42-Year-Old Maharashtra Farmer Dies By Suicide, Leaves Note Urging PM Modi To Ensure MSP

A 42-year-old farmer from the Pune district of Maharashtra has allegedly died by suicide over not receiving the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for onions. He left behind a note in which he urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure guaranteed price for onions and other crops.

The suicide note mentioned the usage of "foul language" by people associated with a cooperative society and threats by lenders (finance firms). Further, in the note, he purportedly extended birthday wishes to PM Modi, a police officer said on Monday (September 19).

Farmer Consumed Pesticide And Jumped Into Pond

The farmer, identified as Dashrath Kedari, consumed pesticide and jumped into the pond in the Wadgaon Anand village in the Junnar tehsil on Saturday (September 17).

Pramod Kshirsagar, the police inspector posted at Ale Phata police station, said, "Kedari had grown onions. But as the crop failed to fetch a satisfactory price, he stored the agricultural produce worth ₹ 1.5 lakh to 2 lakh. He anticipated that this time, he would get a better price, but it did not happen."

The police inspector said the onions were destroyed due to heavy rains, and Kedari incurred losses on soybean and tomato crops, reported by NDTV.

He said the farmer had borrowed from a cooperative society, and in the suicide note purportedly written by him, he asked the PM to provide MSP for agricultural produce like onions and cited that farming had become gambling.

What Did Dashrath Kedari Write In Letter?

Dashrath left behind a letter written in the Marathi language, which stated, "Today, I am forced to commit suicide because of your inaction. Please give us our righteous guaranteed market price." After signing it, he purportedly extended wishes to PM Modi on his birthday towards the bottom of the letter.

Inspector Kshirsagar added that a relative of the farmer handed over the "suicide note" to the police. It was found in his clothes which he had removed before jumping into the pond. He said the letter would be sent to a handwriting expert.

In the purported suicide note, which went viral on the internet, Dashrath referred to threats pondered by lenders and the usage of foul words by the cooperative society. The farmer asked whom to approach for justice and stated that nobody plays a gamble as farmers do.

The note mentioned that while onion and tomato crops failed to fetch any price, there was a COVID-19 crisis and heavy rains. He also asked PM Modi to provide a guaranteed price for the agricultural produce and also stated that Modi could not keep control over agriculture.

The police officer said, quoting the note, that the farmer stated that he was fed up with his life and also blamed the state government for not giving appropriate prices for onion and tomatoes.

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