Fearing crop loss, farmer kills self in Gujarat
Ahmedabad, Oct 8: A 40-year-old farmer from Gujarat allegedly committed suicide Sunday night by hanging himself in Botad district apparently over the fear of losing his crop in view of weak monsoon, the police said Monday.
Relatives of the deceased Kalu Chauhan told police that he was also worried over upcoming marriage of his daughter, a police official said.
Chauhan was a resident of Gundala village in the district, over 150 kms away from here.
The farmer allegedly hanged himself by using rope in a small room at the farm of one Ramesh Chavda who had rented his 40 bigha land to the deceased for sowing cotton, he said.
"Chauhan's relatives told police that he was afraid of losing his crop due to weak monsoon," Gadhada police station sub-inspector Vimal Dhorda said, adding that the deceased also owned a small tract of land.
The police officer said they are investigating the case from various angles because, as per investigation, Chauhan had not shared his apprehension over crop loss with anybody before taking the extreme step.
"His relatives claimed that Chauhan committed suicide fearing that he would incur huge loss due to crop failure.
However, since Chauhan never shared such feelings with anyone before hanging himself, we are investigating this case from all angles. He was a seasoned farmer and never told anyone that he was under any stress," the officer added.
Chauhan's brother Haresh told reporters that the deceased was tense due to weak monsoon.
"My brother feared that his crop will not survive due to weak monsoon, as we do not have any source of irrigation.
He was also worried because of upcoming marriage of his daughter. These are the reasons behind his suicide," claimed Haresh.
Last month, a farmer from Amreli district had allegedly committed suicide over crop loss.
As per the latest figures released by the state government, Gujarat is staring at water scarcity as it had received just 76.71 per cent of average rainfall this monsoon.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
