New Delhi , Sep 13 : After seven farmers committed suicide within a span of 72 hours in Maharashtra's Vidarbha region, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a notice to the State Chief Secretary, seeking his response within six weeks, reports The Hindu.
Two farmers committed suicide on Monday, according to Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS), a social group working among farmers.
Dhayneshwer Thakary of Nilapur village in Yavatmal district and Pramod Mamankar of Yevada village in Amravati were the latest to take their own lives.
The other farmers who committed suicide were : Manikrao Kukade of Ranegaon village and Vitthal Bhogare of Eranda in Akola district, Shyam Sahare of Ziroba in Bhandara district, Doulat Kukade of Agra in Nagpur and Chakradhar Choudhary of Mansawali in Wardha, says a VJAS report.
According to documentation done by the Samiti, a total of 528 farmers took their lives in Vidarbha between January 1 and September 2 this year.
VJAS president Kishor Tiwari said heavy rain in the region damaged cash crops soya, paddy and cotton, driving the affected farmers to suicide.
The NHRC observed that the media report, if true, raised a serious issue of violation of human rights.
