The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought a reply from the Maharashtra government over seven farm suicides that took place last week within a span of 72 hours in the state’s Vidarbha region.
“We have issued notice to Maharashtra’s chief secretary regarding the suicide of seven farmers in 72 hours. He has been asked to reply in six weeks,” said an official of the NHRC.
According to news reports from Sep 4, the farmers who killed themselves took the extreme step after their crops were damaged by heavy rains.
“A total of 528 farmers have committed suicide in the Vidarbha region between Jan 1 and Sep 2 this year,” the official said, quoting a document by a Non-Government Organization, ‘Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti’.
The Commission has observed that the media report, if true, raises a serious issue of violation of human rights of farmers.
