Western Vidarbha :
1. SUBHASH ATARAM DONGARE, MAHAGOAN, AKOLA
2. GOPAL GOMA DANI, BARAD KIHNI, CHANDRAPUR
3. NARAYAN BAKARAM THAK, KOTHA, YAVATMAL
4. SHYAM BABA RATHODE, MANORA, WASHIM
2007 Vidarbha farm suicides and agrarian distress toll : 405
Thursday 31 May 2007
28/05/2007
Western Vidarbha :
1. MOHAN JAISINGH CHAVAN, DELHI TANDA, YAVATMAL
2. GANESH BHIMRAO KHANDARE, GHOTA, WASHIM
3. MAHADEV BABA KADUKAR, KOTHARI, WASHIM
4. SHARAD SHANKARARO KHAROTE, AMBIKAPUR, AKOLA
JAN : 70
FEB : 88
MARCH : 97
APRIL : 95
MAY : 55
FARM SUICIDES IN VIDARBHA ARE DAILY INCREASING BUT ADMINISTRATION IS USING OFFICIAL MEDIA TO MISLEAD THE WORLD THAT VIDARBHA FARM SUICIDES ARE ON DECLINE AS MAHARASHTRA GOVT. ON IT'S OWN WEBSITE
Maharashtra government website : http://www.vnss-mission.gov.in/docs/suicide.pdf
1. MOHAN JAISINGH CHAVAN, DELHI TANDA, YAVATMAL
2. GANESH BHIMRAO KHANDARE, GHOTA, WASHIM
3. MAHADEV BABA KADUKAR, KOTHARI, WASHIM
4. SHARAD SHANKARARO KHAROTE, AMBIKAPUR, AKOLA
JAN : 70
FEB : 88
MARCH : 97
APRIL : 95
MAY : 55
FARM SUICIDES IN VIDARBHA ARE DAILY INCREASING BUT ADMINISTRATION IS USING OFFICIAL MEDIA TO MISLEAD THE WORLD THAT VIDARBHA FARM SUICIDES ARE ON DECLINE AS MAHARASHTRA GOVT. ON IT'S OWN WEBSITE
Maharashtra government website : http://www.vnss-mission.gov.in/docs/suicide.pdf
Saturday 26 May 2007
Maharashtra CM Celebrates Birthday - Farmers Protest Callousness
MAHARASHTRA CHIEF MINISTER VILASRAO DESHMUKH CELEBRATES BIRTHDAY WHEN MARATHWADA SUGARCANE FARMERS JOIN SUICIDE SPIRAL OF VIDARBHA COTTON FARMERS: MASSS PROTEST FARMERS AGAINST CELEBRATION
NAGPUR-25THMAY 2007
TODAY MASSIVE CELEBRATION ARE BEING ORGANISED IN FARM SUICIDE AFFECTED VIDARBHA AND MARATHWADA REGION OF MAHARASHTRA ON THE OCCASION OF BIRTHDAY OF MAHARASHTRA CHIEF MINISTER WHEN REPORTS OF MORE FARMERS SUICIDES PUBLISHED IN THE ALL-LEADING NATIONAL NEWSPAPERS. VIDARBHA REGION IS IN THE GRIP OF AGRARIAN CRISIS AND MORE THAN 3500 COTTON FARMERS COMMITTED SUICIDES SINCE 2004 BUT RECENTLY SUGARCANE GROWERS CHIEF MINISTER VILASRAO DESHMUKH REGION MARATHWADA HAVE COMMITTED SUICIDES DUE AGRARIAN CRISIS AND RECESSION IN SUGAR THAT HAS LOWER DOWN THE DEMAND OF SUGAR CANE AND FARMERS ARE BEING FORCED TO BURN THE STANDING SUGARCANE CROP AND THE CONDITION OF SUGARCANE GROWERS HAS BEEN TOO BAD TO EXPLAIN, LOCAL FARM ACTIVIST AND PRESIDENT VIDARBHA JAN ANDOLAN SAMITI INFORMED TODAY.
THE FARM SUICIDES HAS BEEN SERIOUS ISSUES AND INDIAN PRIME MINISTER HIMSELF VISITED VIDARBHA LAST YEAR JULY 2006 AND HAS PROVIDED RA.3750 CRORE RELIEF PACKAGE BUT FAILED TO SLOW DOWN FARM SUICIDES IN WEST VIDARBHA NOW FARM SUICIDES IS BEING SPREAD IN OTHER PART OF MAHARASHTRA TOO, KISHOR TIWARI ADDED.
FARMERS IN LARGE SCALE IN LATUR HOMETOWN OF VILASRAO DESHMUKH ALONG WITH VIDARBHA FARMERS ARE PROTESTING ON GOING CHIEF MINISTER BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION AND POLICE FORCE ARE BEING USED TO CURB THESE PROTEST. VJAS URGED TO CONGRESS PRESIDENT SONIA GANDHI TO REMOVE MAHARAHTRA CHIEF MINISTER DUE HIS FAILURE TO SOLVE AGRARIAN CRISIS IN MAHARASHTRA, KISHOR TIWARI DEMANDED.
- VJAS
NAGPUR-25THMAY 2007
TODAY MASSIVE CELEBRATION ARE BEING ORGANISED IN FARM SUICIDE AFFECTED VIDARBHA AND MARATHWADA REGION OF MAHARASHTRA ON THE OCCASION OF BIRTHDAY OF MAHARASHTRA CHIEF MINISTER WHEN REPORTS OF MORE FARMERS SUICIDES PUBLISHED IN THE ALL-LEADING NATIONAL NEWSPAPERS. VIDARBHA REGION IS IN THE GRIP OF AGRARIAN CRISIS AND MORE THAN 3500 COTTON FARMERS COMMITTED SUICIDES SINCE 2004 BUT RECENTLY SUGARCANE GROWERS CHIEF MINISTER VILASRAO DESHMUKH REGION MARATHWADA HAVE COMMITTED SUICIDES DUE AGRARIAN CRISIS AND RECESSION IN SUGAR THAT HAS LOWER DOWN THE DEMAND OF SUGAR CANE AND FARMERS ARE BEING FORCED TO BURN THE STANDING SUGARCANE CROP AND THE CONDITION OF SUGARCANE GROWERS HAS BEEN TOO BAD TO EXPLAIN, LOCAL FARM ACTIVIST AND PRESIDENT VIDARBHA JAN ANDOLAN SAMITI INFORMED TODAY.
THE FARM SUICIDES HAS BEEN SERIOUS ISSUES AND INDIAN PRIME MINISTER HIMSELF VISITED VIDARBHA LAST YEAR JULY 2006 AND HAS PROVIDED RA.3750 CRORE RELIEF PACKAGE BUT FAILED TO SLOW DOWN FARM SUICIDES IN WEST VIDARBHA NOW FARM SUICIDES IS BEING SPREAD IN OTHER PART OF MAHARASHTRA TOO, KISHOR TIWARI ADDED.
FARMERS IN LARGE SCALE IN LATUR HOMETOWN OF VILASRAO DESHMUKH ALONG WITH VIDARBHA FARMERS ARE PROTESTING ON GOING CHIEF MINISTER BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION AND POLICE FORCE ARE BEING USED TO CURB THESE PROTEST. VJAS URGED TO CONGRESS PRESIDENT SONIA GANDHI TO REMOVE MAHARAHTRA CHIEF MINISTER DUE HIS FAILURE TO SOLVE AGRARIAN CRISIS IN MAHARASHTRA, KISHOR TIWARI DEMANDED.
- VJAS
Bt Cotton Promotion and Maharashtra Government
Warnings aside, more Bt cotton seeds arrive farm woes - DNA Reports
Experts warn of impending disaster if monsoons fail " We don't know yet if these varieties will suit the agro-cli- matic and soil condi- tions. Releasing the second generation Bt for commercial use is surely disastrous." - A scientist - Jaideep Hardikar, Nagpur
Beleaguered cotton farmers in Vidarbha are staring at another disaster in the ensuing sowing season. Almost the entire belt would be cultivating Bt cotton, which have not yielded encouraging results in the past in the rain-fed region.
While cotton prices are crashing every year, a total shift to genetic cotton will spiral production cost phenomenally, leading to heavy losses, farm activists say An . estimate suggests that over 30 lakh packets of Bt cottonseeds would be sold this season, enough to cover well over ten lakh hectare farms in the region.
That's a rise of more than double in the acreage over the last year. A disaster of unforeseen and unmanageable proportions is on the cards, if there is any fluctuation in the arrival of monsoon, fears Kishor Tiwari of the Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti. "The government is selling a new disaster to the struggling farmers."
Interestingly, the Maharashtra Agri culture Minister, Balasaheb Thorat, recently admitted that Bt had failed in Vidarbha and cautioned farmers not to sow it.
Also, the state government has paid about Rs 400 crore to farmers in the last four years as compensation due to the failure of Bt cotton. Farm activists point out the government-run Mahabeej seeds corporation is marketing Bt cottonseeds to inputs dealers, while the minister advises caution.
Yet, what's concerning the activists is the permission granted to nearly 53 new genotypes of Bt cotton by the Genetic Engineer ing Approval Committee (GEAC). As many 35 of those varieties would be introduced in the central parts of India.
Over 60 Bt varieties are already in the market here and more will arrive soon. And there's hardly any study on the performance of new genotypes in Vidarbha.
"We don't know yet whether these varieties will suit the agro-climatic and soil conditions. Moreover, releasing the second generation Bt (Bollguard II) for a widespread commercial use is surely disastrous," admits a senior scientist.
He also warns that it is only a matter of time before the widespread emergence of resistance in bollworms will cause the Bt cotton technology to collapse.
Peasants' confusion would be compounded by the introduction of new varieties this season. As companies compete for a greater market share, their fierce and relentless promotional tactics will expose the farmers to far greater risks.
Farmers' leader Vijay Jawandhia argues, "Bt cotton has not brought about any increase in productivity. Also, it has not reduced the use of chemicals."
Various state government reports and statistics too suggest that Bt cotton has not brought about any rise in productivity or decline in the pesticide use.
Experts warn of impending disaster if monsoons fail " We don't know yet if these varieties will suit the agro-cli- matic and soil condi- tions. Releasing the second generation Bt for commercial use is surely disastrous." - A scientist - Jaideep Hardikar, Nagpur
Beleaguered cotton farmers in Vidarbha are staring at another disaster in the ensuing sowing season. Almost the entire belt would be cultivating Bt cotton, which have not yielded encouraging results in the past in the rain-fed region.
While cotton prices are crashing every year, a total shift to genetic cotton will spiral production cost phenomenally, leading to heavy losses, farm activists say An . estimate suggests that over 30 lakh packets of Bt cottonseeds would be sold this season, enough to cover well over ten lakh hectare farms in the region.
That's a rise of more than double in the acreage over the last year. A disaster of unforeseen and unmanageable proportions is on the cards, if there is any fluctuation in the arrival of monsoon, fears Kishor Tiwari of the Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti. "The government is selling a new disaster to the struggling farmers."
Interestingly, the Maharashtra Agri culture Minister, Balasaheb Thorat, recently admitted that Bt had failed in Vidarbha and cautioned farmers not to sow it.
Also, the state government has paid about Rs 400 crore to farmers in the last four years as compensation due to the failure of Bt cotton. Farm activists point out the government-run Mahabeej seeds corporation is marketing Bt cottonseeds to inputs dealers, while the minister advises caution.
Yet, what's concerning the activists is the permission granted to nearly 53 new genotypes of Bt cotton by the Genetic Engineer ing Approval Committee (GEAC). As many 35 of those varieties would be introduced in the central parts of India.
Over 60 Bt varieties are already in the market here and more will arrive soon. And there's hardly any study on the performance of new genotypes in Vidarbha.
"We don't know yet whether these varieties will suit the agro-climatic and soil conditions. Moreover, releasing the second generation Bt (Bollguard II) for a widespread commercial use is surely disastrous," admits a senior scientist.
He also warns that it is only a matter of time before the widespread emergence of resistance in bollworms will cause the Bt cotton technology to collapse.
Peasants' confusion would be compounded by the introduction of new varieties this season. As companies compete for a greater market share, their fierce and relentless promotional tactics will expose the farmers to far greater risks.
Farmers' leader Vijay Jawandhia argues, "Bt cotton has not brought about any increase in productivity. Also, it has not reduced the use of chemicals."
Various state government reports and statistics too suggest that Bt cotton has not brought about any rise in productivity or decline in the pesticide use.
Thursday 24 May 2007
23/05/2007
23/05/2007 - Western Vidarbha - Maharashtra India - Agrarian distress
1. SANJAY TUKARAM KHARAT, TISOLI, BULDHANA DISTRICT
2. JAGO RAMA UIAKE, SINDHI, WARDHA
3. RAMRAO SURYABHAN AWATHALE, PIMPRI, BULDHANA
4. RAMESHWAR LAXMAN MENDALE, NAKHEGOAN, AKOLA
5. RAVINDRA RAMDAS GAWANDE, DHADA, WARDHA
6. MAHADEOGHANBA GHARPURE, MANIKWAD, WARDHA
1. SANJAY TUKARAM KHARAT, TISOLI, BULDHANA DISTRICT
2. JAGO RAMA UIAKE, SINDHI, WARDHA
3. RAMRAO SURYABHAN AWATHALE, PIMPRI, BULDHANA
4. RAMESHWAR LAXMAN MENDALE, NAKHEGOAN, AKOLA
5. RAVINDRA RAMDAS GAWANDE, DHADA, WARDHA
6. MAHADEOGHANBA GHARPURE, MANIKWAD, WARDHA
21/05/2007
Western Vidarbha - Maharashtra - Home state of heavy weight Indian Agriculture Minister / Cricket Minister :
1. SANTOSH CHINAJI DALMAL, VILLAGE ADEGOAN KHURD, WASHIM
2. KISAN KHANDAR SURPAM, SHRIRAMPUR, YAVATMAL
3. BALIRAM MATHU GAJBHIYE, ADAGOAN, AMARAVATI
4. KIRAN KRISHANNA SOLAV, RAMPUR, AMARAVATI
5. SURESH GANPAT KHANDARE, KOPAMADVI, YAVATMAL
FIVE FARMERS IN VIDARBHA WHO COMMITTED SUICIDES IN LAST TWO DAYS IN DIFFERENT PART OF VIDARBHA TAKING TOLL OF SUICIDE IN MAY TO 41.FARMERS WHO ARE SMALL AND MARGINAL BELONGING DALIT AND TRIBAL COMMUNITY ARE IN DEEP DISTRESS AND COMMITTING SUICIDES DUE TO FRESH CREDIT CRUNCH AS MOST OF THEM WHO BARROWED THE CROP LOAN FROM THE BANK AFTER INTEREST WAIVER AND RECONSTRUCTION OF PENDING FAILED TO REPAY DUE COTTON CROP FAILURE AND POOR PRICES FOR RAW COTTON
1. SANTOSH CHINAJI DALMAL, VILLAGE ADEGOAN KHURD, WASHIM
2. KISAN KHANDAR SURPAM, SHRIRAMPUR, YAVATMAL
3. BALIRAM MATHU GAJBHIYE, ADAGOAN, AMARAVATI
4. KIRAN KRISHANNA SOLAV, RAMPUR, AMARAVATI
5. SURESH GANPAT KHANDARE, KOPAMADVI, YAVATMAL
FIVE FARMERS IN VIDARBHA WHO COMMITTED SUICIDES IN LAST TWO DAYS IN DIFFERENT PART OF VIDARBHA TAKING TOLL OF SUICIDE IN MAY TO 41.FARMERS WHO ARE SMALL AND MARGINAL BELONGING DALIT AND TRIBAL COMMUNITY ARE IN DEEP DISTRESS AND COMMITTING SUICIDES DUE TO FRESH CREDIT CRUNCH AS MOST OF THEM WHO BARROWED THE CROP LOAN FROM THE BANK AFTER INTEREST WAIVER AND RECONSTRUCTION OF PENDING FAILED TO REPAY DUE COTTON CROP FAILURE AND POOR PRICES FOR RAW COTTON
Wednesday 23 May 2007
Dry Cow Therapy, Rural Distress, Indian Economists
Dry Cow Therapy, Rural Distress, Indian Economists : New Agriculture Strategy
From Second Green Revolution to Milking the Cow Dry -
The concerned Indian Prime Minister, has been left searching for the right answers from all the agricultural experts, while his own Agriculture Minister ignores the suicides from his home state and manages the strings of the Indian cricket team, a job no doubt he loves more than finding answers to the task entrusted to him as Indian Agriculture Minister - saving farmers from rural distress.
