London – Naeem Arzu
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
London – Naeem Arzu
Farmers in India have sought the permission of the prime minister to be allowed to sell their own organs in order to clear mounting debt
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The group, from the northern state of Hariyana, have written to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Meher Singh, 65, from Kalal Majra village said he has no land, but owes the bank 7 lakh (hundred thousand) rupees., a debt he inherited from his father. a crop failure this year, has pushed him to the edge, and make the strange request to the country’s PM
“There is constant stress that the bank will turn up at my doorstep and display my picture as a defaulter. Nothing can be more insulting,\" he said.,
Gurnam Singh, from the Bharat Kisan Union of Farmers, which represents the group, said “More than 90 percent of the farmers of Haryana are in debt”.
He said, “The land belongs to our ancestors and is like our mother so we will never sell it. At least selling our organs would enable us to repay debt and live for a few more years and feed our families.\"
The National Crime Record Bureau said around 270,940 farmers have taken their lives, due to debt pressures, since 1995.