In economic terms, it may sound vague that agricultural advances are touching Rs 30,000 crore when incidences of farmers committing suicide are on the rise in Madhya Pradesh. Over the last fortnight, three farmers have committed suicide and another is battling for life. State authorities are lending a deaf ear to the going-abouts. Against the banking details of a farmer, Shivprasad, who committed suicide on January 8 reportedly due to debt-strain,...

Condemning the BJP-led Madhya Pradesh government for the continued suicides by farmers in the state, Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh on Thursday said the 'insensitive behaviour' of the state government was forcing farmers to take the extreme step. In a statement issued on Thursday, Singh said that "because of the state government's insensitive behaviour, farmers were losing patience and being forced to take the extreme step of ending their lives." Seven farmers...

Crop failure, debts, and personal reasons behind deaths Seven farmers have committed suicide in Madhya Pradesh in less than a month. Kanhaiya Patel (30) of Hata village in Damoh district committed suicide on Wednesday taking the total to seven. He had taken an acre of land on lease and had a debt of Rs.20,000. After his entire arhar (pulses) crop failed, the landowner is reported to have said that if any compensation...

Farmers' protesting ban on cotton and onion exports on Monday created a few moments of panic as they set ablaze a trolley-full of cotton some 200 metres from the Nagpur airport building. The situation was soon brought under control and farmers dispersed after the symbolic protest. Over 2000 farmers led by Bacchu Kadu, the maverick independent MLA from Achalpur in Amravati district, marched through the busy Wardha road to airport...

Marie Antoinette may or may not have deadpanned “let them eat cake” but the Bengal government could have tried saying “let them eat potato” in these times of price rise. But out went that opportunity — along with 7,000 bags or 4,200 tonnes of potatoes at Panagarh in Burdwan. In terms of cash, potato stocks valued at Rs 50 lakh rotted on the open ground today because of a dispute between a...