Another case of Humpty Dumpty on the rural front, as Indians get busy with cricket season.
Even the Indian Sensex Minister is now feeling short changed, by the massive imports bills, deposited on his doorsteps, on the food front, which threaten to blow a hole through his economic strategy of industrial development and growth in Services sectors.
Soon after suggesting budgetary support and subsidies for sugar exporters, the Agriculture Minister has gone ahead on a global buying spree for wheat. He just does not seem to like Punjabi and Haryanvi wheat. It is not tasty enough for him or maybe a trifle too full of pesticides for even his liking.
In a bid to wash off the spots on the UPA governments Three Year Achievements, and what even the lacklustre opposition performance by the NDA could not accomplish, is being accomplished in the rural fields of Vidarbha and West Bengal.
Understandably, genuine Congress election strategists are worried.
Let us examine the content of the Prime Minister's concern about Indian rural distress, worded as it is in very general terms and coming on the heels of the three years of crowning achievements of the Central ruling UPA coalition and the electoral losses in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.
In his directions to Planning Commission, Finance Minister and Cricket Minister he has pointed out :
1. Poor growth in farm output, at approximately 2%, is the main cause of agrarian and rural distress
2. There is need for focussing on short and medium term strategies for raising farm output
3. Burden of blame must be strategically be shared with states, as according to his understanding, the Central UPa government is having to face too much unnecessary criticism as being the most responsible player in the rural distress drama of Indian politicians and urban economists. The solution to this is seen as rewarding those states which come out with agrarian focussed programmes, agro climatic and local rural growth strategies, with possible budgetary support.
Surprisingly, the music of the old song of ushering in a Second Green Revolution, futures trading in commodities markets, contract farming, agro processing Special Export Zones, seems to have been lost in the wake of Vidarbha and Uttar Pradesh debacles.
He has stated "I would only like to emphasise that whatever strategies we choose to adopt must deliver some results in the short and medium term, so that tangible benefits are visible - to farmers, consumers and the rural economy as a whole.
This is important if we have to avert any crisis in the agrarian sector and fulfil the needs of a growing economy."
All the king's horses and all the kings men, couldn't put Humpty together again ... He directed the Planning Commission to come up with a major programme to enhance central support to those states that prepare localised plans.
This obviously means he is still not prepared to ask his heavy weight Cricket Minister to choose between Cricket, Food Imports or solving Agrarian Distress in his home state of Maharashtra.
The poor Finance Minister is keeping his cards close to his chest and will surely resist tooth and nail, attempts at further central aid to states because he himself knows the dubious record of states in preparing sensitive rural programmes of integrated development, as also knowing that further expansion of agricultural land exploitation is not feasible. Also known as the milking the dry cow therapy.
But the problem is who will be brave enough to bell the cat ?
And who will ask the stichers of the Naked Emperor's fantastic Invisible clothes to retire and stop promoting American experts as the saviors of Indian agriculture ?
Even American media is now caressing the Indian Prime Minister for his kind and visionary words on distributive justice, as the US trade delegations swoop down on Indian fields and agriculture laboratories from America.
From Second Green Revolution to Milking the Cow Dry -
The concerned Indian Prime Minister, has been left searching for the right answers from all the agricultural experts, while his own Agriculture Minister ignores the suicides from his home state and manages the strings of the Indian cricket team, a job no doubt he loves more than finding answers to the task entrusted to him as Indian Agriculture Minister - saving farmers from rural distress.
Another case of Humpty Dumpty on the rural front, as Indians get busy with cricket season.
Even the Indian Sensex Minister is now feeling short changed, by the massive imports bills, deposited on his doorsteps, on the food front, which threaten to blow a hole through his economic strategy of industrial development and growth in Services sectors.
Soon after suggesting budgetary support and subsidies for sugar exporters, the Agriculture Minister has gone ahead on a global buying spree for wheat. He just does not seem to like Punjabi and Haryanvi wheat. It is not tasty enough for him or maybe a trifle too full of pesticides for even his liking.
In a bid to wash off the spots on the UPA governments Three Year Achievements, and what even the lacklustre opposition performance by the NDA could not accomplish, is being accomplished in the rural fields of Vidarbha and West Bengal.
Understandably, genuine Congress election strategists are worried.
Let us examine the content of the Prime Minister's concern about Indian rural distress, worded as it is in very general terms and coming on the heels of the three years of crowning achievements of the Central ruling UPA coalition and the electoral losses in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.
In his directions to Planning Commission, Finance Minister and Cricket Minister he has pointed out :
1. Poor growth in farm output, at approximately 2%, is the main cause of agrarian and rural distress
2. There is need for focussing on short and medium term strategies for raising farm output
3. Burden of blame must be strategically be shared with states, as according to his understanding, the Central UPa government is having to face too much unnecessary criticism as being the most responsible player in the rural distress drama of Indian politicians and urban economists. The solution to this is seen as rewarding those states which come out with agrarian focussed programmes, agro climatic and local rural growth strategies, with possible budgetary support.
Surprisingly, the music of the old song of ushering in a Second Green Revolution, futures trading in commodities markets, contract farming, agro processing Special Export Zones, seems to have been lost in the wake of Vidarbha and Uttar Pradesh debacles.
He has stated "I would only like to emphasise that whatever strategies we choose to adopt must deliver some results in the short and medium term, so that tangible benefits are visible - to farmers, consumers and the rural economy as a whole.
This is important if we have to avert any crisis in the agrarian sector and fulfil the needs of a growing economy."
All the king's horses and all the kings men, couldn't put Humpty together again ... He directed the Planning Commission to come up with a major programme to enhance central support to those states that prepare localised plans.
This obviously means he is still not prepared to ask his heavy weight Cricket Minister to choose between Cricket, Food Imports or solving Agrarian Distress in his home state of Maharashtra.
The poor Finance Minister is keeping his cards close to his chest and will surely resist tooth and nail, attempts at further central aid to states because he himself knows the dubious record of states in preparing sensitive rural programmes of integrated development, as also knowing that further expansion of agricultural land exploitation is not feasible. Also known as the milking the dry cow therapy.
But the problem is who will be brave enough to bell the cat ?
And who will ask the stichers of the Naked Emperor's fantastic Invisible clothes to retire and stop promoting American experts as the saviors of Indian agriculture ?
Even American media is now caressing the Indian Prime Minister for his kind and visionary words on distributive justice, as the US trade delegations swoop down on Indian fields and agriculture laboratories from America.
Sunday 20 May 2007
Request to Indian PM from VJAS
MAY 20, 2007
TO,
DR.MANMOHAN SINGH,
HON'BLE INDIAN PRIME MINISTER,
GOVT. OF INDIA,
NEW DELHI-110 011
REF : APPROVAL TO BT COTTON FROM GEAC IS OPEN INVITATION TO VIDARBHA COTTON GROWERS' MASS SUICIDES - VJAS
SUB : REQUEST TO SAVE VIDARBHA COTTON GROWERS FROM KILLER BT COTTON SEEDS
RESPECTED SIR,
May I kindly draw your attention to the fact that t he Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) recent approval for mass commercial cultivation of 53 Bt cotton in the current season in India is nothing but the open invitation to mass farm suicides in vidarbha as after introduction of BT cotton in vidarbha more than 5000 cotton farmers have already committed suicides and maharashtra govt. has already given rs.210 crore and rs.180 crore compensation to vidarbha cotton growers as BT cotton failed to give better yield and distressed farmers forced commit suicides
VJAS has been protesting expert panel reports submitted by the director of Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR), BM Khadi to study the implications BT cotton failure in vidarbha. This panel report is anti-farmer and American go seed giant "Mahyco-Monsanto has managed GEAC and CICR both, if we allow these mass trials then there will be once again mass genocide of farmers in vidarbha.
May I also draw your attention to the shocking fact that earlier CICR and all agriculture universities have given the reports that BT cotton in rain fed area of vidarbha has failed but till Mahyco-Monsanto has managed the all govt. officials to arranged to hide fact and figure in apex court so that mass trails of fraudulent BT cotton to ruin the rural economy of vidarbha region resulting mass suicides of farmers.
As per GEAC recent order large scale field trials of 59 BT cotton hybrids has been given official permission in all over India. In the current kharif (summer) season 18 new BT cotton hybrids will be cultivated by farmers in north India. Among these are 13 hybrids with cry 1 Ac gene and MON 531 event, 4 hybrids expressing stacked genes (cry 1 Ac + cry 2 Ab MON 15985 event) and one hybrid expressing cry 1 Ac and Event 1 - JKCH 1050 Bt - developed by JK Agri.
In the central parts of the country, 35 new BT cotton hybrids will be cultivated by farmers in this season. These include, 23 hybrids with cry 1 Ac gene and MON 531 event, 5 hybrids with stacked genes (cry 1 Ac + cry 1 Ab MON 15985), 4 hybrids expressing GFM event with cry 1 Ab + cry 1 Ac genes and 3 hybrids expressing cry 1 Ac gene with Event 1.
The GEAC in its 76th meeting also renewed its permission for commercial cultivation of Mech-12 BT in central India and Mech-184 BT for both central and south India. Mech-12 BT and Mech-184 BT are developed by Mahyco-Monsanto and were suspended from cultivation in 2005 on account of its reported failure.
The regulator also gave its nod for large scale field trials of 34 BT cotton hybrids in north India. These include 24 hybrids with stacked genes cry 1 Ac + cry 2 Ab MON 15985 event, 7 hybrids with GFM event and cry 1 Ac + cry Ac genes and 2 hybrids expressing cry 1 Ac with Event 1. In central India field trials of 25 BT cotton hybrids are approved which includes 18 with stacked cry 1 Ac = cry 2 Ab genes and MON 15985 event and 6 expressing GFM event with cry 1 Ab + cry 1 Ac genes. Navakar-5 BT has been allowed for large scale field trials in both north and central India.
PRAYER :
" We are leading towards the another disaster in west vidarbha and this mass trials BT cotton will be main killer of thousands of cotton growers in this kharif season 2007" hence you are kindly requested to ban bt cotton sale and sowing in vidarbha."
TO,
DR.MANMOHAN SINGH,
HON'BLE INDIAN PRIME MINISTER,
GOVT. OF INDIA,
NEW DELHI-110 011
REF : APPROVAL TO BT COTTON FROM GEAC IS OPEN INVITATION TO VIDARBHA COTTON GROWERS' MASS SUICIDES - VJAS
SUB : REQUEST TO SAVE VIDARBHA COTTON GROWERS FROM KILLER BT COTTON SEEDS
RESPECTED SIR,
May I kindly draw your attention to the fact that t he Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) recent approval for mass commercial cultivation of 53 Bt cotton in the current season in India is nothing but the open invitation to mass farm suicides in vidarbha as after introduction of BT cotton in vidarbha more than 5000 cotton farmers have already committed suicides and maharashtra govt. has already given rs.210 crore and rs.180 crore compensation to vidarbha cotton growers as BT cotton failed to give better yield and distressed farmers forced commit suicides
VJAS has been protesting expert panel reports submitted by the director of Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR), BM Khadi to study the implications BT cotton failure in vidarbha. This panel report is anti-farmer and American go seed giant "Mahyco-Monsanto has managed GEAC and CICR both, if we allow these mass trials then there will be once again mass genocide of farmers in vidarbha.
May I also draw your attention to the shocking fact that earlier CICR and all agriculture universities have given the reports that BT cotton in rain fed area of vidarbha has failed but till Mahyco-Monsanto has managed the all govt. officials to arranged to hide fact and figure in apex court so that mass trails of fraudulent BT cotton to ruin the rural economy of vidarbha region resulting mass suicides of farmers.
As per GEAC recent order large scale field trials of 59 BT cotton hybrids has been given official permission in all over India. In the current kharif (summer) season 18 new BT cotton hybrids will be cultivated by farmers in north India. Among these are 13 hybrids with cry 1 Ac gene and MON 531 event, 4 hybrids expressing stacked genes (cry 1 Ac + cry 2 Ab MON 15985 event) and one hybrid expressing cry 1 Ac and Event 1 - JKCH 1050 Bt - developed by JK Agri.
In the central parts of the country, 35 new BT cotton hybrids will be cultivated by farmers in this season. These include, 23 hybrids with cry 1 Ac gene and MON 531 event, 5 hybrids with stacked genes (cry 1 Ac + cry 1 Ab MON 15985), 4 hybrids expressing GFM event with cry 1 Ab + cry 1 Ac genes and 3 hybrids expressing cry 1 Ac gene with Event 1.
The GEAC in its 76th meeting also renewed its permission for commercial cultivation of Mech-12 BT in central India and Mech-184 BT for both central and south India. Mech-12 BT and Mech-184 BT are developed by Mahyco-Monsanto and were suspended from cultivation in 2005 on account of its reported failure.
The regulator also gave its nod for large scale field trials of 34 BT cotton hybrids in north India. These include 24 hybrids with stacked genes cry 1 Ac + cry 2 Ab MON 15985 event, 7 hybrids with GFM event and cry 1 Ac + cry Ac genes and 2 hybrids expressing cry 1 Ac with Event 1. In central India field trials of 25 BT cotton hybrids are approved which includes 18 with stacked cry 1 Ac = cry 2 Ab genes and MON 15985 event and 6 expressing GFM event with cry 1 Ab + cry 1 Ac genes. Navakar-5 BT has been allowed for large scale field trials in both north and central India.
