Assam Women Seek “ Suicide Permission” Citing Harassment by Microfinance Companies

Dibrugarh, February 5, 2020:

Thousands of women on Wednesday submitted a memorandum seeking permission to commit suicide following the harassment of microfinance companies over loan interest rates and recovery agents.

Women of Moran under Dibrugarh district and Mahmara under Charaideo district of Assam today submitted a memorandum to the Magistrates of the concerned areas to allow them to commit suicide if microfinance companies are not shut immediately. The women have accused the recovery agents of the microfinance companies of harassment over interest rates on the loans provided.

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“Our families are below the poverty line. We took the money as we needed it. Who doesn’t need money? We just took the loans but we have been repaying the loans. However, if one of us are unable to pay the money on time, the recovery agents harass her and extract money in other ways. I request the government to take stock of these situations and help us,” said one of the protesters.

Another woman who has demanded the closing down of the microfinance institutions, said, “The government has provided us gas cylinder, ration and job cards. However, we are being compelled to sell these items in order to repay the loans. Around 7-8 members of the microfinance companies come for collection of the interest rates. Earlier, just one member used to come for collection. Now, while one collects the money, another keeps the money in the bag and the rest of the people look for residences of the women who had taken loans.”

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The women have submitted a memorandum citing their demands. They have sought 20 lakh rupees as compensation for the women who have been compelled to choose death as an option to free themselves from the clutches of the continuous harassment by microfinance companies.

They have also demanded that they should be relieved from the interests of the loans that they had taken in the first place. It may be mentioned here that several organizations had earlier staged a protest against the microfinance companies, which they alleged had ruined the rural economy. They had sought a ban on the microfinance companies.

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