Kailash Arjun Nagare (43) was a recipient of Maharashtra government’s 2020 Young Farmer Award.
Maharashtra: After demanding irrigation water for 14 villages from Khadakpurna reservoir for several years and the lack of the government’s inaction, Kailash Arjun Nagare died by suicide by consuming poison on the day of Holi. The 43-year-old farmer was a recipient of Maharashtra government’s 2020 Young Farmer Award.
Nagare’s body was discovered in his field in Shivni Armal village on Thursday morning.
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In 2024, the farmer had staged a ten-day hunger strike to bring the government’s attention to his demands for irrigation water in the villages. Nothing happened.
“The administration is ignoring farmers’ issues. Do not remove my body until our demands are met,” read the three-page suicide note recovered from his pocket.
A well-known farmer leader in the area, Nagare’s death sparked massive protest in the village. Thousands of farmers raised their voices against the administration and refused to allow his body to be taken for post-mortem unless the district collector or guardian minister visited them directly and gave assurance.
“My husband took this step because of the government’s negligence. He fought for farmers’ rights, but the administration did nothing. Had they acted in time, he would still be alive today,” Nagare’s wife Sushila told media.
Between January 2015 and March 2019, reportedly, Maharashtra witnessed nearly 12,616 farmer suicides. By 2023, it was estimated that seven farmers were killing themselves daily.
Harshwardhan Sapkal, Maharashtra Congress president, attacked the ruling Mahayuti government led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for failing to address the concerns of farmers. “This government is busy playing Hindu-Muslim politics while ignoring real farmer issues. Nagare was fighting for farmers’ rights, but instead of addressing his concerns, the government forced him to take his own life,” he said.
राज्य शासनाने या शेतकऱ्याला नुकताच आदर्श शेतकरी पुरस्कार दिला पण त्याला सरकार न्याय देऊ शकले नाही.
सरकारला शेतकऱ्यांप्रती कुठलाही कळवळा नसून फक्त राज्यात जातीय तेढ या सरकारला निर्माण करायचं आहे.#शेतकरी_आत्महत्या pic.twitter.com/SWGpZvAKsI
— Harshwardhan Sapkal (@INCHarshsapkal) March 13, 2025
According to a report, only 20 percent of Maharashtra has irrigation coverage, leaving nearly 80 percent farming dependent on rains.
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Buldhana’s Kranti Kisan Sangathan leader Ravikant Tupkar called the death a “murder” due to the policies of the government. “This is not a suicide but a murder due to government policies. Instead of supporting farmers, the government is pushing them towards death. We demand that the government be held accountable and booked for murder,” he said.
Nagare is survived by his father, wife, and three children.
