Other States - Maharashtra   

Govt. apathy forced MLA to attempt suicide?

Arunkumar Bhatt

Government's reply on money-lending angered me: Gawande

NAGPUR: The suicide bid of Shiv Sena MLA, Gulabrao Gawande, on the floor of the Maharashtra Assembly was the result of the State Government's negative reply to his question about a case of a money-lender grabbing the lands of indebted farmers in Vidarbha.

Before the commencement of the winter session of the Assembly here last Monday, Mr. Gawande had asked the Revenue Minister if it were true that an unlicensed money-lender, Parvatrao Pandhari Wagh, had acquired lands in his and his relatives' names in over a hundred deals of money lending. He had expected a confirmatory answer and also the Government's steps in the matter besides discussion in the House. But in reply, it was stated that it was not true and the question of inquiring into any land grabbing complaints and steps to restore the lands to the farmers did not arise.

"The copy of the question-answer sheet angered me and I thought that only a drastic step like committing suicide could make the Government notice the plight of the farmers in the region," Mr. Gawande told The Hindu an interview here.

He is now recovering from hypertension and skin reaction to the kerosene that he poured on him in the House last Tuesday. He had also tried to drink a pesticide.

"It was not a stunt and I am not of that nature but now I repent having done that. It would have been wiser to continue to fight against the menace of illicit money lending and land grabbing," he said.

Mr. Gawande said the fact that farmers are committing suicide because they are indebted to the banks and cooperative credit societies was not true. "They are killing themselves because of their lands are being snatched away from them by money-lenders who have nexus with the local police and administration," he said.

The State Assembly had a special session on Thursday to enable the Ministers' reply to Wednesday's debate on farmers' suicides in Vidarbha. The Revenue Minister, Narayan Rane, said during 2001-2005, 1,042 farmers committed suicide in the State and 92 per cent of them were due to debts.

But Mr. Gawande, now suspended for the session, for his `dangerous indiscipline' plans to launch anti-suicide and anti-money-lender drive in the region under the banner, Shetkari Bachav Andholan.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Govt. apathy forced MLA to attempt suicide?

Copyright © 2005, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu