Published On : Tue, Jan 30th, 2018

Outrage and Anger in state over Dharma Patil’s death

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Nagpur: Farmer suicide is not a new subject in the state, yet the death of 84 years old Dharma Patil from Dhule is seeing wide spread fury and disgust among all sections of society against the government’s apathy towards farmers.

This anger is being expressed in spontaneously held meetings, morchas and dharnas in villages, in editorials of newspapers and on social media.

Activist Paromita Goswami of Chandrapur confesses in her facebook post ” while addressing a farmers’ morcha, I could not control myself. I was myself shocked at the curse words and obscenities I showered on our ‘leaders’. The police have threatened me with an FIR. I agree I was guilty of misbehavior; but let the Govt. first acknowledge that they were guilty of provoking Dharma Patil to commit suicide, then I will apologize for my bad language too!”

Speech Mafia responsible for Patil’s death, says Uddhav Thackeray in Samna

“This C.M. and this government is only good at making speeches and giving promises, which are never acted on. In speech after speech they declare that ‘good days are here’ (achche din), ‘people are very happy’ but now no one is hood winked. It is these speeches that have killed an old farmer who was frustrated at not getting a hearing in Mantralaya.” Fumes Uddhav Thakarey in an editorial written in Samna this morning.

Family collects body after C.M. calls Narendra and offers proper compensation

Stung into action finally, the CM called Narendra, Dharma Patil’s 35 year old son and offered to look into his father’s demands and give adequate compensation.

It was only then that the family agreed to take possession of Dharma’s body and take it to their village for last rites.

“When Dharma Patil had walked up to the 6th floor office of the C.M. in Mantralaya, the C.M. was in Davos looking for foreign investments. What good are these investments if farmers keep suffering like this?” Asks Uddhav.

Congress responsible for acquiring Patil’s land, says Minister
A day after the death of Maharashtra farmer Dharma Patil, Energy Minister Bawankule has stated that Patil’s land was actually acquired under the Congress government, for the construction of a thermal power plant.

“The records further reveal that it was under Congress government in September 2011 that his land measurement was done.

Nine months later, the first notification was issued under Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act, while final inspection of the land was done in October of the same year.

The last notification was issued on February 26, 2014.

Nearly seven months before the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in the state, the objections and hearing on the land was done in April 2014, and the compensation was duly accepted by Patil.

Once matters have reached this stage we cannot change compensation later. Patil should have challenged it legally” says the Minister.

What he fails to say is that the project of the thermal power station was scrapped later and it was decided to divert the land for Solar power by his government.

NCP leader blames BJP Minister Rawal for suicide
The NCP on Monday accused Maharashtra’s tourism minister of using his “political influence” to get a meeting between his Cabinet colleague and a farmer cancelled, which he claimed, prompted the 84-year-old man to consume a poisonous chemical which resulted in his death.

NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik claimed that the cancellation of that meeting was the trigger for the farmer taking the extreme step.
Malik also alleged that Maharashtra Tourism Minister Jayakumar Rawal and his family members bought lands in advance from farmers at lower rates in Dhule district ahead of their acquisition by the state government for higher compensation.

He alleged that some “fake” companies are operational in Dhule district that buy land for Rawal.

Rawal, who represents the Sindkheda constituency in Dhule district, of which the deceased farmer was a resident, has denied the charges.

“State Tourism Minister Jaykumar Rawal had used his political influence and asked Energy Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule to cancel the meeting between Dharma Patil and officials from state power ministry. That was the trigger which led Patil to consume a poisonous chemical on January 22,” Malik told reporters in Mumbai.