Loisingha: Nandighosh Barik (55), a sharecropper of Harbhanga village of Agalpur block under Loisingha police limits in Bolangir district hanged himself Monday night due to crop loss coupled with the alleged misbehaviour by a district official, it was learnt.
According to reports, several acres of rabi crops and vegetable farming were damaged after thunderstorms lashed the area last Friday. Though the tehsildar visited the affected areas , no assistance was announced by the administration. Aggrieved, about 25 farmers including Barik tried to meet the collector at his grievance cell Monday seeking compensation for the loss. They met sub-collector Bimal Kumar Mohanty as the collector was absent. Mohanty, instead of consoling the poor farmers, allegedly made a mockery of their plight. “What was the shape of the hailstones and who told you to raise crops at this time”, is what the sub-collector allegedly told the sharecroppers, aggrieved farmers including Damodar Sahoo, Fakir Nayak and Mitra Sahoo alleged. The alleged comment of the sub-collector left Barik so upset that he ended his life, they said.
According to the family, a disturbed Barik left home in the evening saying he was going to feed the cattle in the field but didn’t return home. A search by the villagers and family members during the night didn’t yield any result. However, villagers found his body hanging from a tree near a village river Tuesday morning.
On being directed by the collector, Loisingha inspector in-charge Antaryami Behera and tehsildar Prabir Banua went to the village and handed over Rs20,000 from Red Cross funds to the family.
Meanwhile, several members of a farmers’ outfit of western Orissa reached the village and condemned the behaviour of the sub-collector towards the farmers. They demanded Rs10 lakh for the bereaved family and government job for one of the family members. They also staged a road blockade on NH-26 at Salebhata, about six km from the village protesting the ridicule by the sub-collector.
The deceased farmer is survived by his elderly mother, wife Sanjulata and two unmarried sons. “My husband raised crops in a few acres of land on share-cropping basis borrowing money from others. But he was under severe stress after the crops were destroyed by a hailstorm Monday,” the widow said.
The alleged behaviour of the sub-collector rubbed salt into the injuries of the farmers, the villagers and the farmers alleged.
Harbhanga area was severely affected by rain and thunderstorm and a report was sent to the administration over the loss, tehsildar Banuan said. They would seek further assistance for Barik’s family from the district administration and government, the tehsildar added. PNN
