved to be fake once the police identified the deceased as Daulat Singh (60), a resident of Khajuri kala and a daily labour. He was in desperation and his treatment was underway in AIIMS Bhopal.

But  the news of a debt-ridden farmer committing suicide in the Raisen district, on May 31, was very much real. And this is the third such incident in a week.

According to the Raisen district police, Dilip Dhakad, (50), a resident of Nayagaon Kala Village, Bareli Tehsil, consumed some pesticides late night on May 29. After his relatives found him, he was rushed to the hospital, but he succumbed to the poison.

The Raisen police said Dilip had taken a loan of Rs 3 lakhs, but had only received Rs 20,000. He had even approached several potential buyers for selling a piece of farm to repay the debts.

The suicide is expected to have a huge impact on the ‘Gaon Bandh’ or ‘Kisan Avkash’ protest. During the 10 days, farmers and villagers will not supply agricultural products like vegetables, fruits, milk and so on, to the mandis, especially the urban ones.

Fearing the shortage of vegetables, milk and other farm products during the agitation, residents of Indore, Bhopal, Ujjain, Ratlam, Shajapur, Sehore and several other districts have been stocking up on those items.

However, the district officials of Indore and Bhopal have requested the farmers to continue their supply to mandis, else their perishable items may rot.

“I have instructed the officials to keep the mandis open on Sunday and have communicated with the farmers to maintain the supply,” said Bhopal district magistrate Sudam Khade, while talking to media.

Measures to prevent incident during 10 days bandh

The ‘Gaon Bandh or ‘Kisan Avkash’ agitation is on similar lines of Mandsaur’s last year protest and the state government has taken several precautionary steps to deal with any unpleasant incident. According to police, an additional force has been deployed in 35 districts of the state to prevent any incident. Nearly, 10,000 canes, chest guards and additional vehicles have also been sent to the respective districts.

Last year, during the farmers’ protest, the farmers had dumped tonnes of onions and their other produces on the roads. They demanded an appropriate price for their product and a loan waiver. The situation turned ugly when six farmers had allegedly been killed by the police during the agitation; however, the investigation is underway.

Earlier this week, in a shocking move, the district administration has identified troublemakers and asked them to sign a ‘peace bond’. “Nearly 1200 people have been identified and told to sign the peace bond,” said SP, Mandsaur district Amit Singh.

Since Mandsaur and Neemuch are the epicenter of the Mandsaur farmers’ agitation, the situation is quite sensitive in the districts. And by making them sign the bond, the administration wants to ensure that the troublemakers do not to create any nuisance during the entire 10-days agitation.