Cricket Politics and Cricket Scores in Indian Agriculture Ministry

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Thousands protested to oppose the Bharti-Walmart Joint Venture

On the heels of the announcement of the Bharti-Walmart joint venture, thousands of traders, hawkers, farmers and workers protested across India. Protesters also included a group of American students who demanded that Wal-Mart not be allowed into India. Mass-based organizations called on the Prime Minister and Sonia Gandhi to immediately stop the Bharti-Walmart Joint Venture and not allow Wal-Mart’s backdoor entry into India. There was also a strong united call on all corporations—both foreign and domestic—to "Quit Retail". The protests were timed to commemorate the start of the "Quit India" movement, which started on August 9, 1942, with mass-based sections of society drawing parallels to the East India Company and companies like Wal-Mart, Bharti and Reliance.

Agitations took place in the metro cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata along with other major cities including, Kalicut, Bhopal, Jaipur, Ranchi, Balia, Meerath, Sonipat, Nagpur, Nasik, Pune and Indore.

In Delhi, thousands of traders, hawkers, farmers and workers protested in Chandni Chowk, a historical market, and burned effigies of Wal-Mart, Bharti and Reliance. Dharmendra Kumar, Director of India FDI Watch and national coordinator of the Vyapaar Aur Rozgaar Bachao Andolan conducted the proceedings and told the agitators, "Both Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh have acknowledged the dangers of corporations entering into the retail sector. The Govt. has commissioned a report looking at the impact of the entire supply chain on livelihoods after Sonia Gandhi had written a letter of caution. Sonia Gandhi had also publicly refused to meet with Michael Duke, Wal-Mart Vice-Chairman during his visit in February after public demonstrations were held due to his arrival. However, both Sonia Gandhi and the PMO have remained silent on the Bharti-Wal-Mart deal and though they have publicly cautioned against corporations and commissioned a study, they have taken no subsequent actions. He demanded that the Wal-Mart Bharti joint venture should be immediately revoked and all corporations should be stopped until thorough study has been conducted by an independent special task force comprising of stakeholders."

Shyam Bihari Mishra, President, Bhartiya Udyog Vyapar Mandal refered back to the British Raj, stating, "The East India Company, the most powerful company at the time, came to colonize India’s people and domestic and international trade and now Wal-Mart, the world’s largest company is trying to enter India to do the same. Mr. Mishra said India has a history of resistance, our people threw out the British and sixty years later if millions have their businesses and livelihoods threatened we will do the same now. He announced that family members of traders would boycott corporate stores." Praveen Khandelwal, General Secretary, Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) said "The livelihoods of retail traders are at stake. If big retail giants like Wal-Mart and Reliance come into the country, small traders would be finished." A mass campaign would be launched to strike back and make corporations realise that we will not let them ruin our livelihoods, he said.

Vandana Shiva, Director, Navdanya said "India is a land of retail democracy- hundreds of thousands of weekly haats and bazaars are located across the length and breadth of our country by people’s own self-organizational capacities. In a country with large numbers of people, and high levels of poverty, the existing model of retail democracy is the most appropriate in terms of economic viability and ecological sustainability.".

Shaktiman Ghosh, General Secretary, National Hawkers Federation warned the government "about taking such strong stances against India’s millions of hawkers and small shopkeepers in favor of only a few huge corporations who seek to dominate the Indian retail market."

Mr. Indu Prakash of Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Reform revealed the nexus between judiciary and corporate retail which led to the ceiling of shops of more than one hundred thousands of traders of Delhi and still goes on.

Mr. Bhati of Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh, Delhi, Harbhajan Singh Siddhu, National Secretary, Hind Mazdoor Sabha, Sunil Kansal, Secretary, Rashtriya Vyapar Mandal, Hakim Singh Rawat, General Secretary, Delhi Hawkers Welfare Association, Banwari Lal Sharma, President, Aazadi Bachaon Aandolan, R K Sharma, Secreatry, UTUC-Lenin Sarani and Venkatesh of Lok Raj Sangathan also addressed the protesters in Delhi.

