The anguish suffered by farmers as agrarian crisis deepens across the country found sad expression here on Wednesday, when a farmer of 40 years old, committed suicide Rajasthan at a political rally organized by the Aam Aadmi Party against ordinance land acquisition Modi government.
The death sparked a frantic round of political struggle amid a national debate over “anti-peasant” policies of the government. The prime minister Narendra Modi issued a statement, Interior Minister Rajnath Singh ordered an investigation and several political leaders, including President of Congress vice Rahul Gandhi, visited the hospital where the body of the deceased, Gajendra Singh of Dausa district was taken.
In an alleged suicide note, Mr. Singh, father of three children, said the rain out of season had damaged their crops, and therefore, his father out of the house.
As the rally AAP was on, he climbed a tree not far from the stage that Arvind Kejriwal Delhi chief minister was addressing the crowd, waving a broom, the symbol of the party.
Around 2 pm, Mr. Singh tied a white stole (Gamchha) around his neck and one end of the cloth tied to a branch, jumped. Pandemonium ensued as hung lifeless AAP volunteers frantically tried to take the body down. He was taken to Ram Manohar Lohia hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Mr. Modi tweeted: “Farmer Gajendra death has saddened the nation, we are deeply shattered and disappointed At no time should the worker farmer thinks he is alone We’re all together in creating a better tomorrow for farmers.. India “.
Minutes after the suicide, political parties got into a blame game. The AAP and the BJP accused each other of being responsible for the suicide. The BJP accused the AAP do nothing to stop suicide and continue the rally after the body was taken to the hospital. The AAP shifted the blame to the Delhi Police, which is under the control of the government of the Union, saying the staff “silent spectators” remained.
Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi said the Modi government was punishing farmers. “I just want to tell farmers we are with them, and you should not feel scared at all. It is a very sad incident, and so I did not come here to play politics. All this has happened because the ordinance [land acquisition] which has been brought by the BJP government, “he said.
Sitaram Yechury, CPI (M) general secretary, said it was a sign of the depth of the agrarian crisis in the country was and how unhappy farmers were.
10 Developments
Delhi Police will investigate Farmer Suicide Aam Aadmi party meeting
Cheat Sheet | Edited by Mala Das | Updated: April 23, 2015 10:03 CEST
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Delhi Police will investigate Farmer Suicide Aam Aadmi Party RallyThis photo was taken just before Gajender Singh hanged himself from a tree in a rally in Delhi AAP (Press Trust of India)
NEW DELHI: The Crime Branch of Delhi Police will investigate the suicide of a farmer in a rally Aam Aadmi Party in the heart of the capital. The man hanged himself from a tree on Wednesday afternoon as hundreds watched in horror.
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A case will be registered at the instigation and death due to negligence, among other charges against persons not yet identified, police said.
There were hundreds of people present at Delhi Jantar Mantar, when the man committed suicide. There were layers of deployed policemen and a few meters from the tree where the farmer hanged himself, the chief Arvind Kejriwal Delhi and other leaders of the AAP minister sat.
Before killing himself, Gajender Singh Dausa district even threw what was perceived as a suicide note in the crowd, which had written. “I am the son of a farmer My father took me out of the house because my I have no harvest. three children. I’m from Rajasthan. Please tell me how I go home? Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan. ”
Four people climbed the tree to try to save the man after he was seen hanging. They released their body to a crowd below where people tried to catch it in plastic sheeting. One of the men who climbed the tree to try to save the event farmer, “By the time I reached him, it was too late … I motioned to the police for help then. They did nothing, stood around and leaned to laugh. ”
Mr. Kejriwal has been criticized by Congress and the BJP for not stopping the event after the farmer died. The prime minister addressed the rally before visiting the hospital where he was taken the man’s body. He has accused the police deployed in the manifestation of doing nothing to save the farmer.
The Interior Ministry has asked Delhi Police to investigate what happened. “Deeply saddened by the news of a farmer committing suicide,” Interior Minister Rajnath Singh tweeted.
The prime minister Narendra Modi also tweeted his condolences to the family of the farmer, saying the death was “saddened the nation.”
Gajender Singh will be cremated today at 10 am at his village in Dausa. Rajasthan Chief Congress’ Sachin Pilot unit is likely to attend the funeral.
The AAP rally was held at Jantar Mantar in town, just a mile from Parliament to protest against the agrarian reforms proposed Center. Many prominent politicians including Arvind Kejriwal, Rahul Gandhi and Sitaram Yechury visited the hospital.
More than a dozen indebtedfarmers have committed suicide in the country in recent weeks after crops were damaged by unseasonable rains and hailstorms. Farmers have also joined political rallies to express their anger at a proposed law to make it easier for businesses to buy farmland, that many fear will force them to sell land against their will.
