Taking suo-motu cognizance of a news item in a national daily on increasing number of suicides by farmers in Kerala, the National Human Rights Commission has issued a notice to the state government, seeking a report on the issue.

The Commission has called for a report from the Chief Secretary, Kerala government, within six weeks, an NHRC release said in Delhi on Monday.

The news item dated April four, 2004, reported that the number of farmers who have committed suicide in recent months owing to crop loss and drought has touched 17, according to the release.

In all 11 farmers committed suicide in Wayanad district, two in Kannur and one each in Kasargod, Palakkad, Kottayam and Idukki district, the news report said.

The press report claimed that in Wayanad, the farmers who took the extreme step were burdened by debt with banks and were unable to repay owing to successive crop losses.    

It further stated that one farmer, Mathew Thomas of Kottayam district, consumed pesticide publicly, right in front of a number of people at Mundakkayam town.