In Mumbai, thousands of retailers, hawkers, workers and cooperatives participated in a one day trade bandh and a mass public event organized by the Vyapaar Rozgaar Suraksha Kriti Samiti, a joint action committee of trade associations, hawkers groups, trade unions and others. Leaders of Federation of Associations of Maharastra (FAM), Retail and Dispensing Chemists Association (RDCA), India FDI Watch, Mumbai Mahanagar Vyapari Seva Parishad (MMVSP), Mumbai Vyapar Mahasang (MVM), Apna Bazaar, National Hawkers Federation, Center of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and Hind Mazdoor Kisan Panchayat (HMKP) addressed the protesters. Mohan Gurnani, Convener of the Mumbai based Vyapaar Rozgaar Suraksha Kriti Samiti and President of the Federation of Associations of Maharastra (FAM) said "organised retaling would leave 20 crore people without jobs. Let the government first come out with a rehabilitation for these people and then it can open up FDI in retail". Kishore Shah, President of the Mobile & Telecom Retailers and Distributors Association (MTRDA), stated that around 12,000 retail shop-keepers deal in SIM cards and recharge vouchers of Air-Tel in Mumbai, generating business worth crores of rupees every day. Mr. Shah said "We have already informed all our members, distributors and wholesalers against selling any Airtel products". The Mumbai APMC—wholesale— market remained closed, along with thousands of retail shops across the city, including all chemists and druggists shops. Apna Bazaar, Maharastra’s largest cooperative store also downed its shutters and wholesale markets remained closed in Nasik and Pune.
At an evening event at Shanmukananda Hall in Mumbai mass-based groups laid out a future course of action and adopted a charter of demands. They called on the Center to immediately repeal the Wholesale Cash-n-Carry Permission, and all licenses granted under the permission; repeal the APMC Model Act, implement the National Policy on Street Vendors, take measures against predatory pricing and formulate a national policy on retail trade and small scale industries.

In Bangalore thousands protested at the town hall and burned effigies of corporate retailers like Wal-Mart and Reliance. The protest culminated in leaders presenting the Governor with a memorandum calling on the state to repeal the recent passage of the APMC Model Act. A Charter of Demands, same as was passed in Mumbai, was also placed before the District Collector. Smaller protests were organized throughout the state in different districts including Kodagu, Bijapur, Gulbarga and Davangere districts.

In Jaipur fifty American students joined with hawkers demanding that Wal-Mart leave India and demanding implementation of the National Policy on Street Vendors. The American students and hawkers demonstrated in the old city and held signs saying "Americans Oppose Wal-Mart Everywhere". Ms. Cheryl, an American citizen, learning Hindi at Jaipur said that Wal-Mart has a disastrous impact on small shopkeepers and neighbourhood communities in America and called Indians to learn from their experience and not to allow Wal-Mart to operate in India. Ms. Cheryl said that the world is moving from ‘Corporate to Cooperative’ and Indians should not corporatize their cooperatives.

In Kerala the Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Egono Samiti organized protest marches in over 1000 places across the state. In Kalicut over 10,000 traders protested in front of the corporation’s office and submitted a memorandum demanding that corporations keep out of retail and the immediate halt to Wal-Mart’s backdoor entry and the repeal of the Wholesale Cash-N-Carry permission.

In Kolkata the Federation of Trade Organizations (FTO) of West Bengal organized protests in all the 12 districts of the city along with protests across West Bengal, including in front of malls. Tens of thousands traders participated in the protest. In the evening, thousands of hawkers took out a protest march from the city museum.

In Ranchi, Uday Shankar Ojha who led the vegetable vendors before Reliance Fresh in May and has only recently been released from Jail, led thousands of hawkers and vegetable vendors at Albert Ekka Chowk in Ranchi, demanding that Reliance Fresh and all other corporations leave the retail sector and "withdraw their sinister plans to displace millions of livelihoods".

In Bhopal there was a state-level protest meeting in the morning at Gandhi Bhavan and traders sat on a dharna at Roshanara Chowk in the afternoon and burn effigies of Wal-Mart, Bharti and Reliance. A call for Bhopal Bandh was given for 21 August to oust corporate from retail trade.

Similar protests were organized in other cities including Allahabad, Lucknow, Meerut, Bagpat and Sonipat.

