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.
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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

26/04/2007

Western Vidarbha :

1. NARAYAN CHAMPATRAO JUNJUNKAR OF RALEGOAN IN YAVATMAL
2. MAHADEV RAMCHANDRA POPHALE OF DHOTERDI IN AKOLA
3. PANDURANG BHIKAJI DEVKAR OF MAZALGOAN IN BULDHANA
4. SATISH GOVIND RAGHUWANSHI OF HIRULPURNA IN AMARAVATI
5. RAJESH BHAGWAN WANKHEDE IN KALARA IN AKOLA
6. LAXMAN RAMAJI SAHARE IN CHANDOLA IN AMARAVATI

17/02/2007

Western Vidarbha :

1. SHYAMRAO CHANDRABHAN KINAKE VILLAGE- UMARI-YAVATMAL
2. VINOD SHAYRAO KINAKE-VILLAGE-UMARI-YAVATMAL
3. NILKANTH VITHOBA GURNULE-VILLAGE -WEDASI IN YAVATMAL
4. ASHOK JAYRAM KOLLAR PALSONI IN YAVATMAL
5. BAB TUKARAM CHIKAT OF SAWALI(WAGH) IN WARDHA
6. VINAYAK MOTIRA, ADE OF SAKHARA IN WARDHA
7. TAPAJI DAMAJI KORADKAR OF VILLAGE SHIRALA IN BULDHANA
8. RAMRAO VITHAL GANGAWANE OF DEPUL IN WASHIM
9. BAPURAO SHIRIKRISHNNA GAIGOLE OF DHANEGOAN IN AMARAVATI

Shyam and Vinod were a adivasi father and son duo.
Huge debt, healthcare costs and agrarian distress are assumed to be behind the tribal father and son suicide pacts.
The Divisional Commissioner in charge of Relief, Shri Sudhir Goyal is reported to be shedding crocodile tears and giving interviews to media - "My heart goes out for those who ended their lives out of acute frustration and for their bereaved families even as I am worried about those caught in the web of a flawed system".
The Finance Minister Shri Chidambaram and Shri Sharad Pawar of Central Congress government, have no time to even meet representatives of suicidal and indebted farmers with no hope.
Congress Government seems more keen on implementing Farm Exit Policy for Vidarbha farmers rather than the announced Prime Minister package.