Updated: December 3, 2020 8:51:09 pm
Karnataka Agriculture Minister BC Patil (Source: Facebook / Bc Patil)
Against the backdrop of the massive farmers protests in and around the national capitalKarnataka Agriculture Minister BC Patil sparked controversy on Thursday by calling farmers who have died by suicide “cowards.”
“The farmers who commit suicide are cowards. Only a coward who cannot take care of his wife and children commits suicide. When we have fallen (into the water), we have to swim and win, ”the PTI news agency quoted Patil as saying.
The minister was explaining to the bamboo growers in Ponnampet how profitable the farming business is, and yet some farmers commit suicide.
Karnataka is the only state after Maharashtra that record the highest number of suicides in the agricultural sector, based on 2019 data. Maharashtra recorded more than 3,900 suicides in 2019, followed by Karnataka (1,992), Andhra Pradesh (1,029), Madhya Pradesh (541), Telangana (499) and Punjab (302).
The spokesman for the Karnataka unit of Congress, VS Ugrappa, condemned Patil’s comment and requested an apology from the minister. “It is a lack of respect for farmers. He should apologize for that, ”Ugrappa told PTI.
“No farmer wants to end life. There are many reasons, such as floods and droughts, that have not yet been understood and resolved. Instead of understanding the seriousness of the problem, the Minister gives such an irresponsible statement, ”said Ugrappa.
Patil’s comments come amid protests in the national capital against the three central agricultural laws. Fears related to the weakening of APMC mandi and the minimum support price (MSP) regime are among the main factors behind the ongoing protests, as part of which thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab, have been gathered at the gate of the capital.
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