27/06/2007

Western Vidarbha - Nagpur - 27th June 2007

Unending saga of vidarbha farmers suicides is till continue as five more farmers suicides reported in last 48 hours ,fresh victims of on going agrarian crisis are :

1. SADASHIV ZITOBA NOBANRE OF MADANGAON IN BHANDARA
2. RAMESH BHAGWAN KURWADE OF PARAS IN AKOLA
3. BANDU NAMDEV GAWAI OF ADEGOAN KURD IN AKOLA
4. RAMHARI SADASHIV JANGAM OF SELU INWARDHA
5. MOHAN RAMESHWAR BHARI OF RAIKHED IN AKOLA

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

21/03/2007

Western Vidarbha :
1. DEVIDAS RATHODE, PIMPARI(PANDHURNA), YAVATMAL
2. SADASHIV SHRIRAME, KAMATHWADA, YAVATMAL
3. ASHOK ONKAR, KURAHAD, YAVATMAL
4. JANRAO WANKHEDE, RAMTEK, WASHIM
5. SAWARAM RATHODE, SHIGANAPUR, WASHIM

18/03/2007

Western Vidarbha :

1.BHAGWAN DOEJAD OF VILLAGE DEVELGOAN-MAI IN BULDHANA
2.GAJANAN KALE OF MANGURALA (KURD) IN YAVATMAL
3.KAPIL BHAWARE OF VIALLAGE TAD SAWALI IN YAVATMAL
4.AMBADAS MORKAR OF DHAMANI IN WASHIM DISTRCIT
5.BABRAO MATARMARE OF VILLAGE MOHARI IN WASHIM
6.RAVINDRA NAWATHE OF VIALLGE WANI IN WARDHA

08/03/2007

Western Vidarbha :

1. JANARDHAN SATHE, VILLAGE MAREGOAN, BULDHANA
2. RAGHUNATH DHONDU BORKAR, NAWARGOANBANDH, GONDIA
3. VITHAL ATTARKAR, VILLAGE SONADA, BULDHANA
4. SHARVAN CHICHOLKAR, VILLAGE KOPOMANDAVI, YAVATMAL
5. VITHOBA THAKARE, SALOD, YAVATMAL
6. SAHEBRAO MAPARI, VILLAGE DHANODA, WASHIM
7. VILAS CHAVAN, VILLAGE CHIROLI, AMARAVTI DISTT
8. MORSHING DANGE, VILLAGE TATAPUR, BULDHANA
9. BANDU RATHODE, VILLAGE TANDOLI, YAVATMAL

Election tours of Congress, NCP, and opposition top political leaders, are in full swing.
They are touring Vidarbha, for canvassing political support from rural voters and are waxing eloquent on agrarian crisis and why they should be voted to power to sort out the mess.
No vultures (giddha) can be seen in the deep blue, dry Vidarbha skies, these days.

07/03/2007

Western Vidarbha :
1. SHAKAR INGOLE, GRAMWADHANI, WASHIM
2. RAMBHAU KHULSANGE, HIWARA, WARDHA
3. RAMDAS SAMARTHA, SHIVANI, GADCHIROLI
4. RAIBHAN PAWAR, RAI TALAO, YAVATMAL
5. SARANGDHAR MALI, WAZEGOAN, AKOLA
6. JANUSHINGH RATHODE, IJANI, YAVATMAL
7. ASHOK SATPUTE, RALEGOAN, YAVATMAL

These suicdes of GM cotton farmers in Vidarbha, occurred during the Vidarbha election tour, and media firefighting, by Shri Vilas Rao Deshmukh, NCP Congress / Maharshtra Chief Minister.
He was claiming in media that Vidarbha agrarian suicides have begun to show a declining trend.
He also claimed that the Manmohan Singh's Vidarbha package was beginning to show results.
During this election tour from Mumbai, he begged for an additional 3-4 years in political power from voters, and blamed "vested interests" for raising issue of agrarian suicides.

One farmer Sarangdhar Mali, village Wazegoan, hanged himself during a Mental Health Counselling session with Dr Udhaorao Gadekar.
Government has decided to divert money towards mental health professionals, rather than addressing agrarian distress in Vidarbha, with agriculture policies.

