Bhopal:
In the last fortnight, seven farmers have killed themselves in different parts of Madhya Pradesh. The youngest was 27 and the oldest was 70. Another three survived suicide attempts - just barely. They are in a critical condition in hospital.
"The farmers are paying for their past sins. They have been using chemical fertilizers so much that the soil has lost all fertility." That's the less-than-comforting explanation offered by the state's Agriculture Minister while speaking to media persons on Wednesday. He added that the farmers were paying for the sins of their forefathers.
Madhya Pradesh's farmers lost 60% of their Kharif crop ago when the monsoons failed. They hoped to make up with the Rabi crop this winter, but the intense cold wave has destroyed those hopes. For the second time in six months, their fields offer no way out.
"None of the farmer faced such compelling debts that would push them to suicide," says Narrotam Mishra, the government spokesperson.
He might consider visiting in hospital 28-year-old Uday Singh, who owns a 15-acre farm where he grows wheat and pulses.
"The snow ruined my crop, so I drank pesticide," he says. "I have to pay back a debt of Rs 2 lakh. Had I died, I would have escaped that debt."
Like other small farmers, Uday Singh points out that the successive failures of two crops have killed any chance of repaying loans.
The Chief Minister has ordered a survey to identify farmer suicides, but like every year, there is a reluctance to record the exact numbers.
Even so, the official figures are staggering. In 2009, on an average, four farmers killed themselves every day. Bank loans to be repaid by small farmers total 8,000 crores.
The state's farms - relentless killing fields - stare defiantly at their owners.