Hundred farmers protested in Aurangabad on Thursday where they auctioned their organs to repay their debts however, no one came forward to buy their body parts with police having surrounded the agitation.
For these farmers from Marathwada, who are facing severe drought, it was a symbolic protest to draw attention to their plight.
This newspaper had reported about the auction where the going price for kidneys had been fixed at Rs 2 to 3 lakh, for eyes at Rs 1 lakh and so on.
Farmer-activist Jayaji Suryavanshi said, “We stood in a queue to sell our body organs but no one came forward. Police and government officers came to visit us but none paid heed to our needs.” He also said,“Every year, hundreds of farmers commit suicide due to crop failure.”
We are struggling to feed our families while moneylenders threaten us. They talk about counseling but no one talks about financial assistance,” he added. This year, the total number of farmer suicides has already touched the 1,000 mark.