06/03/2007 - Uttar Pradesh

Two UP Farmers commit suicide - Banda, Uttar Pradesh :
1. Hariya, Ujaratha village.
According to his wife, he said had mortgaged his two bigha of land for Rs 5,000 for getting his daughter married, and was unable to repay the debt.
2. Farmer, Name Unknown - unable to pay the debt to the moneylender committed suicide on Monday at Emalipurwa village.
Sub-Divisional Magistrate P K Jain said an inquiry had been ordered into the incidents.
- Monday, 06 March 2007 - Press Trust of India
http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1945682,000900010004.htm

05/03/2007

Western Vidarbha :
1. Devidas Rathode, village Bhuli, Washim distt
2. Janrao Pachare, Dongargoan, Akola distt
3. Savitri Dhavane, village Khatkheda, Wardha
4. Damkrishanna Turankar, Naigaon(khz), Yavatmal
5. Dadarao Rathode, vilage Chirodi, Amaravati
6. Mahendra Kompalwar, village Hatgoan, Yavatmal
7. Yogesh Mirage, village Bhastan, Shegaon

As per Congress NCP, Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilas Rao Deshmukh's, political wisdom :
1. Real blame for "wrongful media attention" by " Vested Interests " for raising issue of farmer suicides and distracting attention, from the glorious success of Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh's Vidarbha Relief package for debt ridden cotton farmers, announced during Indian Prime Minister's visit to Vidarbha GM cotton belt, in 2006.
2. That all rural suicides, are being credited to the account of agrarian suicides, whereas according to him, these suicides are not agrarian suicides. So now, the CM has jumped into the fray of issuing post mortem certificates after Shri Sudhir Kumar Goyal, IAS, Relief Commissioner, and other bureaucrats.
According to him, the Congress Party / NCP, should be the arbiter of the reasons for suicides, and people should refuse to be misled by "vested interests".
3. TV channels are wrongfully showing strips of Vidarbha suicides.
4. Has claimed that suicides are generalized social problems and have nothing at all to do with rural and agrarian distress, or any Farm Exit Policy of Indian Congress government.
5. Has asked the media and publicity mongers, to wait for 3-4 more years, before the start of Second Green Revolution, as announced by the Delhi and Mumbai based Congress politicians, and massive state investments in irrigation projects in Vidarbha, begins to show results on the faces of Vidarbha farmers and suicide figures begin to show a declining trend.

02/03/2007

Western Vidarbha :

1. THAKURSINGH GYANSINGH BRAMHANE, ASEGOAN, WASHIM
2. DILIP YADAV NARRADIWAR, BORTANDALI, CHNADRAPUR
3. SURESH PUNAJI WANKHEDE, VILLAGE PARSODA, AKOLA
4. BABAN PACHAKAR, KARLA, AMAMRAVATI
5. MAHADEV VISHUJI PAWAR, WARWAT, BAKAL, BULDHANA

Indian government, Maharashtra state government, senior local bureaucrats are careful NOT to characterize these as AGRARIAN SUICIDES due to debt problems of cotton growing farmers in Vidarbha..
They cite reasons like :
1. Alcoholism
2. Family Problems and berievement
3. Medical expenses
4. Social tensions
5. Mental insanity

01/03/2007 - Chidambaram Budget

Western vidarbha :
Indian Budget Day suicides :

1. Ravindra Keshv Raut, Khamapur village, Amaravati district,
2. Sudhakar Nagorao Kohle, Ralegoan,
3. Viththal Madhav Nikode, Saikheda village,
4. Umesh Ramrao Borwal, Belori village, Yavatmal district,
5. Suresh Kashiram Banapure, Nandgoanpeth village, Amravati district
6. Gajanan Pandurang Khadase, Panjari village, Washim district

26/02/2007

Western Vidarbha :
1. Pawan Rameshwar Sadashiv, Kushta villaage, Maravati distt.
2. Rameshwar gangaram Darkate, village Wani-rabhapur, Akola distt.
3. Parmeshwar laxman Gorganle, Jamulghat, Chandrapur dist.
4. Shiriram syryabha Jewala, Paharadevi, Washim distt.
5. Mahan appa Giri, manoda, in Buldhana
6. Prabhakar waman Sawai, village Kat mamla, Maravati
7. Ganesh narayan tike, vilage Masani, Washim
8. Ramhrishnna motiram Gairnar, vilage Rohana
9. Sakharam gajan Choudhari, village Jurur, Yavatmal
10. Santosh mahadev Dandale, village Paras, Akola
11. Rahul Narayan Chinche, village Krurha, Yavatmal.