PRAYER :
" We are leading towards the another disaster in west vidarbha and this mass trials BT cotton will be main killer of thousands of cotton growers in this kharif season 2007" hence you are kindly requested to ban bt cotton sale and sowing in vidarbha."
VJAS Protests GEAC GM Cotton Approvals
REF: - FARMER'S SUICIDES APPROVAL TO BT COTTON FROM GEAC IS OPEN INVITATION TO VIDARBHA'S COTTON GROWERS' MASS SUICIDES - VJAS
NAGPUR : Saturday, May 19, 2007
Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti has termed The Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) recent approval for mass commercial cultivation of 53 Bt cotton in the current season in India as open invitation to mass farm suicides in vidarbha as after introduction of BT cotton in vidarbha more than 5000 cotton farmers have already committed suicides and maharashtra govt. has already given rs.210 crore and rs.180 crore compensation to vidarbha cotton growers as BT cotton failed to give better yield and distressed farmers forced commit suicides.
VJAS chief and farm activist kishore tiwari strongly objected report of the expert panel headed by the director of Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR), BM Khadi to study the implications BT cotton failure in vidarbha. " Mahyco-Monsanto has managed GEAC and CICR both, we will not allow this mass genocide of farmers to continue" kishore tiwari added.
Earlier CICR and all agriculture universities have given opinion that BT cotton in rain fed area of vidarbha has failed but till Mahyco-Monsanto has managed the all govt. officials to arranged to hide fact and figure in apex court so that mass trails of fraudulent BT cotton to ruin the rural economy of vidarbha region resulting mass suicides of farmers.
As per GEAC recent order large scale field trials of 59 BT cotton hybrids has been given official permission in all over India. In the current kharif (summer) season 18 new BT cotton hybrids will be cultivated by farmers in north India. Among these are 13 hybrids with cry 1 Ac gene and MON 531 event, 4 hybrids expressing stacked genes (cry 1 Ac + cry 2 Ab MON 15985 event) and one hybrid expressing cry 1 Ac and Event 1 - JKCH 1050 Bt - developed by JK Agri.
In the central parts of the country, 35 new BT cotton hybrids will be cultivated by farmers in this season. These include, 23 hybrids with cry 1 Ac gene and MON 531 event, 5 hybrids with stacked genes (cry 1 Ac + cry 1 Ab MON 15985), 4 hybrids expressing GFM event with cry 1 Ab + cry 1 Ac genes and 3 hybrids expressing cry 1 Ac gene with Event 1.
The GEAC in its 76th meeting also renewed its permission for commercial cultivation of Mech-12 Bt in central India and Mech-184 Bt for both central and south India. Mech-12 Bt and Mech-184 Bt are developed by Mahyco-Monsanto and were suspended from cultivation in 2005 on account of its reported failure.
The regulator also gave its nod for large scale field trials of 34 BT cotton hybrids in north India. These include 24 hybrids with stacked genes cry 1 Ac + cry 2 Ab MON 15985 event, 7 hybrids with GFM event and cry 1 Ac + cry Ac genes and 2 hybrids expressing cry 1 Ac with Event 1. In central India field trials of 25 BT cotton hybrids are approved which includes 18 with stacked cry 1 Ac = cry 2 Ab genes and MON 15985 event and 6 expressing GFM event with cry 1 Ab + cry 1 Ac genes. Navakar-5 Bt has been allowed for large scale field trials in both north and central India.
"we are leading towards the another disaster in west vidarbha and this mass trials BT cotton will be main killer of thousands of cotton growers in this kharif season 2007"kishor tiwari informed.
NAGPUR : Saturday, May 19, 2007
Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti has termed The Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) recent approval for mass commercial cultivation of 53 Bt cotton in the current season in India as open invitation to mass farm suicides in vidarbha as after introduction of BT cotton in vidarbha more than 5000 cotton farmers have already committed suicides and maharashtra govt. has already given rs.210 crore and rs.180 crore compensation to vidarbha cotton growers as BT cotton failed to give better yield and distressed farmers forced commit suicides.
VJAS chief and farm activist kishore tiwari strongly objected report of the expert panel headed by the director of Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR), BM Khadi to study the implications BT cotton failure in vidarbha. " Mahyco-Monsanto has managed GEAC and CICR both, we will not allow this mass genocide of farmers to continue" kishore tiwari added.
Earlier CICR and all agriculture universities have given opinion that BT cotton in rain fed area of vidarbha has failed but till Mahyco-Monsanto has managed the all govt. officials to arranged to hide fact and figure in apex court so that mass trails of fraudulent BT cotton to ruin the rural economy of vidarbha region resulting mass suicides of farmers.
As per GEAC recent order large scale field trials of 59 BT cotton hybrids has been given official permission in all over India. In the current kharif (summer) season 18 new BT cotton hybrids will be cultivated by farmers in north India. Among these are 13 hybrids with cry 1 Ac gene and MON 531 event, 4 hybrids expressing stacked genes (cry 1 Ac + cry 2 Ab MON 15985 event) and one hybrid expressing cry 1 Ac and Event 1 - JKCH 1050 Bt - developed by JK Agri.
In the central parts of the country, 35 new BT cotton hybrids will be cultivated by farmers in this season. These include, 23 hybrids with cry 1 Ac gene and MON 531 event, 5 hybrids with stacked genes (cry 1 Ac + cry 1 Ab MON 15985), 4 hybrids expressing GFM event with cry 1 Ab + cry 1 Ac genes and 3 hybrids expressing cry 1 Ac gene with Event 1.
The GEAC in its 76th meeting also renewed its permission for commercial cultivation of Mech-12 Bt in central India and Mech-184 Bt for both central and south India. Mech-12 Bt and Mech-184 Bt are developed by Mahyco-Monsanto and were suspended from cultivation in 2005 on account of its reported failure.
The regulator also gave its nod for large scale field trials of 34 BT cotton hybrids in north India. These include 24 hybrids with stacked genes cry 1 Ac + cry 2 Ab MON 15985 event, 7 hybrids with GFM event and cry 1 Ac + cry Ac genes and 2 hybrids expressing cry 1 Ac with Event 1. In central India field trials of 25 BT cotton hybrids are approved which includes 18 with stacked cry 1 Ac = cry 2 Ab genes and MON 15985 event and 6 expressing GFM event with cry 1 Ab + cry 1 Ac genes. Navakar-5 Bt has been allowed for large scale field trials in both north and central India.
"we are leading towards the another disaster in west vidarbha and this mass trials BT cotton will be main killer of thousands of cotton growers in this kharif season 2007"kishor tiwari informed.
Vijay Jawandhia Comments
Pradip Kumar Maitra, Hindustan Times - Email Author
Nagpur, May 19, 2007
First Published: 16:48 IST(19/5/2007)
Last Updated: 16:58 IST(19/5/2007)
3 more farmers commit suicide in Vidarbha in the last 24 hours :
Link - http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/Print.aspx?Id=22aabb3f-0ccf-42aa-9eab-ad6e927bf8ef
Despite the claim of Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh that farmers' suicide in Vidarbha have drastically come down this year, such deaths continue in the region. Three more farmers have ended their lives in the region in the last 24 hours.
In a letter, addressed to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last week, Chief Minister Deshmukh had claimed that the number of farmers' suicide has reduced sharply in the wake of two relief packages of the government. However, the situation in the region is totally different.
According to reports reaching Nagpur on Saturday, one farmer each from Wardha, Bhandara and Akola had committed suicide in the last 24 hours. The victims were identified as Ravindra Gawande of Dhadi village in Wardha, Dulichand Turkar, and Sihora in Bhandara and Kisan Attarkar of Patur village in Akola district. Attarkar and Ravindra ended their lives by hanging themselves while Dulichand committed suicide by swallowing pesticide, reports said.
All of these farmers had borrowed loans from the banks and could not repay the loans in time. They feared being defaulters they would not get fresh loans in the coming kharif season and that might have led them to take the drastic step.
With the deaths of these three farmers, the toll has now touched 40 this month alone while the figure was 84 in the last month, 98 in March, 88 in February and 70 in January this year. As many as 856 farmers have killed themselves in the region since July last year.
Meanwhile, the Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti Chief Kishore Tiwari, who has been documenting the farmers' suicide since 2002, termed the ruling coalition in the state as anti-farmer that miserably failed to end the tragedy. They pointed out that in the past three years of Vilasrao Deshmukh rule, over 2000 farmers had committed suicide in Vidarbha alone. "What has the Vilasrao Deshmukh done to stem suicides? Poor farmers continue to suffer from skyrocketing inputs' costs and poor minimum support prices. What has the government done to improve their lot?" he asked and alleged that both the central and state relief packages have done little to address the crippling debt crisis among the farmers. Both the packages were unrealistic and far from the real problems, he further pointed out.
Vijay Jawandhia, the former state Shetkari Sanghatana president reiterated that there was a need for a total waiving of farmers loans. Besides, a concrete assurance to farmers that they would get fresh loans in the coming kharif whether he or she is a defaulter to repay the bank loans to prevent the tragedy. Moreover, there is a need for a food security of these distressed farmers, he added.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/Print.aspx?Id=22aabb3f-0ccf-42aaa-9eab-ad6e927bf8ef
© Copyright 2007 Hindustan Times
Nagpur, May 19, 2007
First Published: 16:48 IST(19/5/2007)
Last Updated: 16:58 IST(19/5/2007)
3 more farmers commit suicide in Vidarbha in the last 24 hours :
Link - http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/Print.aspx?Id=22aabb3f-0ccf-42aa-9eab-ad6e927bf8ef
Despite the claim of Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh that farmers' suicide in Vidarbha have drastically come down this year, such deaths continue in the region. Three more farmers have ended their lives in the region in the last 24 hours.
In a letter, addressed to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last week, Chief Minister Deshmukh had claimed that the number of farmers' suicide has reduced sharply in the wake of two relief packages of the government. However, the situation in the region is totally different.
According to reports reaching Nagpur on Saturday, one farmer each from Wardha, Bhandara and Akola had committed suicide in the last 24 hours. The victims were identified as Ravindra Gawande of Dhadi village in Wardha, Dulichand Turkar, and Sihora in Bhandara and Kisan Attarkar of Patur village in Akola district. Attarkar and Ravindra ended their lives by hanging themselves while Dulichand committed suicide by swallowing pesticide, reports said.
All of these farmers had borrowed loans from the banks and could not repay the loans in time. They feared being defaulters they would not get fresh loans in the coming kharif season and that might have led them to take the drastic step.
With the deaths of these three farmers, the toll has now touched 40 this month alone while the figure was 84 in the last month, 98 in March, 88 in February and 70 in January this year. As many as 856 farmers have killed themselves in the region since July last year.
Meanwhile, the Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti Chief Kishore Tiwari, who has been documenting the farmers' suicide since 2002, termed the ruling coalition in the state as anti-farmer that miserably failed to end the tragedy. They pointed out that in the past three years of Vilasrao Deshmukh rule, over 2000 farmers had committed suicide in Vidarbha alone. "What has the Vilasrao Deshmukh done to stem suicides? Poor farmers continue to suffer from skyrocketing inputs' costs and poor minimum support prices. What has the government done to improve their lot?" he asked and alleged that both the central and state relief packages have done little to address the crippling debt crisis among the farmers. Both the packages were unrealistic and far from the real problems, he further pointed out.
Vijay Jawandhia, the former state Shetkari Sanghatana president reiterated that there was a need for a total waiving of farmers loans. Besides, a concrete assurance to farmers that they would get fresh loans in the coming kharif whether he or she is a defaulter to repay the bank loans to prevent the tragedy. Moreover, there is a need for a food security of these distressed farmers, he added.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/Print.aspx?Id=22aabb3f-0ccf-42aaa-9eab-ad6e927bf8ef
© Copyright 2007 Hindustan Times
19/05/2007
Western Vidarbha :
1. Ravindra Gawande, Dhadi village in Wardha,
2. Dulichand Turkar, Sihora in Bhandara and
3. Kisan Attarkar, Patur village in Akola district
Attarkar and Ravindra ended their lives by hanging themselves while Dulichand committed suicide by swallowing pesticide, reports said.
1. Ravindra Gawande, Dhadi village in Wardha,
2. Dulichand Turkar, Sihora in Bhandara and
3. Kisan Attarkar, Patur village in Akola district
Attarkar and Ravindra ended their lives by hanging themselves while Dulichand committed suicide by swallowing pesticide, reports said.
Friday 18 May 2007
Time Magazine Article - 17/05/2007
Thursday, May. 17, 2007 - Seeds of Despair
By Simon Robinson / Sunna
It might have been borrowing another $100 just to keep his family going that finally convinced Pravin Bakkamwar to end his life. Or maybe it was knowing that he needed to find a husband for his 18-year-old sister Suwarana, and then pay her dowry and arrange a suitable wedding―responsibilities that would push him further into debt. What his family knows is this: on a sunny morning in central India in late November last year, Pravin, 27, rode his motorbike to a nearby town, bought a few meters of red and yellow nylon cord, returned to his gently sloping cotton farm and hanged himself from a concrete power pole. Neighbors found him within minutes, blood trickling from his mouth.
The story of India today is one of great expectations, as soaring economic growth lifts tens of millions of people out of poverty and swells the ranks of the middle class. But India's progress has also brought sorrow to many farmers and rural workers, who still make up two-thirds of the country's workforce.
The income disparity in the new India is massive : there are now 36 billionaires in India―and some 800 million people living on less than $2 a day. In the most desperate pockets of rural India, a confluence of factors, from poor rainfall to the new availability of consumer goods, has driven some farmers into crushing debt. The financial hardships are so extreme that thousands, including Pravin, commit suicide every year. Far from benefiting from the country's new prosperity, whole villages of India's rural poor are being left adrift, eager to join in the boom but unable to afford it.
The crisis is worst in Vidarbha, an orange- and cotton-growing region in central India famed for its black soil and the fact that Mahatma Gandhi built an ashram and lived there for a time in the 1930s. Now Indians know it as their nation's rural suicide capital. According to Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti, or Vidarbha People's Protest Forum, an activist group that keeps track of farmer suicides in the area and lobbies the government for help, more than 1,250 farmers committed suicide in Vidarbha's six central districts alone in 2006, up from 248 in 2004.
What's causing so many rural Indians to take their lives? According to a study by the government of Maharashtra, the state in which Vidarbha sits, almost six in 10 of those who kill themselves have debts of between $110 and $550. Many farmers complain that banks don't offer them credit, forcing them to turn to rapacious moneylenders, who typically charge up to 20% interest on a four-month loan. As collateral, explains one lender in the bustling town of Pandharkawada, farmers often sign away title to their land. "If they pay back the loan, we give them back their deed," says the lender, who called himself "Ratanbhai" but refused to give his full name because of a recent government crackdown on unlicensed lenders. "If they don't, we get to take their land."
