Jaipur: Troubled by mounting debts and subsequent intimidation by bank officials that they would action his land, a farmer from Sri Ganganagar district in Rajasthan killed himself on Sunday.
The farmer, Sohan Lal Kadela (41), a resident of Thakri village in Raisinghnagar block, left behind a video and a suicide note blaming chief minister Ashok Gehlot and deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot for his death. He said the government’s failure to implement the promise of waiving farm loans from nationalised banks within ten days of the conclusion of the 2019 general elections drove him to take his own life.
In the note, Kadela wrote, “Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot are responsible for my death. No one else shall be blamed for it. Within ten days after the general elections, they promised to waive farmers’ debt [from nationalised banks]. What happened to their promise? I request that my body not be burnt until the debt of all brothers [farmers] is waived”
He added:
“The unity of the farmers will be seen now. File a criminal case against Ashok Gehlot. I request my fellow village men to maintain unity. My welfare of my family is now your responsibility, please take care of them.”
As per the family, Kadela owned approximately eight bighas of land in the district, for which he had taken two loans of around Rs two lakh each from the regional branch of the Syndicate bank in Raisinghnagar. Over a period of years, the debt worsened and it became impossible for him to repay the bank.
Speaking to The Wire, Kishan Lal, brother of the deceased farmer, said that a loan waiver was Kadela’s last hope. “Some of his land was acquired by the government under the Bharatmala project, for which no compensation has been paid till date. The remaining land wasn’t adequate to earn enough money to clear the debt.”
Government casts doubt
However, the government and the police cast doubt on the claim that Kadela killed himself because of debt. Speaking to The Wire, superintendent of police in Sri Ganganagar, Hemant Sharma, said the investigation has revealed “certain facts” about the farmer.
“Kadela was also a businessman who owned a kiosk shop for additional income. In 2008, he attempted to consume a spray and in 2018, a case under attempted suicide and unlawful assembly was registered against him. This suggests he had suicidal tendencies, one of which is on record. He also sold a property in Jodhpur, through which he earned a huge amount. However, these are just our initial observations and nothing conclusive,” he said.
Deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot, in a press conference, claimed the deceased farmer was not under debt. “Whenever a person dies or kills themselves, it’s absolutely unacceptable to us. I’ve been told that the person was not actually in debt. But whatever the matter, someone has died. It’s a sad incident and our government is fully committed to securing a better future for farmers,” he told reporters.
Kadela’s daughter Minakshi said there could be no other plausible reason for his suicide except accruing debt. “Bank officials kept pressuring him to pay the debt and not wait for any waiver. Under this pressure, he consumed poison and ended his life. We hold the Congress government responsible for my father’s death,” she said.
Sachin Pilot and Ashok Gehlot at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi. Credit: PTI
Locals agree Kadela was in debt
Even locals suggest that Kadela wasn’t is a financially strong situation. “Sohan was not able to make money from his farm, so he started a kiosk shop. But that too didn’t help in repaying the debt. He was under stress,” Kalu Thori, district president of All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) told The Wire.
During the Lok Sabha polls, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] extended support to the Congress party, particularly because of its promise to waive farm loans in the state. However, after news of Kadela’s suicide broke, the party staged protests in eight tehsils in the district on Tuesday. “We are protesting to remind the Congress government of its promise to the farmers,” Santveer Singh, associated with the AIKS in Sri Ganganagar told The Wire.
In the past year, the state has seen two loan waivers: once by the Vasundhara Raje-led BJP government and again by the Ashok Gehlot government. However, they have not helped alleviate the farm distress.
The Raje government effected a one-time waiver of up to Rs 50,000 for small and marginal farmers who had defaulted on short-term loans from cooperative banks.
Also Read: Farmers’ Crisis: Are Loan Waivers, MSP Hikes, Assured Income the Solutions?
The Congress government, in February, began to waive outstanding short-term crop loans till November 30, 2018 of the primary cooperative land development banks and central cooperative banks – primary agriculture cooperative societies (PACS) and large area multi-purpose cooperative societies (LAMPS).
Short-term crop loans which were transformed to Medium Term Conversion (MTC), Medium Term Conversion Rephasement (MTCR) and Medium Term Conversion Rephasement and Reschedulement (MTCRR) due to natural disasters have also been included.
Chief minister Ashok Gehlot said in February that in the first phase of the waiver, the government will waive loans of cooperative and development banks. It will then move to waiver loans taken from commercial and rural banks.
On the one hand, the BJP’s waiver is under the scanner after allegations surfaced that it benefitted the cooperative societies, not farmers. On the other, the Congress’s waiver, which provides larger coverage to farmers who have taken loans from commercial banks, is yet to be implemented.
If you know someone – friend or family member – at risk of suicide, please reach out to them. The Suicide Prevention India Foundation maintains a list of telephone numbers (www.spif.in/seek-help/) they can call to speak in confidence. You could also appear them to the nearest hospital.