23/02/2007

Western Vidarbha :
1. Devidas Umarkar, village Bhari in akola
2. Vasant Khandar, Kapikheda, Amaravati
3. Ramrao Nathuji Umare umara in Washim distt
4. Pandurang sitaram Raut(37), village Hiwargaon

Apathy of MSEDCL, power cuts are reported to be amongst the causes. It seems discontinuation of power supply in his farm during Rabi crop season, may have been the immediate cause. A bribe of Rs. 20,000 for reconnecting the water pump, was allegedly sought by the officers of MSEDCL.

AFTER INDIAN Congress PRIME MINISTER's VISIT TO VIDARBHA, AND ANNOUNCEMENT OF SPECIAL PACKAGE RS.3750 CRORE, MORE THAN 1000 FARMERS SUICIDE REPORTED BY GOVT. OF MAHARSHTRA OFFICIALLY IN SIX DISTRICT OF SUICIDE PRONE VIDARBHA. YEAR 2006 WAS ALSO REPORTED HIGHEST NUMBER OF FARM SUICIDE - ACCORDING MAHARASHTRA GOVT. 1452 FARMERS COMMITTED SUICIDE. IN 2007, THE DISTRESS AMONG THE FARMERS IS NOT COMING DOWN.
January 2007 - 70 FARMERS
February 2007 - 68 suicides

22/02/2007

Western Vidarbha :
1. Rajarao Tulsiram Mate, 60, suicide in offfice of MSEB substation, Bhandaraj Amaravati distt.
2. Surybhan Mahadu Atram, Kolam tribal of village Mandawa, Zari block, Yavatmal distt.
3. Vishnu Kamble, dalit farmer of Loni(gavali) in mehkar block of Buldhana distt.
4. Vithoba Pasare, dalit farmer of village tawi in Wardha distt.
5. Pramod Manik Shinde, Usalgavan of Dhamamgoan (rly)

19/02/2007

Western Vidarbha :
1. LAXMAN BHIMA SURPAM, KOLAM TRIBAL, IN TRIBAL VILLAGE MATHANI IN YAVATMAL
2. VATSALABAI UTTAM CHITTAKAR AMRAVATI IN AMARAVATI DISTT
3. SANDIP RAM HAZARE KARATKHEDA IN BHANDARA DISTT
4. NAMDEO KURPE KOTIMAKTA IN CHNADRAPUR DSITT
5. SANA LADULKAR OF VILLAGE WAKUD IN BHANDARA DISTT

Reported : Nine farmers suicides in vidarbha in last 72 hours taking toll to 57 in the month of February 2007. 127 farm suicides in this year 2007

16/02/2007

Reported : Nine farmers suicides in vidarbha in last 72 hours taking toll to 50 in the month of February 2007. 120 farm suicides in this year 2007.
This is in the backdrop of Congress Prime Minister ManMohan Singh's Relief Package announced in 2006, and its tardy implementation by various government disbursement agencies in Vidarbha cotton growing areas, and interviews of bureaucrats like Shri Goyal, Relief commissioner, that "no government on earth can subsidze 60% of its farmers".
The PMO in New Delhi, is supposedly overseeing implementation of Relief Package but is not able to come to grips with the problem of agrarian suicides and undeclared Farm Exit policy of central Congress government.
The Finance Minister / Sensex Minister of India, Shri Chidambaram, reportedly has no time in New Delhi for even meeting representatives of suicidal farmers.

15/02/2007 - Vidarbha

1. Ashok jayram Koller, Palsoni
2. Baburao krishnnaji Gaygole, village Danegoan in Amaravati