Amid sacks of freshly harvested coriander and mustard lying under the scorching sun, a farmer stood in the middle of the bustling Nanakhedi Krishi Upaj Mandi in Madhya Pradesh's Guna district with folded hands and tears in his eyes.
"Please buy my crop... my daughter's wedding is tomorrow," he pleaded.
On Tuesday morning, the mandi auction process came to a halt following a dispute involving a market inspector.
Farmers allege that the inspector on duty, Rajkumar Sharma, was heavily intoxicated and behaved in an authoritarian manner during the auction process. The dispute began when a farmer's coriander received the highest bid of Rs 5,700 per quintal, but the inspector allegedly recorded Rs 5,400 on the slip.
When the farmer protested the difference of Rs 300, tempers flared.
Witnesses claim the inspector became abusive, angering traders as well. In protest, traders stopped bidding altogether and shut down purchases in the mandi.
For many farmers who had arrived as early as 7 am, the stalled auction meant something far more serious than just a delay.
Among them was a farmer from Shripurchak village, who had brought his coriander crop, hoping to arrange money for his daughter's wedding.
Standing in the mandi yard with folded hands, he pleaded with officials and traders.
"My daughter's wedding is tomorrow... I need money for the 'tika' ceremony. If my crop is not sold today, the wedding will be ruined," he cried.
But no one stepped forward to wipe his tears. The mandi remained shut for hours.
Angered by the situation, farmers eventually took their protest to the streets. Dozens of them blocked the AB Road National Highway, bringing traffic to a halt.
Long lines of vehicles formed on both sides of the road for nearly half an hour before police from the Cantonment station reached the spot and persuaded farmers to clear the road.
Farmers said the closure of the mandi had pushed them to desperation.
Farmer Giriraj Yadav said the chaos forced him to spend money twice on tractor transport. "I came here at seven in the morning. The bid was Rs 5,700, but it was reduced by Rs 300. No administration is doing anything here. Everything is arbitrary. Do farmers have no existence?" he said.
He added that many farmers had weddings and family responsibilities and had come to the mandi to arrange money by selling their produce.
Former minister Jaivardhan Singh raised the issue, saying the image of a farmer crying in the mandi to sell his own crop was deeply disturbing.
"Tomorrow is his daughter's wedding, and the farmer is begging officials to buy his grain. The food provider of this country is being humiliated," he said, demanding strict action against those responsible.
He warned that if such injustice continued, the Congress party would launch protests in support of farmers.
Following the uproar, Mandi Secretary RP Singh acknowledged that the dispute had arisen because of the actions of Inspector Rajkumar Sharma. He said complaints had been received that the inspector was drunk, and a medical examination would be conducted. "Rajkumar Sharma is the in-charge market inspector. We will investigate the matter and take action. Our effort will be to improve mandi arrangements so farmers do not face such problems," Singh said.
A spot panchnama (legal document in Indian law that records evidence, observations, and findings made by police) has been prepared, and a report is being sent to higher authorities. Officials said the controversial inspector has been removed from duty and an inquiry has been initiated.