Predatory lenders are only part of the problem. Health-care and education costs have risen dramatically in the past few years, while the global price of cotton has become depressed, largely because of the billions of dollars in subsidies Washington hands out to U.S. farmers. "Expenses have increased, eating habits have increased. Health, education, all increased," says Gajanan Madhavrao Akkalawar, 70, who has farmed cotton for more than half a century. "It's difficult to run the family show." And then there's the growing obsession with the luxury goods that now consume much of Indian families' incomes. Television has given even the poorest a glimpse at the world outside. India is adding more than 6 million cell-phone subscribers every month, many of them in small villages and towns; its road network is quickly expanding, bringing increased commerce, trade and ideas. "If I say to people that materialism is upsetting the equilibrium of society, they stand up and say, 'Why should we be deprived of all these things? Why should only the people in the cities get these things?'" says Kishor Tiwari, the head of Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti. "The natural tendency is to adopt all these new things, whether the pocket permits it or not."
That's how it went with Pravin, who wanted the best for his family even if he couldn't afford it. Pravin's family lives near Pandharkawada town, in Sunna, a village of dirt streets and pale blue and whitewashed brick houses. The air hangs heavy with the smell of goats, cattle and chickens, and farmers use wooden bullock carts to carry their cotton and animal feed. Doors are strung with mango leaves to bring good luck, and women stretch their washing over twig fences. Pravin took over the family farm from his father four years ago when the old man tired of the task. The son proved a natural farmer, increasing yields and, initially at least, bringing in more money. His wife Smita, a distant cousin, was studying literature at university, but says she was happy to stop once it was time for them to marry. "Pravin was in the village and I had been to the city, but he didn't let me down in any way," says Smita. "He was very much a hard worker. No one in the village will deny he was the best young man."
Pravin put enormous pressure on himself to be a success. Smita came from a middle-class family far wealthier than his own. Her father had been an operator at India's National Thermal Power Corp., a job that paid well and enabled him to give all his four daughters a good education. Pravin wanted to keep Smita the way her father had. His motorbike, a black-and-gold 97-cc Hero Honda Splendor Plus, cost him just over $1,000, a fortune considering he made just a few hundred dollars a year. "I told him it was not affordable, not needed," says his father Vijay. "He said he needed it to get to the fields. The young these days―they want more luxuries with less tension." Pravin had taken a loan from a local banking cooperative for the motorbike, and further loans from moneylenders to buy seeds, fertilizer and pesticide. But like most rural Indian men, conservative and proud, he had not discussed his worries with his wife. "He was smiling all the time," says Smita. Yet Pravin owed at least $2,800 when he hanged himself.
The government says it is taking steps to assist Vidarbha's farmers. Mindful that a backlash in the countryside led to the last national government's ouster from office, the Maharashtra state administration and the Congress Party-led coalition in New Delhi have promised to pump almost a billion dollars into Vidarbha's rural sector. Authorities have arrested dozens of unlicensed moneylenders and pushed banks to offer more farmers credit at reasonable rates. The government is also trying to encourage farmers to diversify into other crops and into dairy and poultry production. A little more than half the money in the rescue packages will go to irrigation projects that could transform the region in the long term but offer little relief in the near future―a bone of contention for many farmers who say they need government help now.
No amount of help will be enough for widows like Smita, who tried to kill herself when she learned of her husband's suicide (the villagers stopped her). "Just like impossible," says Smita's sister Durga when asked if Smita, who is 23, might ever marry again. "She wants to be independent and get her own job, but in this place it's difficult." Her grieving father-in-law says that Smita was pregnant when Pravin killed himself but lost the baby after her own suicide attempt. When asked what she and Pravin had wanted for the future, Smita's eyes well up: "We wanted what every husband and wife wants. Nothing more."
Click to Print
Find this article at:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1622180,00.html
By Simon Robinson / Sunna
It might have been borrowing another $100 just to keep his family going that finally convinced Pravin Bakkamwar to end his life. Or maybe it was knowing that he needed to find a husband for his 18-year-old sister Suwarana, and then pay her dowry and arrange a suitable wedding―responsibilities that would push him further into debt. What his family knows is this: on a sunny morning in central India in late November last year, Pravin, 27, rode his motorbike to a nearby town, bought a few meters of red and yellow nylon cord, returned to his gently sloping cotton farm and hanged himself from a concrete power pole. Neighbors found him within minutes, blood trickling from his mouth.
The story of India today is one of great expectations, as soaring economic growth lifts tens of millions of people out of poverty and swells the ranks of the middle class. But India's progress has also brought sorrow to many farmers and rural workers, who still make up two-thirds of the country's workforce.
The income disparity in the new India is massive : there are now 36 billionaires in India―and some 800 million people living on less than $2 a day. In the most desperate pockets of rural India, a confluence of factors, from poor rainfall to the new availability of consumer goods, has driven some farmers into crushing debt. The financial hardships are so extreme that thousands, including Pravin, commit suicide every year. Far from benefiting from the country's new prosperity, whole villages of India's rural poor are being left adrift, eager to join in the boom but unable to afford it.
The crisis is worst in Vidarbha, an orange- and cotton-growing region in central India famed for its black soil and the fact that Mahatma Gandhi built an ashram and lived there for a time in the 1930s. Now Indians know it as their nation's rural suicide capital. According to Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti, or Vidarbha People's Protest Forum, an activist group that keeps track of farmer suicides in the area and lobbies the government for help, more than 1,250 farmers committed suicide in Vidarbha's six central districts alone in 2006, up from 248 in 2004.
What's causing so many rural Indians to take their lives? According to a study by the government of Maharashtra, the state in which Vidarbha sits, almost six in 10 of those who kill themselves have debts of between $110 and $550. Many farmers complain that banks don't offer them credit, forcing them to turn to rapacious moneylenders, who typically charge up to 20% interest on a four-month loan. As collateral, explains one lender in the bustling town of Pandharkawada, farmers often sign away title to their land. "If they pay back the loan, we give them back their deed," says the lender, who called himself "Ratanbhai" but refused to give his full name because of a recent government crackdown on unlicensed lenders. "If they don't, we get to take their land."
Predatory lenders are only part of the problem. Health-care and education costs have risen dramatically in the past few years, while the global price of cotton has become depressed, largely because of the billions of dollars in subsidies Washington hands out to U.S. farmers. "Expenses have increased, eating habits have increased. Health, education, all increased," says Gajanan Madhavrao Akkalawar, 70, who has farmed cotton for more than half a century. "It's difficult to run the family show." And then there's the growing obsession with the luxury goods that now consume much of Indian families' incomes. Television has given even the poorest a glimpse at the world outside. India is adding more than 6 million cell-phone subscribers every month, many of them in small villages and towns; its road network is quickly expanding, bringing increased commerce, trade and ideas. "If I say to people that materialism is upsetting the equilibrium of society, they stand up and say, 'Why should we be deprived of all these things? Why should only the people in the cities get these things?'" says Kishor Tiwari, the head of Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti. "The natural tendency is to adopt all these new things, whether the pocket permits it or not."
That's how it went with Pravin, who wanted the best for his family even if he couldn't afford it. Pravin's family lives near Pandharkawada town, in Sunna, a village of dirt streets and pale blue and whitewashed brick houses. The air hangs heavy with the smell of goats, cattle and chickens, and farmers use wooden bullock carts to carry their cotton and animal feed. Doors are strung with mango leaves to bring good luck, and women stretch their washing over twig fences. Pravin took over the family farm from his father four years ago when the old man tired of the task. The son proved a natural farmer, increasing yields and, initially at least, bringing in more money. His wife Smita, a distant cousin, was studying literature at university, but says she was happy to stop once it was time for them to marry. "Pravin was in the village and I had been to the city, but he didn't let me down in any way," says Smita. "He was very much a hard worker. No one in the village will deny he was the best young man."
Pravin put enormous pressure on himself to be a success. Smita came from a middle-class family far wealthier than his own. Her father had been an operator at India's National Thermal Power Corp., a job that paid well and enabled him to give all his four daughters a good education. Pravin wanted to keep Smita the way her father had. His motorbike, a black-and-gold 97-cc Hero Honda Splendor Plus, cost him just over $1,000, a fortune considering he made just a few hundred dollars a year. "I told him it was not affordable, not needed," says his father Vijay. "He said he needed it to get to the fields. The young these days―they want more luxuries with less tension." Pravin had taken a loan from a local banking cooperative for the motorbike, and further loans from moneylenders to buy seeds, fertilizer and pesticide. But like most rural Indian men, conservative and proud, he had not discussed his worries with his wife. "He was smiling all the time," says Smita. Yet Pravin owed at least $2,800 when he hanged himself.
The government says it is taking steps to assist Vidarbha's farmers. Mindful that a backlash in the countryside led to the last national government's ouster from office, the Maharashtra state administration and the Congress Party-led coalition in New Delhi have promised to pump almost a billion dollars into Vidarbha's rural sector. Authorities have arrested dozens of unlicensed moneylenders and pushed banks to offer more farmers credit at reasonable rates. The government is also trying to encourage farmers to diversify into other crops and into dairy and poultry production. A little more than half the money in the rescue packages will go to irrigation projects that could transform the region in the long term but offer little relief in the near future―a bone of contention for many farmers who say they need government help now.
No amount of help will be enough for widows like Smita, who tried to kill herself when she learned of her husband's suicide (the villagers stopped her). "Just like impossible," says Smita's sister Durga when asked if Smita, who is 23, might ever marry again. "She wants to be independent and get her own job, but in this place it's difficult." Her grieving father-in-law says that Smita was pregnant when Pravin killed himself but lost the baby after her own suicide attempt. When asked what she and Pravin had wanted for the future, Smita's eyes well up: "We wanted what every husband and wife wants. Nothing more."
Click to Print
Find this article at:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1622180,00.html
15/05/2007 - PM Vidarbha Package and Farmers
Aid yet to reach Vidarbha farmers : Surendra Gangan
http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1097122
A meagre number have till now received the package of Rs 25,000 -
Though the state government has been claiming the implementation of 88 per cent of its special package for debt-ridden farmers of the Vidarbha region, the package of Rs25,000 each to thousands of farmers has not reached them yet, this apart from the government's non-compliance with its crop insurance schemes.
The state had earmarked Rs150 crores, out of the entire package of Rs1,075 crores allocated by the state, to help the debt-ridden farmers of Vidarbha. But, only Rs85 crores were allocated for the package of Rs25,000 each to nearly 60,000 farmers, out of which a meagre number of farmers have received the personal help. Expenditures have reached a mere Rs49.99 crores of the allocated amount. Even the crop insurance scheme has spent only Rs9.87 crores out of the allocated Rs19 crores.
In its presentation made to the central government last week, the state claimed Rs884.32 crores were spent of the package with a layout of Rs1,075 crores under nine different heads. The centre had also announced a special package of Rs3,750 crores to be utilised over the next three years.
"We have spent Rs 1,551.66 crores in the first year, which is 102 per cent of the allotted lay out. We have been successful in bringing 17,171 hectares under irrigation," an official from the rehabilitation department said.
The state has been prompt in its compensation to cotton-growing farmers. The state had targeted Rs370 crores and allocated Rs405.15 crores for three per cent capital formation fund, out of which Rs396.59 was spent. Interest subsidy on rescheduled crop loan, had a target of Rs225 crores and allocation Rs240.98 crores, out of which Rs 239.12 crores were spent.
The report states that 2,990 cases of suicides of debt-ridden farmers were registered during January 2001 and May 5, 2007, out of which 1,333 families of the deceased farmers have received ex-gracia assistance of Rs 1 lakh each.
http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1097122
A meagre number have till now received the package of Rs 25,000 -
Though the state government has been claiming the implementation of 88 per cent of its special package for debt-ridden farmers of the Vidarbha region, the package of Rs25,000 each to thousands of farmers has not reached them yet, this apart from the government's non-compliance with its crop insurance schemes.
The state had earmarked Rs150 crores, out of the entire package of Rs1,075 crores allocated by the state, to help the debt-ridden farmers of Vidarbha. But, only Rs85 crores were allocated for the package of Rs25,000 each to nearly 60,000 farmers, out of which a meagre number of farmers have received the personal help. Expenditures have reached a mere Rs49.99 crores of the allocated amount. Even the crop insurance scheme has spent only Rs9.87 crores out of the allocated Rs19 crores.
In its presentation made to the central government last week, the state claimed Rs884.32 crores were spent of the package with a layout of Rs1,075 crores under nine different heads. The centre had also announced a special package of Rs3,750 crores to be utilised over the next three years.
"We have spent Rs 1,551.66 crores in the first year, which is 102 per cent of the allotted lay out. We have been successful in bringing 17,171 hectares under irrigation," an official from the rehabilitation department said.
The state has been prompt in its compensation to cotton-growing farmers. The state had targeted Rs370 crores and allocated Rs405.15 crores for three per cent capital formation fund, out of which Rs396.59 was spent. Interest subsidy on rescheduled crop loan, had a target of Rs225 crores and allocation Rs240.98 crores, out of which Rs 239.12 crores were spent.
The report states that 2,990 cases of suicides of debt-ridden farmers were registered during January 2001 and May 5, 2007, out of which 1,333 families of the deceased farmers have received ex-gracia assistance of Rs 1 lakh each.
14/05/2007 - Jaydeep Hardikar comments
Western Vidarbha :
Loan waivers, credit can stop farmers' suicides'
Agriculture expert Jaydeep Hardikar reiterates need for alternate sources of income for farmers
Express News Service
http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=236190
Pune, May 13: Slamming the State government for its inefficiency in addressing the issue of farmers' suicides in the state, journalist and agriculture researcher Jaydeep Haradikar said it was not the mindless 'packages' but loan waivers, long term credit and collective farming which will help in easing farm crisis.
Speaking at a function organised by city-based Sewawardhini on 'Crisis in agriculture and situation in Vidarbha,' at Dnyanprabodhini on Saturday Hardikar said farmers are not in so much in need of the government packages as compared to systematic solutions which will bring them back to the basics of stable agriculture. He said that although the government is of the opinion that loan waiver is impractical, it is the only viable option to make farmers feel safe.
According Hardikar, farmers' crisis is only one of the symptoms of the crisis that the agriculture sector is facing. "Migration, malnutrition, health problems, suicides are all symptoms of the agrarian distress," he said.
Stressing that agrarian distress was never this worse and it is only the present political decisions, and policy changes that have resulted in the situation. "In the last 100 years, the condition of agriculture in Vidarbha has remained unchanged including the monsoon. The only change was the use of hybrid seeds resulting in the import of textile technology from the West in 1991 which worsened the situation," he said.
Although the state government had set up 17 committees to study the issue of farmer' suicides in Vidarbha, Hardikar said that the committees did not see the actual crisis.
"Subsidies and alternate occupations to farming like bidi making, fishing, pulses farming, vegetable growing are on a decline. Efforts should be made to diversify the activities of farmers and not allow him to depend on farming alone," he said adding that today the Vidarbha crisis prevails across the country even in Uttarakhand and Punjab which had earlier given success stories in agriculture.
Loan waivers, credit can stop farmers' suicides'
Agriculture expert Jaydeep Hardikar reiterates need for alternate sources of income for farmers
Express News Service
http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=236190
Pune, May 13: Slamming the State government for its inefficiency in addressing the issue of farmers' suicides in the state, journalist and agriculture researcher Jaydeep Haradikar said it was not the mindless 'packages' but loan waivers, long term credit and collective farming which will help in easing farm crisis.
