Uttar Pradesh Congress President Ajay Rai. File | Photo credit: ANI
After a 60-year-old farmer from Jhansi allegedly killed himself due to stress after unseasonal rains destroyed his rice crop, the deceased’s family appealed for financial assistance and opposition parties demanded a field survey of crop damage, amnesty for affected farmers as the rains flooded fields and destroyed crops ready for harvest in several areas.
Kamlesh Yadav, a resident of Kumharar village in Jhansi district, was found hanging in his room on 31 October. The family said the deceased, a marginal farmer, was sowing crops on loan.
“My father was frustrated with the recent rains that destroyed his crops and hanged himself in an extremely tragic and disturbing incident,” said the farmer’s son. He added, “My sister’s engagement was only 15 days away, but before that my father, frustrated with powerlessness, took this extreme step. The crop losses and the pressure of debts broke him from within.”
“policy failure”
While demanding a nationwide survey of crop damage by the agriculture ministry, the opposition Congress said the death of every farmer was a collective responsibility and a policy failure.
“Unseasonal rains and cyclonic storms have damaged the crops of millions of farmers. A farmer does not want to commit suicide. He wants to live. But when his crops, his land and his hard work are destroyed, the government’s silence will kill him. I request the government to provide ₹ 50 lakh assistance to the farmer who died due to crop damage stress, among other crop damage, except J Kamleshansi. Mahoba also died to all affected to farmers after a ground survey of crop damage by the agriculture department,” Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai said.
Mr. Rai wrote a letter to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday (November 1, 2025), demanding immediate help for the farmers and detailing both the incidents. “The farming community needs help in the midst of a crisis. Our party always stands with the farmers. Both incidents point to the failure of the government system,” he added.
Those who are in distress or suicidal can seek help and counseling by calling: Sanjivini, Society for Mental Health, Phone: 011-40769002
Published – 01 Nov 2025 21:29 IST
