Kerala - Alappuzha   

Farmer in distress ends life

SOLACE: Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy consoles Monamma, wife of Pushkaran, a paddy farmer who committed suicide allegedly after suffering losses in the recent rain at Edathua, on Saturday.

ALAPPUZHA: A paddy farmer, Pushkaran, 65, committed suicide at Oorukari in Edathua near here, reportedly due to losses he had suffered in rain-related damage.

The police said Pushkaran consumed pesticide last night after the rain, which resumed after a brief respite in Kuttanad, damaged the entire crop in his field.

The crop was 20 days past its date of harvest. This could mean a loss of nearly Rs.1.5 lakh, as he had taken loans for cultivation from various banks.

Pushkaran was taken to the Alappuzha Medical College Hospital.

However, he breathed his last at 4.30 a.m. on Saturday. His neighbours said he had mortgaged gold ornaments of his four daughters apart from taking bank loans.

Pushkaran had also “applied” to the Kerala State Karshaka Thozhilali Union (KSKTU) 15 days back for permission to use a combine harvester on his field. While some neighbours said he was unable to arrange the harvester, some others alleged that the Union had not yet given permission.

A former branch secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Pushkaran is survived by his wife Monamma and daughters Usha, Sheeba, Bindu and Deepa. District Collector V.K. Balakrishnan visited the bereaved family and handed over financial assistance of Rs.5,000 on behalf of the government while Kuttanad MLA Thomas Chandy donated Rs.10,000.

The death of Pushkaran is the second confirmed demise of a farmer in the district after that of Govinda Pillai, also from Edathua, who fainted and passed away on Friday after he attempted to harvest the crop on his field all by himself.

Gopi of Veeyapuram also allegedly committed suicide due to the rain-related damage.

Though a report from the Agriculture Department is learnt to have confirmed Gopi as a farmer, the State government is yet to confirm this. The initial official version was that Gopi had “only taken on contract” a padasekharam for harvesting.

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