Speaking at a function organised by city-based Sewawardhini on 'Crisis in agriculture and situation in Vidarbha,' at Dnyanprabodhini on Saturday Hardikar said farmers are not in so much in need of the government packages as compared to systematic solutions which will bring them back to the basics of stable agriculture. He said that although the government is of the opinion that loan waiver is impractical, it is the only viable option to make farmers feel safe.
According Hardikar, farmers' crisis is only one of the symptoms of the crisis that the agriculture sector is facing. "Migration, malnutrition, health problems, suicides are all symptoms of the agrarian distress," he said.
Stressing that agrarian distress was never this worse and it is only the present political decisions, and policy changes that have resulted in the situation. "In the last 100 years, the condition of agriculture in Vidarbha has remained unchanged including the monsoon. The only change was the use of hybrid seeds resulting in the import of textile technology from the West in 1991 which worsened the situation," he said.
Although the state government had set up 17 committees to study the issue of farmer' suicides in Vidarbha, Hardikar said that the committees did not see the actual crisis.
"Subsidies and alternate occupations to farming like bidi making, fishing, pulses farming, vegetable growing are on a decline. Efforts should be made to diversify the activities of farmers and not allow him to depend on farming alone," he said adding that today the Vidarbha crisis prevails across the country even in Uttarakhand and Punjab which had earlier given success stories in agriculture.
13/05/2007 - Deshmukh Vidarbha Visit
CM's Yavatmal visit riles farmers :
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTS8yMDA3LzA1LzEzI0FyMDA1MDI=&Mode=HTML&Locale=english-skin-custom
- V Deshmukh
Prafulla Marpakwar I TNN
Mumbai: Debt-ridden farmers from Yavatmal district which has witnessed the largest number of farmers suicides in the recent past were s u r p r i s e d and overwhelmed when they were told that chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh would be visiting them to review steps taken by his government to tackle the crisis.
But their joy was shortlived when they found that Deshmukh was, in fact, visiting the district to attend the marriage of senior Congress leader Manikrao Thakre's son and, after the celebrations, would review the prime minister's package for Vidarbha region.
The CM's office confirmed that Deshmukh had attended the marriage on Saturday and also reviewed the present status of the PM's package for the Vidarbha region. Farmers' leader Kishore Tiwari slammed Deshmukh for playing with the sentiments of the farmers. "Every one knows Deshmukh has come for the marriage, then why this farce of review? It has send a wrong signal to the agricultural community,'' Tiwari said.
Tiwari, a self-styled champion of farmers, claimed that post prime minister Manmohan Singh's visit, the Vilasrao Deshmukh government has not taken concrete steps to implement the Rs 3,750 crore PM's package. "My information is that out of Rs 800 crore provided for interest waiver, only Rs 326 crore has been disbursed so far,'' Tiwari claimed.
On the number of suicides too, Tiwari said the state government was not revealing the facts. "We have asked the government to present a white paper on the agrarian crisis in the Vidarbha region,'' he said.
Meanwhile, Deshmukh, during his meeting with Manmohan Singh on Friday, submitted a comprehensive note on the present status of implementation of the PM's package for Vidarbha. Deshmukh claimed that since the PM's visit to the region, they had achieved nearly 40% of the target, particularly on implementing the schemes recommended by the PMO. While 6,000 farmers' families were paid ex-gratia, loans worth Rs 1,407 crore of 9.33 lakh farmers were restructured as per the recommendations of financial institutions.
In addition, 3.80 lakh farmers were issued kisan credit cards, more than 10 lakh farmers in the six districts had benefited following release of Rs 746 crore in 2005-06 and Rs 2,013 crore last year. On interest waiver, Deshmukh claimed that so far Rs 825 crore has been waived.
On the irrigation facilities, Deshmukh submitted that in the next three years, Rs 2.177 crore would be utilised to irrigate 1.59 lakh hectares of land, out of which 54,000 hectares would be irrigated by June 2007.
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTS8yMDA3LzA1LzEzI0FyMDA1MDI=&Mode=HTML&Locale=english-skin-custom
- V Deshmukh
Prafulla Marpakwar I TNN
Mumbai: Debt-ridden farmers from Yavatmal district which has witnessed the largest number of farmers suicides in the recent past were s u r p r i s e d and overwhelmed when they were told that chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh would be visiting them to review steps taken by his government to tackle the crisis.
But their joy was shortlived when they found that Deshmukh was, in fact, visiting the district to attend the marriage of senior Congress leader Manikrao Thakre's son and, after the celebrations, would review the prime minister's package for Vidarbha region.
The CM's office confirmed that Deshmukh had attended the marriage on Saturday and also reviewed the present status of the PM's package for the Vidarbha region. Farmers' leader Kishore Tiwari slammed Deshmukh for playing with the sentiments of the farmers. "Every one knows Deshmukh has come for the marriage, then why this farce of review? It has send a wrong signal to the agricultural community,'' Tiwari said.
Tiwari, a self-styled champion of farmers, claimed that post prime minister Manmohan Singh's visit, the Vilasrao Deshmukh government has not taken concrete steps to implement the Rs 3,750 crore PM's package. "My information is that out of Rs 800 crore provided for interest waiver, only Rs 326 crore has been disbursed so far,'' Tiwari claimed.
On the number of suicides too, Tiwari said the state government was not revealing the facts. "We have asked the government to present a white paper on the agrarian crisis in the Vidarbha region,'' he said.
Meanwhile, Deshmukh, during his meeting with Manmohan Singh on Friday, submitted a comprehensive note on the present status of implementation of the PM's package for Vidarbha. Deshmukh claimed that since the PM's visit to the region, they had achieved nearly 40% of the target, particularly on implementing the schemes recommended by the PMO. While 6,000 farmers' families were paid ex-gratia, loans worth Rs 1,407 crore of 9.33 lakh farmers were restructured as per the recommendations of financial institutions.
In addition, 3.80 lakh farmers were issued kisan credit cards, more than 10 lakh farmers in the six districts had benefited following release of Rs 746 crore in 2005-06 and Rs 2,013 crore last year. On interest waiver, Deshmukh claimed that so far Rs 825 crore has been waived.
On the irrigation facilities, Deshmukh submitted that in the next three years, Rs 2.177 crore would be utilised to irrigate 1.59 lakh hectares of land, out of which 54,000 hectares would be irrigated by June 2007.
13/05/2007 - Suicide Train Slowing Down ?
Western Vidarbha :
VIDARBHA FARMERS SUICIDES REDUCED DRASTICALLY IS NOT TRUE-CHIEF MINISTER MISLEADING MEDIA-VJAS
FROM DESK OF
KISHOR TIWARI
Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti
vidarbha@gmail.com
contact-09422108846
NAGPUR - 13TH MAY 2007
It is reported by times news network that Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, said the number of farmers' suicides has reduced sharply from 61 in March last year to 16 for the same month this year.
According to the figures given by Deshmukh to the Prime Minister, 575 farmers had committed suicide due to agrarian crisis in the six worst-affected districts of Vidarbha in 2006 with the first three months accounting for 168 deaths.
During the first three months of this year 40 farmers have committed suicide in the six districts of Akola, Amravati, Buldhana, Wardha, Washim and Yavatmal.
While nine farmers committed suicide in January this year, the number has risen to 15 in February and 16 in March.
here is the news item
QUOTE
Farmers suicides reduced drastically: Maharashtra govt
13 May, 2007 l 1200 hrs ISTlPTI
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Farmers_suicides_reduced_drastically/articleshow/2040612.cms
NEW DELHI: The spate of farmers suicides in crisis-ridden Vidarbha of Maharashtra has drastically come down this year, the state government has claimed.
Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, said the number of farmers' suicides has reduced sharply from 61 in March last year to 16 for the same month this year.
According to the figures given by Deshmukh to the Prime Minister, 575 farmers had committed suicide due to agrarian crisis in the six worst-affected districts of Vidarbha in 2006 with the first three months accounting for 168 deaths.
During the first three months of this year 40 farmers have committed suicide in the six districts of Akola, Amravati, Buldhana, Wardha, Washim and Yavatmal.
While nine farmers committed suicide in January this year, the number has risen to 15 in February and 16 in March.
Singh had announced a special relief package of Rs 3,750 crore for the six districts where most suicides by farmers in distress were reported.
"The prime minister's relief package has helped a lot in providing succour to farmers in Vidarbha," Deshmukh said.
The package provides a waiver on interest on loans, rescheduling of loans, and greater thrust to irrigation, seed replacement, extension and subsidiary income facilities.
Interestingly, the Maharashtra government in an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court in connection with a PIL had accused the PMO of delay in release of funds to keep operational the relief schemes announced by Singh.
The allegation, that caused an embarrassment to Singh and the Congress, a senior partner in the coalition government in Maharashtra, were withdrawn later.
=====================
UNQUOTE
Vidarbha Jan Andolan samiti who is tracking vidarbha farm suicides and moved against maharashtra in mumbai high court and human right commission has claimed that this information provided by maharashtra chief minister to indian prime minister is purely bogus and misleading and it is completely contradicting to the own official figure of vidarbha farm suicides of their own web site ,he is the link
http://www.vnss-mission.gov.in/docs/suicide.pdf
(we are attaching this pdf file ready reference)
farm suicides in west official fig is for 2006 is 1448 and for 2007 is 295 now chief minister's claim that farm suicides in 2006 were 557 and now in 2007 it's only 168 is ridiculous and most unfortunate."suicide number is not important the important is govt. admission that in west vidarbha more than 13 lacs farm family are in deep distress and there is complete collapse of social and civil administration due support system failure.VJAS has demanded that now time has come to ask hostile chief minster of maharashtra vilasrao deshmukh to step down as face saving device for congress otherwise the situation in west vidarbha will lead anarchy, Kishor tiwari added.
KISHOR TIWARI
Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti
vidarbha@gmail.com
contact-09422108846
VIDARBHA FARMERS SUICIDES REDUCED DRASTICALLY IS NOT TRUE-CHIEF MINISTER MISLEADING MEDIA-VJAS
FROM DESK OF
KISHOR TIWARI
Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti
vidarbha@gmail.com
contact-09422108846
NAGPUR - 13TH MAY 2007
It is reported by times news network that Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, said the number of farmers' suicides has reduced sharply from 61 in March last year to 16 for the same month this year.
According to the figures given by Deshmukh to the Prime Minister, 575 farmers had committed suicide due to agrarian crisis in the six worst-affected districts of Vidarbha in 2006 with the first three months accounting for 168 deaths.
During the first three months of this year 40 farmers have committed suicide in the six districts of Akola, Amravati, Buldhana, Wardha, Washim and Yavatmal.
While nine farmers committed suicide in January this year, the number has risen to 15 in February and 16 in March.
here is the news item
QUOTE
Farmers suicides reduced drastically: Maharashtra govt
13 May, 2007 l 1200 hrs ISTlPTI
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Farmers_suicides_reduced_drastically/articleshow/2040612.cms
NEW DELHI: The spate of farmers suicides in crisis-ridden Vidarbha of Maharashtra has drastically come down this year, the state government has claimed.
Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, said the number of farmers' suicides has reduced sharply from 61 in March last year to 16 for the same month this year.
According to the figures given by Deshmukh to the Prime Minister, 575 farmers had committed suicide due to agrarian crisis in the six worst-affected districts of Vidarbha in 2006 with the first three months accounting for 168 deaths.
During the first three months of this year 40 farmers have committed suicide in the six districts of Akola, Amravati, Buldhana, Wardha, Washim and Yavatmal.
While nine farmers committed suicide in January this year, the number has risen to 15 in February and 16 in March.
Singh had announced a special relief package of Rs 3,750 crore for the six districts where most suicides by farmers in distress were reported.
"The prime minister's relief package has helped a lot in providing succour to farmers in Vidarbha," Deshmukh said.
The package provides a waiver on interest on loans, rescheduling of loans, and greater thrust to irrigation, seed replacement, extension and subsidiary income facilities.
Interestingly, the Maharashtra government in an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court in connection with a PIL had accused the PMO of delay in release of funds to keep operational the relief schemes announced by Singh.
The allegation, that caused an embarrassment to Singh and the Congress, a senior partner in the coalition government in Maharashtra, were withdrawn later.
=====================
UNQUOTE
Vidarbha Jan Andolan samiti who is tracking vidarbha farm suicides and moved against maharashtra in mumbai high court and human right commission has claimed that this information provided by maharashtra chief minister to indian prime minister is purely bogus and misleading and it is completely contradicting to the own official figure of vidarbha farm suicides of their own web site ,he is the link
http://www.vnss-mission.gov.in/docs/suicide.pdf
(we are attaching this pdf file ready reference)
farm suicides in west official fig is for 2006 is 1448 and for 2007 is 295 now chief minister's claim that farm suicides in 2006 were 557 and now in 2007 it's only 168 is ridiculous and most unfortunate."suicide number is not important the important is govt. admission that in west vidarbha more than 13 lacs farm family are in deep distress and there is complete collapse of social and civil administration due support system failure.VJAS has demanded that now time has come to ask hostile chief minster of maharashtra vilasrao deshmukh to step down as face saving device for congress otherwise the situation in west vidarbha will lead anarchy, Kishor tiwari added.
KISHOR TIWARI
Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti
vidarbha@gmail.com
contact-09422108846
11/05/2007 - Bt Cotton Failure
'Bt cotton has failed in Vidarbha'
11 May, 2007 l 0354 hrs IST lTIMES NEWS NETWORK
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Nagpur/Bt_cotton_has_failed_in_Vidarbha/articleshow/2030488.cms
SMS NEWS to 8888 for latest updates
NAGPUR: If any proof about failure of genetically modified Bt cotton in the main cotton growing area of Vidarbha was needed, it came on Wednesday from Maharashtra agriculture minister Balasaheb Thorat.
After a meeting with agriculture experts, officials, people's representatives for the coming Kharif season, Thorat admitted that the much-hyped, and high-priced Bt seeds were only adding to the burden of Vidarbha's farmers.
Thorat said the opening of Bt to more private companies was likely to bring down the prices and make it more affordable for farmers.
11 May, 2007 l 0354 hrs IST lTIMES NEWS NETWORK
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Nagpur/Bt_cotton_has_failed_in_Vidarbha/articleshow/2030488.cms
SMS NEWS to 8888 for latest updates
NAGPUR: If any proof about failure of genetically modified Bt cotton in the main cotton growing area of Vidarbha was needed, it came on Wednesday from Maharashtra agriculture minister Balasaheb Thorat.
After a meeting with agriculture experts, officials, people's representatives for the coming Kharif season, Thorat admitted that the much-hyped, and high-priced Bt seeds were only adding to the burden of Vidarbha's farmers.
Thorat said the opening of Bt to more private companies was likely to bring down the prices and make it more affordable for farmers.
