Karnataka: Farmers killing themselves under pressure

Belagavi: Farmer suicides have touched a high in Belagavi region  because of intense pressure on them from banks and cooperative organisations to repay loans with 12 farmers committing suicide in the district in the last few days.

In most cases, the police found that the inability to repay their loans has been the only cause for suicides. A farmer from Kadroli, near Kittur, Basappa Ganiger submitted a memorandum to the local tahsildar on Monday stating that bank authorities are threatening him to repay the loan. He said, he is unable to sell his house as the local gram panchayat is unwilling to provide the required documents. The farmer said if he is not given the house records, the tahsildar will be responsible for his death. The plight of farmer Ganiger shows how farmers are under huge pressure to repay loans.

In another case at Mundgod near Karwar, a farmer Phakirappa Shirigeri (40) set himself on fire on Sunday under pressure to repay Rs 2.5 lakh loan which he availed to take up agriculture in his 2-acre plot. In a critical state, he has been admitted at KIMS hospital, Hubli and a case registered against him by the police.

According to Rajendra Pawar, a farmers leader, the government will be able to save many farmers from committing suicide if it takes a quick decision for waiver of their loans in all banks and cooperative organisations. Due to various reasons including the continued dry spell in north-Karnataka, farmers are unable to harvest crops at the expected level and failed to repay their loans on time, adds Pawar.

Farmers growing sugarcane are in a crisis for the last one year with factories failing to pay their dues. Since 2013, most of the 63 factories in the state owe thousands of crores to cane growers in the state forcing many of them to end their lives.