MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Six farmers from western India's state of Maharashtra have committed suicide in the past two days because of outstanding debts, local media reported Thursday.
In the most recent incident, 45-year-old Anandrao Pandagle ended his life by burning himself on a pyre.
The man's farm had a debt of 50,000 rupees ($809) and he was trying to save 12,000 rupees for his daughter’s wedding, India Today reported, citing the police.
Maharashtra's eastern region of Vidarbha has seen five other suicides of the same kind since Wednesday.
Over 1,000 farmers in India's cotton belt killed themselves in 2014 due to crop failures amid water scarcity, according to local media. In December, the Supreme Court and the National Human Rights Commission issued a notice to the state government over the bankrupt farmers’ issue.
India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has been strongly criticized for not trying to help local farmers solve their persistent financial problems.