11/05/2007
Western Vidarbha : CM Reaches Vidarbha
CM TO ATTEND EX-MINISTER'S SON MARRIAGE RECEPTION NOT TO REVIEW FARMERS' PACKAGES IN YAVATMAL - VJAS :
NAGPUR: 11TH MAY 11, 2007
VIDARBHA JAN ANDOLAN SAMITI TO STRONGLY CRITICISED MISUSE OF PUBLIC MONEY FOR ATTENDING MARRIAGE RECEPTION OF EX-MINISTER AND CONGRESS LEADER MANIKRAO THAKARE'S SON RAHUL WHO WAS MARRIED IN NAGPUR ON 10 TH AND HERE ALSO 20 MINISTER ATTENDED MARRIAGE AS THEY CAME REVIEW SO CALLED FARMER'S KHARIFF SEASON REVIEW .LAST YEAR TOO IN APRIL THEN CHIEF SECRETARY PREM KUMAR HAS ALSO ATTENDED MARRIAGE OF HIS UNDER SECTARY THAKARE'S DAUGHTER THIS TIME TOO WHOLE MANTRALAYA RUSHED TO NAGPUR FOR REVIEW MEETING OF FARMER'S PACKAGE . NOW IT HAS BEEN ESTABLISH TREND IN MAHARASHTRA GOVT. FOR ATTENDING ANY MARRIAGE OR PRIVATE FUNCTION FARMER'S SUICIDE PACKAGE REVIEW MEETING IS CALLED BUT AS THERE IS NO FUND AVAILABLE SINCE JULY-2006 AFTER PRIME MINISTER ANNOUNCED IT, WHAT THE HELL THERE ARE REVIEWING, KISHOR TIWARI FARM ACTIVIST AND VJAS LEADER ASKED CHIEF MINISTER VILASRAO DESHMUKH.
ONCE THE PRIME COTTON GROWING DISTRICT WITH THE LARGEST AREA UNDER ITS CULTIVATION, NOW LARGEST NUMBER OF SUICIDES ARE REPORTED FROM THERE AMONG THE SIX COTTON GROWING DISTRICTS OF THE REGION.
AS PER RECENT REPORTS IT IS INDICATED THAT THROUGH THE SPECIAL PACKAGE ANNOUNCED BY PRIME MINISTER MANMOHAN SINGH ON JULY 1 LAST AND THE CM'S PACKAGE UNVEILED MONTHS BEFORE THAT, OVER 12 LAKH FARMERS IN THE SIX DISTRESSED DISTRICTS WERE PROMISED A RELIEF OF OVER RS 5000 CRORE. EVEN AS A CONTROVERSY IS RAGING AFTER JOINT SECRETARY (RELIEF AND REHABILITATION) PRAVEEN SHRIVASTAV'S FILING OF AN AFFIDAVIT CLAIMING POOR FUNDS FLOW, THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF THE RELIEF MISSION (VASANTRAO NAIK SHETKARI SWAWALAMBAN MISSION) INDICATES THAT ONLY ABOUT RS 38 CRORE OF THE PROMISED FUNDS FOR LOAN WAIVER TO FARMERS HAS BEEN RELEASED BY THE CENTRE.
WHILE VIDARBHA JAN ANDOLAN SAMITI CONVENER KISHOR TIWARI ALLEGED THAT FUNDS FLOW CONTINUED TO BE VERY POOR ON IRRIGATION PROJECTS AS WELL AS QUALITY SEEDS DISTRIBUTION PROGRAMME UNDER THE PACKAGE
IN ORDER TO SHOW THAT FARMERS SUICIDES HAVE BEEN SLOW DOWN AS A RESULT OF IMPLEMENTATION NON-FUNCTIONAL VIDARBHA RELIEF PACKAGE OUR OF 346 FARM SUICIDES REPORTED IN WEST VIDARBHA LOCAL ADMINISTRATION HAS REJECTED ALL MOST 300 CASES CLAIMING TO BE THE SUICIDE DUE TO NON-AGRARIAN REASONS . IT'S REALLY INSULT OF HUMANITY ADMINISTRATION IS REJECTING RELIEF AID TO FARM WIDOWS AND OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS WHO ARE FACING STARVATION ONLY TO SHOW FALSE DATA TO THE WORLD THAT VIDARBHA FARM SUICIDES ARE UNDER CONTROL, KISHOR TIWARI ADDED.
TOTAL FAILURE RURAL HEALTH CARE, EMPLOYMENT AND SOCIAL CUM CIVIL ADMINISTRATION ARE THE MAIN REASONS OF FARMER'S SUICIDES IN WEST VIDARBHA AND DR.SUDHIR GOYAL HIMSELF HAS ASKED INDIAN GOVT. THAT LOW COST SUSTAINABLE FARMING IS ONLY SOLUTION OF STOP THESE SUICIDES. BAN ON BT. COTTON AND CHEMICAL FARMING IS NEED OF HOUR AND COTTON FARMERS SHOULD CULTIVATE THERE THAN COTTON SHOULD THE PROGRAMME OF THE STATE THE OFFICIAL FURTHER DEMANDS. RESTORATION SECONDARY SYSTEMS LIKE RURAL EMPLOYMENT, HEALTH IS ALSO NEEDED TO STOP THESE ON GOING SUICIDES BUT NOBODY IS ACTING IN THIS DIRECTION MORE OVER MISLEADING PRESS RELEASES ARE ADDING FUEL TO EXTREMELY CRITICAL SITUATION IN VIDARBHA ,KISHOR TIWARI IN FORMED
CM TO ATTEND EX-MINISTER'S SON MARRIAGE RECEPTION NOT TO REVIEW FARMERS' PACKAGES IN YAVATMAL - VJAS :
NAGPUR: 11TH MAY 11, 2007
VIDARBHA JAN ANDOLAN SAMITI TO STRONGLY CRITICISED MISUSE OF PUBLIC MONEY FOR ATTENDING MARRIAGE RECEPTION OF EX-MINISTER AND CONGRESS LEADER MANIKRAO THAKARE'S SON RAHUL WHO WAS MARRIED IN NAGPUR ON 10 TH AND HERE ALSO 20 MINISTER ATTENDED MARRIAGE AS THEY CAME REVIEW SO CALLED FARMER'S KHARIFF SEASON REVIEW .LAST YEAR TOO IN APRIL THEN CHIEF SECRETARY PREM KUMAR HAS ALSO ATTENDED MARRIAGE OF HIS UNDER SECTARY THAKARE'S DAUGHTER THIS TIME TOO WHOLE MANTRALAYA RUSHED TO NAGPUR FOR REVIEW MEETING OF FARMER'S PACKAGE . NOW IT HAS BEEN ESTABLISH TREND IN MAHARASHTRA GOVT. FOR ATTENDING ANY MARRIAGE OR PRIVATE FUNCTION FARMER'S SUICIDE PACKAGE REVIEW MEETING IS CALLED BUT AS THERE IS NO FUND AVAILABLE SINCE JULY-2006 AFTER PRIME MINISTER ANNOUNCED IT, WHAT THE HELL THERE ARE REVIEWING, KISHOR TIWARI FARM ACTIVIST AND VJAS LEADER ASKED CHIEF MINISTER VILASRAO DESHMUKH.
ONCE THE PRIME COTTON GROWING DISTRICT WITH THE LARGEST AREA UNDER ITS CULTIVATION, NOW LARGEST NUMBER OF SUICIDES ARE REPORTED FROM THERE AMONG THE SIX COTTON GROWING DISTRICTS OF THE REGION.
AS PER RECENT REPORTS IT IS INDICATED THAT THROUGH THE SPECIAL PACKAGE ANNOUNCED BY PRIME MINISTER MANMOHAN SINGH ON JULY 1 LAST AND THE CM'S PACKAGE UNVEILED MONTHS BEFORE THAT, OVER 12 LAKH FARMERS IN THE SIX DISTRESSED DISTRICTS WERE PROMISED A RELIEF OF OVER RS 5000 CRORE. EVEN AS A CONTROVERSY IS RAGING AFTER JOINT SECRETARY (RELIEF AND REHABILITATION) PRAVEEN SHRIVASTAV'S FILING OF AN AFFIDAVIT CLAIMING POOR FUNDS FLOW, THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF THE RELIEF MISSION (VASANTRAO NAIK SHETKARI SWAWALAMBAN MISSION) INDICATES THAT ONLY ABOUT RS 38 CRORE OF THE PROMISED FUNDS FOR LOAN WAIVER TO FARMERS HAS BEEN RELEASED BY THE CENTRE.
WHILE VIDARBHA JAN ANDOLAN SAMITI CONVENER KISHOR TIWARI ALLEGED THAT FUNDS FLOW CONTINUED TO BE VERY POOR ON IRRIGATION PROJECTS AS WELL AS QUALITY SEEDS DISTRIBUTION PROGRAMME UNDER THE PACKAGE
IN ORDER TO SHOW THAT FARMERS SUICIDES HAVE BEEN SLOW DOWN AS A RESULT OF IMPLEMENTATION NON-FUNCTIONAL VIDARBHA RELIEF PACKAGE OUR OF 346 FARM SUICIDES REPORTED IN WEST VIDARBHA LOCAL ADMINISTRATION HAS REJECTED ALL MOST 300 CASES CLAIMING TO BE THE SUICIDE DUE TO NON-AGRARIAN REASONS . IT'S REALLY INSULT OF HUMANITY ADMINISTRATION IS REJECTING RELIEF AID TO FARM WIDOWS AND OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS WHO ARE FACING STARVATION ONLY TO SHOW FALSE DATA TO THE WORLD THAT VIDARBHA FARM SUICIDES ARE UNDER CONTROL, KISHOR TIWARI ADDED.
TOTAL FAILURE RURAL HEALTH CARE, EMPLOYMENT AND SOCIAL CUM CIVIL ADMINISTRATION ARE THE MAIN REASONS OF FARMER'S SUICIDES IN WEST VIDARBHA AND DR.SUDHIR GOYAL HIMSELF HAS ASKED INDIAN GOVT. THAT LOW COST SUSTAINABLE FARMING IS ONLY SOLUTION OF STOP THESE SUICIDES. BAN ON BT. COTTON AND CHEMICAL FARMING IS NEED OF HOUR AND COTTON FARMERS SHOULD CULTIVATE THERE THAN COTTON SHOULD THE PROGRAMME OF THE STATE THE OFFICIAL FURTHER DEMANDS. RESTORATION SECONDARY SYSTEMS LIKE RURAL EMPLOYMENT, HEALTH IS ALSO NEEDED TO STOP THESE ON GOING SUICIDES BUT NOBODY IS ACTING IN THIS DIRECTION MORE OVER MISLEADING PRESS RELEASES ARE ADDING FUEL TO EXTREMELY CRITICAL SITUATION IN VIDARBHA ,KISHOR TIWARI IN FORMED
10/05/2007
Western Vidarbha :
Chief Minister Deshmukh to review Prime Minister Vidarbha Farmers' packages in Yavatmal ?
[10 May, 2007 l 0421 hrs ISTl Ramu Bhagwat lTIMES NEWS NETWORK]
SMS NEWS to 8888 for latest updates
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Nagpur/CM_to_review_farmers_packages_in_Yavatmal/articleshow/2024327.cms
NAGPUR: During his day-long Vidarbha visit on Saturday next, chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh is scheduled to review implementation of the special relief packages for farmers in Yavatmal district, considered to be ground zero of the region's suicide belt.
In the last six years, over 800 farmers have ended their lives in the district.
Once the prime cotton growing district with the largest area under its cultivation, now largest number of suicides are reported from there among the six cotton growing districts of the region.
Through the special package announced by prime minister Manmohan Singh on July 1 last and the CM's package unveiled months before that, over 12 lakh farmers in the six distressed districts were promised a relief of over Rs 5000 crore.
Even as a controversy is raging after joint secretary (relief and rehabilitation) Praveen Shrivastav's filing of an affidavit claiming poor funds flow, the official website of the relief mission (Vasantrao Naik Shetkari Swawalamban Mission) indicates that only about Rs 38 crore of the promised funds for loan waiver to farmers has been released by the Centre.
The chart in the website claims it is updated up to April 30. However, VNSS director general and Amravati divisional commissioner Sudhir Goel told ToI that the balance amount of around Rs 350 crore was credited by March 31 and he was informed about it during meeting on Tuesday in New Delhi with the PMO officials.
While Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti convener Kishor Tiwari alleged that funds flow continued to be very poor on irrigation projects as well as quality seeds distribution programme under the package, Goel said the state had spent the targeted amount and was to reimbursed by the Centre. He denied that package implementation was suffering for want of funds.
Chief Minister Deshmukh to review Prime Minister Vidarbha Farmers' packages in Yavatmal ?
[10 May, 2007 l 0421 hrs ISTl Ramu Bhagwat lTIMES NEWS NETWORK]
SMS NEWS to 8888 for latest updates
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Nagpur/CM_to_review_farmers_packages_in_Yavatmal/articleshow/2024327.cms
NAGPUR: During his day-long Vidarbha visit on Saturday next, chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh is scheduled to review implementation of the special relief packages for farmers in Yavatmal district, considered to be ground zero of the region's suicide belt.
In the last six years, over 800 farmers have ended their lives in the district.
Once the prime cotton growing district with the largest area under its cultivation, now largest number of suicides are reported from there among the six cotton growing districts of the region.
Through the special package announced by prime minister Manmohan Singh on July 1 last and the CM's package unveiled months before that, over 12 lakh farmers in the six distressed districts were promised a relief of over Rs 5000 crore.
Even as a controversy is raging after joint secretary (relief and rehabilitation) Praveen Shrivastav's filing of an affidavit claiming poor funds flow, the official website of the relief mission (Vasantrao Naik Shetkari Swawalamban Mission) indicates that only about Rs 38 crore of the promised funds for loan waiver to farmers has been released by the Centre.
The chart in the website claims it is updated up to April 30. However, VNSS director general and Amravati divisional commissioner Sudhir Goel told ToI that the balance amount of around Rs 350 crore was credited by March 31 and he was informed about it during meeting on Tuesday in New Delhi with the PMO officials.
While Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti convener Kishor Tiwari alleged that funds flow continued to be very poor on irrigation projects as well as quality seeds distribution programme under the package, Goel said the state had spent the targeted amount and was to reimbursed by the Centre. He denied that package implementation was suffering for want of funds.
Wednesday 9 May 2007
08/05/2007
Western Vidarbha :
1. TANAJI MAHAU LUNGE OF MANJAR JAWALA IN YAVATMAL
2. DILIP BALIRAM BAVASKAR OF PINJAR IN AKOLA
3. HARIBHAU PARASRAM BONDRE OF CHATARA IN BHANDARA
4. JIVAN SUDAM ADE OF DHANORA IN YAVATMAL
5. SHARVAN WALGUJI HANDE IN ARVI-LAHAN IN WARDHA
6. SAHEBRAO BALIRAM KHALBALKAR IN AKOLA
Farmers Suicides : Year 2007 - Vidarbha - GM Cotton
Total farmers in May : 21
Reported Suicides : 371
JAN - 70
FEB - 88
MARCH - 97
APRIL 95
MAY - 21
Bt Cotton seeds, Bollgard, Dryland farming, black cotton soil, hard working farmers, media sensitive philosophical bureaucrats, urban economists, callous politicians in Nagpur, Mumbai, Delhi.
-----
Data and Figures :
Indian rural distress - Political economy of Indian Agriculture and Cotton Farmers of Maharashtra, western Vidarbha.
Six Blind Men of Hindoostan :
The Buddhist story of six blind men of Hindustan, often disparagingly referred to by British colonial writers as applying to the Indian inability to govern themselves, is being repeated in modern day Indian agriculture, despite large scale media firefighting at the level of Indian Prime Minister, Agriculture Minister, PMO office, Maharashtra government and local cotton buying federations, banks, traders.
Year 2007, record sowing of Bollgard Cotton seeds has been reported even though Indian banks have not been advancing loans to defaulter farmers.
This situation is caused by seeds companies appointing an elaborate chain / network of distributors who are giving credit to distressed and indebted farmers.
The exact nature of economic arrangements, between farmers and these local money lenders is not regulated by Indian Agriculture Ministry or by the concerned local Relief and Rehabilitation officials posted in Maharashtra.
No guidelines regarding Bt Cotton sowing or advice to farmers regarding Crop Insurance has been issued by concerned government officials.
1. TANAJI MAHAU LUNGE OF MANJAR JAWALA IN YAVATMAL
2. DILIP BALIRAM BAVASKAR OF PINJAR IN AKOLA
3. HARIBHAU PARASRAM BONDRE OF CHATARA IN BHANDARA
4. JIVAN SUDAM ADE OF DHANORA IN YAVATMAL
5. SHARVAN WALGUJI HANDE IN ARVI-LAHAN IN WARDHA
6. SAHEBRAO BALIRAM KHALBALKAR IN AKOLA
Farmers Suicides : Year 2007 - Vidarbha - GM Cotton
Total farmers in May : 21
Reported Suicides : 371
JAN - 70
FEB - 88
MARCH - 97
APRIL 95
MAY - 21
Bt Cotton seeds, Bollgard, Dryland farming, black cotton soil, hard working farmers, media sensitive philosophical bureaucrats, urban economists, callous politicians in Nagpur, Mumbai, Delhi.
-----
Data and Figures :
Indian rural distress - Political economy of Indian Agriculture and Cotton Farmers of Maharashtra, western Vidarbha.
Six Blind Men of Hindoostan :
The Buddhist story of six blind men of Hindustan, often disparagingly referred to by British colonial writers as applying to the Indian inability to govern themselves, is being repeated in modern day Indian agriculture, despite large scale media firefighting at the level of Indian Prime Minister, Agriculture Minister, PMO office, Maharashtra government and local cotton buying federations, banks, traders.
Year 2007, record sowing of Bollgard Cotton seeds has been reported even though Indian banks have not been advancing loans to defaulter farmers.
This situation is caused by seeds companies appointing an elaborate chain / network of distributors who are giving credit to distressed and indebted farmers.
The exact nature of economic arrangements, between farmers and these local money lenders is not regulated by Indian Agriculture Ministry or by the concerned local Relief and Rehabilitation officials posted in Maharashtra.
No guidelines regarding Bt Cotton sowing or advice to farmers regarding Crop Insurance has been issued by concerned government officials.
Tuesday 8 May 2007
Anti PMO Affidavit - Lunch Break
The anti PMO office affidavit filed by Maharshtra government is producing bureaucratic stresses and strains now, as per this Times of India report from Prafulla Marpakwar ITNN
Vidarbha Package is fast becoming an orphan that nobody wants to keep. It is becoming too hot for politicians and bureaucrats to handle and the blame game has started in earnest, while the Sensex Minister and Cricket Minister take a nap.
Quote -
Anti-PMO affidavit : Joint Secy goes on leave - by Prafulla Marpakwar I TNN
Please click on the following link to read the TOI news item :
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=TkdUT0kvMjAwNy8wNS8wOCNBcjAwNDAw&Mode=HTML&Locale=english-skin-custom
Email : prafulla .marpakwar@ timesgroup.com
Mumbai \ Nagpur : A day after Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh approved a proposal to conduct a departmental inquiry against Pravin Srivastava for filing an affidavit against the PMO, the Joint Secretary (Relief and Rehabilitation) has proceeded on long leave to participate in a 'vipasyana' camp.
Though Srivastava, an Indian Forest Service (IFS) official, was not available for comment, his office confirmed that he had proceeded on leave to participate in a meditation camp. Significantly, a section of Mantralaya officials expressed the view that Srivastava was being made a scapegoat.
Following a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by a New Delhi-based lawyer over the failure of more than half a dozen states, including Maharashtra, to tackle the agrarian crisis, the apex court had asked the state chief secretary to file a comprehensive affidavit on the steps taken by the state government, particularly to tackle the farmers' suicides in Vidarbha.
In its affidavit, besides submitting adequate information on the relief measures taken by the state, the government also blamed the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) for delay in releasing the promised financial assistance. It also mentioned that since there was delay on the part of the PMO in providing the funds for PM's special package for Vidarbha, the state government had to make alternate arrangements for the purpose.
The PMO was so irked by the affidavit that it not only ordered a probe into it, but also asked sleuths from the Intelligence Bureau to obtain information from the relief and rehabilitation department regarding the financial assistance provided to farmers from the Vidarbha region, which the Prime Minister had personally visited.
Deshmukh and the then chief secretary D K Sankaran also took note of the anti-PMO affidavit. While they submitted a clarification to the PMO, an internal probe was also initiated to find out how such an affidavit had been filed, since it had the approval of relief and rehabilitation secretary B P Pandey and Sankaran. In fact, the anti-PMO affidavit proved costly for Sankaran, who could not get an extension after his retirement on April 30.
An internal probe revealed that the affidavit was drafted by Srivastava and later approved by Pandey and Sankaran. However, before filing the affidavit in the apex court, Srivastava had made drastic changes to it, but had not shown the same to Pandey and Sankaran. Apparently, when Pandey took Srivastava to task for exceeding his brief, Srivastava tendered an unconditional apology.
On the basis of Srivastava's apology, Pandey moved a proposal for his departmental probe, which was approved by the new chief secretary, Johny Joseph, and Deshmukh. Significantly, the proposal has been approved a day before PMO principal secretary T K K Nair has convened a special meeting to review the PM's package for Vidarbha.
-- Unquote
Vidarbha Package is fast becoming an orphan that nobody wants to keep. It is becoming too hot for politicians and bureaucrats to handle and the blame game has started in earnest, while the Sensex Minister and Cricket Minister take a nap.
Quote -
Anti-PMO affidavit : Joint Secy goes on leave - by Prafulla Marpakwar I TNN
Please click on the following link to read the TOI news item :
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=TkdUT0kvMjAwNy8wNS8wOCNBcjAwNDAw&Mode=HTML&Locale=english-skin-custom
Email : prafulla .marpakwar@ timesgroup.com
Mumbai \ Nagpur : A day after Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh approved a proposal to conduct a departmental inquiry against Pravin Srivastava for filing an affidavit against the PMO, the Joint Secretary (Relief and Rehabilitation) has proceeded on long leave to participate in a 'vipasyana' camp.
Though Srivastava, an Indian Forest Service (IFS) official, was not available for comment, his office confirmed that he had proceeded on leave to participate in a meditation camp. Significantly, a section of Mantralaya officials expressed the view that Srivastava was being made a scapegoat.
Following a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by a New Delhi-based lawyer over the failure of more than half a dozen states, including Maharashtra, to tackle the agrarian crisis, the apex court had asked the state chief secretary to file a comprehensive affidavit on the steps taken by the state government, particularly to tackle the farmers' suicides in Vidarbha.
In its affidavit, besides submitting adequate information on the relief measures taken by the state, the government also blamed the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) for delay in releasing the promised financial assistance. It also mentioned that since there was delay on the part of the PMO in providing the funds for PM's special package for Vidarbha, the state government had to make alternate arrangements for the purpose.
The PMO was so irked by the affidavit that it not only ordered a probe into it, but also asked sleuths from the Intelligence Bureau to obtain information from the relief and rehabilitation department regarding the financial assistance provided to farmers from the Vidarbha region, which the Prime Minister had personally visited.
Deshmukh and the then chief secretary D K Sankaran also took note of the anti-PMO affidavit. While they submitted a clarification to the PMO, an internal probe was also initiated to find out how such an affidavit had been filed, since it had the approval of relief and rehabilitation secretary B P Pandey and Sankaran. In fact, the anti-PMO affidavit proved costly for Sankaran, who could not get an extension after his retirement on April 30.
An internal probe revealed that the affidavit was drafted by Srivastava and later approved by Pandey and Sankaran. However, before filing the affidavit in the apex court, Srivastava had made drastic changes to it, but had not shown the same to Pandey and Sankaran. Apparently, when Pandey took Srivastava to task for exceeding his brief, Srivastava tendered an unconditional apology.
On the basis of Srivastava's apology, Pandey moved a proposal for his departmental probe, which was approved by the new chief secretary, Johny Joseph, and Deshmukh. Significantly, the proposal has been approved a day before PMO principal secretary T K K Nair has convened a special meeting to review the PM's package for Vidarbha.
-- Unquote
Monday 7 May 2007
Andhra Pradesh - Thousand Rupees Debt ? Visit Jail
In Andhra Pradesh - After a lull of some years, farmers are being jailed for debt in Andhra Pradesh. Even those in drought-hit districts who cannot repay their loans. Farm unions see the banks as driving a dangerous and explosive process which lets off crorepati defaulters but jails bankrupt farmers owing a few thousand rupees.
Story in The Hindu by P Sainath - grandson of former President of Indian Shri V V GiriM. Nallapa Reddy, an Anantapur farmer in his Sixties who was jailed when he failed to repay his bank debt in full. Other farmers in Andhra Pradesh appear to be in similar trouble.
More - Date: 05/05/2007 -http://www.thehindu.com/2007/05/05/stories/2007050507911100.htm
Story in The Hindu by P Sainath - grandson of former President of Indian Shri V V GiriM. Nallapa Reddy, an Anantapur farmer in his Sixties who was jailed when he failed to repay his bank debt in full. Other farmers in Andhra Pradesh appear to be in similar trouble.
More - Date: 05/05/2007 -http://www.thehindu.com/2007/05/05/stories/2007050507911100.htm
Thursday 3 May 2007
Banda Varanasi - Frontline Story by Annie Zaidi
UP Weavers - Frontline Story by Annie Zaidi Varanasi
Deprivation - Hunger and Deaths in Uttar Pradesh - The Living dead - story by Annie Zaidi, Frontline, Hindu :
...
Yet the State of Uttar Pradesh does not seem to have quite understood the connection between hunger and death. The crisis brewing in its belly, which the State has not acknowledged publicly so far, has claimed hundreds of lives already.
One of them, nine-month-old Seema, died in July 2006 at Belwa village in Varanasi district. Her grandmother Manni Musahar said they had nothing to eat and no money. Seema's mother Lakshmina tried to barter her wedding sari for grain. But before that her baby died. The sari had to be pawned anyway, for Rs.100. ...
http://www.flonnet.com/fl2406/stories/20070406002911100.htm
Deprivation - Hunger and Deaths in Uttar Pradesh - The Living dead - story by Annie Zaidi, Frontline, Hindu :
...
Yet the State of Uttar Pradesh does not seem to have quite understood the connection between hunger and death. The crisis brewing in its belly, which the State has not acknowledged publicly so far, has claimed hundreds of lives already.
One of them, nine-month-old Seema, died in July 2006 at Belwa village in Varanasi district. Her grandmother Manni Musahar said they had nothing to eat and no money. Seema's mother Lakshmina tried to barter her wedding sari for grain. But before that her baby died. The sari had to be pawned anyway, for Rs.100. ...
http://www.flonnet.com/fl2406/stories/20070406002911100.htm
Wednesday 2 May 2007
01/05/2007
Western Vidarbha :
1. RAMBHAU SAKHARAM KHATE, YAVALI, YAVATMAL
2. VASUDEORAO MAHADEV POTRAJWAR, SHRIRAMPUR, YAVATMAL
3. SUNIL MAHADEV BHAGAT, HUSANAPUR, WARDHA
4. PRADIP RAMCHANDRA MASKE, RENUKAPUR, WARDHA
5. GAJANAN MAHSAJI SHINDE, AALLYA, BULDHANA
1. RAMBHAU SAKHARAM KHATE, YAVALI, YAVATMAL
2. VASUDEORAO MAHADEV POTRAJWAR, SHRIRAMPUR, YAVATMAL
3. SUNIL MAHADEV BHAGAT, HUSANAPUR, WARDHA
4. PRADIP RAMCHANDRA MASKE, RENUKAPUR, WARDHA
5. GAJANAN MAHSAJI SHINDE, AALLYA, BULDHANA
Tuesday 1 May 2007
VJAS Demands BT Cotton Sowing Intervention Vidarbha
VJAS DEMANDS BAN ON Bt. COTTON BOLLGARD - II IN VIDARBHA :
After the landmark mass sowing permission, by GEAC in June 2005, for Bt Cotton in Vidarbha, more than 2230 cotton farmers suicides have been reported and govt. of maharashtra has compensated cotton growers Rs. 219 core and Rs. 210 crore in the year 2005-2006 and year 2006-2007 for the failure of Bt.cotton in rain fed area of Vidarbha.
Maharashtra govt. has on record admitted that Bt. Cotton has failed in rain fed areas of Vidarbha, whereas 95% area of vidarbha is rain fed.
Now Bt.cotton seeds manufacturing, American company, has introduced Bollgard - II.
For promoting the Bt cotton seeds in Vidarbha, the company, with an elaborate network of Indian seed distributors and dealers, has started its high profile advertising campaign, backed by credit incentives - that it is highly profitable and gives minimum 11 quintal productive yield, where as according to govt. of maharashtra official report the cotton average yield has been dropped down from 120 kg per acre to hardly 50 kg per acre after introduction of Bt.cotton in vidarbha.
The advertising slogan catch line is "your farming, your profits"....
The claims made by the Monsanto company were patently fraudulent, as cotton growers pesticide uses was not dropped down where cotton output was drastically effected resulting mass suicides of cotton farmers in Vidarbha, Kishor tiwari added.
The Indian government is more busy at this time setting its cricket team into good shape for the next World Cup rather than rectifying the wrong decisions of GEAC regarding poor judgement in cropping and sowing patterns in Indian agriculture as a whole.
What a mockery of an Agriculture Ministry.
Total Failure of Rural health care support system, employment and social cum civil administration are the main reasons of farmer's suicides in west vidarbha.
Dr. Sudhir Goyal, IAS, who is Relief Commissionor, and implementing prime minister package himself has asked Indian govt. that low cost sustainable farming is only solution of stop these suicides.
The officials are more busy trying to show that there is no agrarian distress on Indian farms.
Ban on Bt. Cotton and chemical farming is need of hour, and cotton farmers should cultivate there than cotton should the programme of the state the official further demands. Restoration secondary systems like rural employment, health is also needed to stop these on going suicides but nobody is acting in this direction more over misleading press releases are adding fuel to extremely critical situation in vidarbha, as per Kishor Tiwari of VJAS.
After the landmark mass sowing permission, by GEAC in June 2005, for Bt Cotton in Vidarbha, more than 2230 cotton farmers suicides have been reported and govt. of maharashtra has compensated cotton growers Rs. 219 core and Rs. 210 crore in the year 2005-2006 and year 2006-2007 for the failure of Bt.cotton in rain fed area of Vidarbha.
Maharashtra govt. has on record admitted that Bt. Cotton has failed in rain fed areas of Vidarbha, whereas 95% area of vidarbha is rain fed.
Now Bt.cotton seeds manufacturing, American company, has introduced Bollgard - II.
For promoting the Bt cotton seeds in Vidarbha, the company, with an elaborate network of Indian seed distributors and dealers, has started its high profile advertising campaign, backed by credit incentives - that it is highly profitable and gives minimum 11 quintal productive yield, where as according to govt. of maharashtra official report the cotton average yield has been dropped down from 120 kg per acre to hardly 50 kg per acre after introduction of Bt.cotton in vidarbha.
The advertising slogan catch line is "your farming, your profits"....
The claims made by the Monsanto company were patently fraudulent, as cotton growers pesticide uses was not dropped down where cotton output was drastically effected resulting mass suicides of cotton farmers in Vidarbha, Kishor tiwari added.
The Indian government is more busy at this time setting its cricket team into good shape for the next World Cup rather than rectifying the wrong decisions of GEAC regarding poor judgement in cropping and sowing patterns in Indian agriculture as a whole.
What a mockery of an Agriculture Ministry.
Total Failure of Rural health care support system, employment and social cum civil administration are the main reasons of farmer's suicides in west vidarbha.
Dr. Sudhir Goyal, IAS, who is Relief Commissionor, and implementing prime minister package himself has asked Indian govt. that low cost sustainable farming is only solution of stop these suicides.
The officials are more busy trying to show that there is no agrarian distress on Indian farms.
Ban on Bt. Cotton and chemical farming is need of hour, and cotton farmers should cultivate there than cotton should the programme of the state the official further demands. Restoration secondary systems like rural employment, health is also needed to stop these on going suicides but nobody is acting in this direction more over misleading press releases are adding fuel to extremely critical situation in vidarbha, as per Kishor Tiwari of VJAS.
BT Cotton - 2007 Mass Sowing Again in India
Indian Agriculture Ministry Bystander in BT Cotton Sowing Plans of 2007 -
THE RECORD 350 COTTON FARMERS SUICIDES IN VIDARBHA : IT'S ONCE AGAIN BT COTTON MASS SOWING IN VIDARBHA
Nagpur, 01 MAY 2007 :
The cotton growing area of western Vidarbha under severe agrarian crisis, has recorded 350 farm suicides, in first four months of 2007.
However, there is no drop in sowing of high failure bt. Cotton in this region as it is reported locally that this year area covered under bt. Cotton sowing is likely to be doubled from 8 lacs hectares to 16 lac hectares.
Why ?
All seed traders, cum money lenders, are giving BT Cotton seeds on credit to these debt trapped farmers, after more than 95% cotton farmers failed to repay crop loan this year, due poor cotton crop, and drop in market rate of sold cotton.
Government machinery and Indian bankers, are not giving fresh loans to defaulter cotton farmers where as Monsanto is giving huge credit and lucrative schemes to seed traders and they, in turn, are forcing innocent cotton farmers to purchase these failure prone BT Cotton seed.
Local government administration has reported this fact to Indian Govt. but everybody is turning blind eye as American genetically modified seed giant Monsanto has protection from US Agriculture Department, where as in India, Agriculture Minister and Cricket Minister of India Bhau Sharad Pawar is patron of this company in India, as infomed by Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti in press note released today.
VJAS has been demanding complete ban on bt. Cotton in west vidarbha as now it's official that bt. Cotton has been failed in rainfed area and in all most all 95% area is rain fed and farmers has to depend upon monsoon which is not regular and small and marginal farmers are suffering from massive economic losses due to frequent failure of bt. cotton and majority of 2500 cotton farmers suicides reported since June 2005 are small and marginal farmers who opted bt. Cotton seed in rain fed area, Kishor Tiwari of vjas added.
THE MISLEADING TABLE OF SHOWN IN ADVT. OF BOLLGARDII IS LIKE THIS :
BOLLGARDII
BOLLGARD
BOGUS BT.
HYBRID COTTON
COST OF SEED PER BAG :
(450GMS)
RS.1350
RS.750
RS.500
RS.400
COST OF FERTILIZER :
RS.1150
RS.1150
RS.1150
RS.1150
COST OF PESTICIDE :
RS.450
RS.450
RS.900
RS.1200
OTHER COSTS :
RS.1500
RS.1500
RS.1000
RS.1200
TOTAL INPUT COST :
RS.4500
RS.3850
RS.3550
RS.3950
PRODUCTION COST :
RS.1100
RS.900
RS.500
RS.500
PRODUCTION EXPECTED :
1100 KG.
900 KG.
500KG.
500KG.
OUTPUT COST :
RS.2000
RS.2000
RS.2000
RS.2000
TOTAL INCOME PER ACRE :
RS.22000
RS.18000
RS.10000
RS.10000
PROFIT PER ACRE :
RS.17550
RS.14150
RS.6450
RS.6050
HERE IS OFFICIAL DATA OF BT. COTTON FAILURE IN LAST THREE YEARS :
KHARIFF-YEAR
COTTON PRODUCTION IN QUINTALS
COTTON RATE
COTTON PRODUCTION PER HECTOR
SEED COST PER HECTOR
PESTICIDE COST PER HECTOR
2002-03
310 LACS
RS.2700
380KG
RS.1100
RS.1200
2003-04
260 LACS
RS.2500
340KG
RS.1200
RS.1400
2004-05
210 LACS
RS.2500
390KG
RS.1350
RS.1300
2005-06
180 LACS
RS.1780
190KG
RS.9600
RS.1650
2006-07
134 LACS
RS.1890
160KG
RS.5600
RS.1350
VJAS has demanded that Government of India should ban bollgardII Bt cotton in Vidarbha to stop on going farm suicides, agrarian distress and farm debts.
In year 2007, record 350 vidarbha farmers suicides reported (JAN-70, FEB-88, MARCH -97 APRIL 95) that has exposed local administration that package implementation has dropped down the farm suicides in vidarbha by 50% as farm suicide figure of this year since Jan to April is all most double and farm suicides in vidarbha are daily increasing but administration is using official media to mislead the world that vidarbha farm suicides are on decline as maharashtra govt. on it's own website ;
http://www.vnss-mission.gov.in/docs/suicide.pdf
has put the information that exposes this claims as wrong one as vidarbha farm suicides in last three year are on record high and vidarbha Jan andolan samiti has given the reference of their own web site official data, which is like this
OFFICIAL FIGURE OF FARM SUICIDES IN SIX DISTRICT OF WEST VIDARBHA :
http://www.vnss-mission.gov.in/docs/suicide.pdf
FARM SUICIDE AND YEAR
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007 TILL APRIL
SUICIDE IN YEAR
49
105
143
441
560
1427
350
THIS FIGURE OF SUICIDE ARE FROM SIX DISTRICTS i.e. YAVATMAL,AMARAVATI,AKOLA,WARDHA,WASHIM,BULDHANA OF VIDARBHA AND ARE FROM GOVT. WEBSITE :
http://www.vnss-mission.gov.in/docs/suicide.pdf
RECORD SUICIDE AFTER PRIME MINISTER RELIEF PACKAGE ANNOUNCEMENT :
Dr. Man Mohan Singh, reputed Oxbridge economist, and Indian Prime minister, visited Vidarbha on 1 st July 2006 and announced Rs.3750 crore package to the cotton farmers of six districts, but official record says that there record increase in cotton farmers suicides after this package announcement as govt. of maharashtra has officially admitted 1534 farmers suicides after 1 st July 2007 as this suicide figure is all most equal to suicide figure of last decade and this fact is known to govt. officials very well.
Bureaucratic officials in charge of agriculture and relief in Maharashtraa, are saying that suicide are declining and after the trumpeted relief package, suicide rate has come down to 50%, this is matter of shame Kishor tiwari added.
Govt. of Maharashtra has selected Dr. Sudhir Goyal, Relief Commissioner to clarify this misleading suicide data as same relief commissioner has put govt. official survey which shows that 75% of 1.7 million farmers are in distress, and more that 4 lacs 34 thousands cotton farmers, are in deep distress and their hardship are needed to be addressed has not been taken care of in these so called relief packages.
Link to survey : http://www.vnss-mission.gov.in/docs/servey.pdf
THE RECORD 350 COTTON FARMERS SUICIDES IN VIDARBHA : IT'S ONCE AGAIN BT COTTON MASS SOWING IN VIDARBHA
Nagpur, 01 MAY 2007 :
The cotton growing area of western Vidarbha under severe agrarian crisis, has recorded 350 farm suicides, in first four months of 2007.
However, there is no drop in sowing of high failure bt. Cotton in this region as it is reported locally that this year area covered under bt. Cotton sowing is likely to be doubled from 8 lacs hectares to 16 lac hectares.
Why ?
All seed traders, cum money lenders, are giving BT Cotton seeds on credit to these debt trapped farmers, after more than 95% cotton farmers failed to repay crop loan this year, due poor cotton crop, and drop in market rate of sold cotton.
Government machinery and Indian bankers, are not giving fresh loans to defaulter cotton farmers where as Monsanto is giving huge credit and lucrative schemes to seed traders and they, in turn, are forcing innocent cotton farmers to purchase these failure prone BT Cotton seed.
Local government administration has reported this fact to Indian Govt. but everybody is turning blind eye as American genetically modified seed giant Monsanto has protection from US Agriculture Department, where as in India, Agriculture Minister and Cricket Minister of India Bhau Sharad Pawar is patron of this company in India, as infomed by Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti in press note released today.
VJAS has been demanding complete ban on bt. Cotton in west vidarbha as now it's official that bt. Cotton has been failed in rainfed area and in all most all 95% area is rain fed and farmers has to depend upon monsoon which is not regular and small and marginal farmers are suffering from massive economic losses due to frequent failure of bt. cotton and majority of 2500 cotton farmers suicides reported since June 2005 are small and marginal farmers who opted bt. Cotton seed in rain fed area, Kishor Tiwari of vjas added.
THE MISLEADING TABLE OF SHOWN IN ADVT. OF BOLLGARDII IS LIKE THIS :
BOLLGARDII
BOLLGARD
BOGUS BT.
HYBRID COTTON
COST OF SEED PER BAG :
(450GMS)
RS.1350
RS.750
RS.500
RS.400
COST OF FERTILIZER :
RS.1150
RS.1150
RS.1150
RS.1150
COST OF PESTICIDE :
RS.450
RS.450
RS.900
RS.1200
OTHER COSTS :
RS.1500
RS.1500
RS.1000
RS.1200
TOTAL INPUT COST :
RS.4500
RS.3850
RS.3550
RS.3950
PRODUCTION COST :
RS.1100
RS.900
RS.500
RS.500
PRODUCTION EXPECTED :
1100 KG.
900 KG.
500KG.
500KG.
OUTPUT COST :
RS.2000
RS.2000
RS.2000
RS.2000
TOTAL INCOME PER ACRE :
RS.22000
RS.18000
RS.10000
RS.10000
PROFIT PER ACRE :
RS.17550
RS.14150
RS.6450
RS.6050
HERE IS OFFICIAL DATA OF BT. COTTON FAILURE IN LAST THREE YEARS :
KHARIFF-YEAR
COTTON PRODUCTION IN QUINTALS
COTTON RATE
COTTON PRODUCTION PER HECTOR
SEED COST PER HECTOR
PESTICIDE COST PER HECTOR
2002-03
310 LACS
RS.2700
380KG
RS.1100
RS.1200
2003-04
260 LACS
RS.2500
340KG
RS.1200
RS.1400
2004-05
210 LACS
RS.2500
390KG
RS.1350
RS.1300
2005-06
180 LACS
RS.1780
190KG
RS.9600
RS.1650
2006-07
134 LACS
RS.1890
160KG
RS.5600
RS.1350
VJAS has demanded that Government of India should ban bollgardII Bt cotton in Vidarbha to stop on going farm suicides, agrarian distress and farm debts.
In year 2007, record 350 vidarbha farmers suicides reported (JAN-70, FEB-88, MARCH -97 APRIL 95) that has exposed local administration that package implementation has dropped down the farm suicides in vidarbha by 50% as farm suicide figure of this year since Jan to April is all most double and farm suicides in vidarbha are daily increasing but administration is using official media to mislead the world that vidarbha farm suicides are on decline as maharashtra govt. on it's own website ;
http://www.vnss-mission.gov.in/docs/suicide.pdf
has put the information that exposes this claims as wrong one as vidarbha farm suicides in last three year are on record high and vidarbha Jan andolan samiti has given the reference of their own web site official data, which is like this
OFFICIAL FIGURE OF FARM SUICIDES IN SIX DISTRICT OF WEST VIDARBHA :
http://www.vnss-mission.gov.in/docs/suicide.pdf
FARM SUICIDE AND YEAR
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007 TILL APRIL
SUICIDE IN YEAR
49
105
143
441
560
1427
350
THIS FIGURE OF SUICIDE ARE FROM SIX DISTRICTS i.e. YAVATMAL,AMARAVATI,AKOLA,WARDHA,WASHIM,BULDHANA OF VIDARBHA AND ARE FROM GOVT. WEBSITE :
http://www.vnss-mission.gov.in/docs/suicide.pdf
RECORD SUICIDE AFTER PRIME MINISTER RELIEF PACKAGE ANNOUNCEMENT :
Dr. Man Mohan Singh, reputed Oxbridge economist, and Indian Prime minister, visited Vidarbha on 1 st July 2006 and announced Rs.3750 crore package to the cotton farmers of six districts, but official record says that there record increase in cotton farmers suicides after this package announcement as govt. of maharashtra has officially admitted 1534 farmers suicides after 1 st July 2007 as this suicide figure is all most equal to suicide figure of last decade and this fact is known to govt. officials very well.
Bureaucratic officials in charge of agriculture and relief in Maharashtraa, are saying that suicide are declining and after the trumpeted relief package, suicide rate has come down to 50%, this is matter of shame Kishor tiwari added.
Govt. of Maharashtra has selected Dr. Sudhir Goyal, Relief Commissioner to clarify this misleading suicide data as same relief commissioner has put govt. official survey which shows that 75% of 1.7 million farmers are in distress, and more that 4 lacs 34 thousands cotton farmers, are in deep distress and their hardship are needed to be addressed has not been taken care of in these so called relief packages.
Link to survey : http://www.vnss-mission.gov.in/docs/servey.pdf
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