Thursday, November 30, 2006

A hundred farm suicides a month in Vidarbha

A hundred farm suicides a month in Vidarbha

By Shyam Pandharipande, Indo-Asian News Service


1. The sordid suicide saga in Vidarbha continues with the toll since June last year having spiralled to 1125 till November 26 with the month's figure itself touching 95.

2.
'The low yield is because of the genuine Bt. Cotton, which is highly uneconomic and known to fail in rain-fed farming'

3.
false predictions of bumper cotton crop in order to ensure low prices for the private traders and favour the US-based Bt Cotton seed selling giant Monsanto.

Pandharkawada (Vidarbha), Nov 29 (IANS) Five months after the announcement of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Rs.3750 crore (Rs 37.5 billion) relief package for the distressed farmers in Vidarbha, the suicide spiral has continued disturbingly with reports of five more farmers ending life in the last two days.


Of the five farmers committing suicide, two each were from Yavatmal and Akola districts in western Vidarbha and one hailed from Gondia district of the eastern part of the region.

The sordid suicide saga in Vidarbha continues with the toll since June last year having spiralled to 1125 till November 26 with the month's figure itself touching 95.

According to the roster maintained by farm activist Kishor Tiwari's Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS), the toll since June 2005 has reached a staggering 1140 with the last five months accounting for 533.

Curiously enough, the government website giving a daily update on farmers' suicide under the pain of a court order shows a higher figure than the one given out by VJAS, albeit with a rider that nearly 40 percent of the suicides are non-genuine, that is, not related to farm distress.

Meanwhile, a young cotton farmer is battling for life here after consuming a large quantity of deadly Indo-Sulphan around noon Tuesday in a desperate attempt to commit suicide over low price for the crop.

Rameshwar Kuchankar (26), who had apparently come prepared to commit suicide carrying the insecticide bottle and a suicide note in his pocket, went behind the market yard and guzzled the poison instead of approaching the cotton traders buying cartloads of cotton crop.

Hailing from village Somnala in Maregaon tehsil of the suicide-prone Yavatmal district, Rameshwar came to Pandharkawda to sell cotton since the government controlled cotton federation failed to open any procurement centre in his tehsil.

But since the procurement centre in this biggest tehsil headquarters in the district too was closed, the only option for him was to sell his crop to the private traders, which he was probably reluctant to do.

The suicide note found in the pocket of the convulsing Rameshwar mentions that the price of Rs.1900 per quintal for cotton is too non-remunerative to accept as it cannot ensure even the barest survival of the farmer and his household.

Warning state Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh in his suicide note that he (Rameshwar) won't let him sleep and exhorting Deputy Chief Minister R. R. Patil to raise the procurement price to Rs.3000 per quintal, the young farmer beseeched his wife to pardon him for his act.

Squarely blaming the state's agriculture policies, particularly those pertaining to cotton for the continuing distress, Tiwari has accused the government of deliberately giving out false predictions of bumper cotton crop in order to ensure low prices for the private traders and favour the US-based Bt Cotton seed selling giant Monsanto.

Talking to IANS, Tiwari said while state marketing minister Harshvardhan Patil predicted cotton crop to the tune of 35 million quintal, the actual yield is not even half that.

The farm activist also refuted the government claim that the low yield is due to spurious Bt. Cotton seed saying that there was no spurious cotton seed in the market since Monsanto had lowered their prices from Rs.1780 per bag to Rs.750.

'The low yield is because of the genuine Bt. Cotton, which is highly uneconomic and known to fail in rain-fed farming', he said.

Copyright Indo-Asian News Service

Monday, November 27, 2006

Farmer suicides in Maharashtra on decline: Pawar is misleading the Indian parliament

VIDARBHA JAN ANDOLAN SAMITI

REGD. OFFICE: 11, TRISARAN SOCIETY, KHAMLA, NAGPUR - 440 025.
PH. 2282447/457 MOBILE-9422108846.
vidarbha@gmail.com

=============================================================================================
REF: - FARMERS SUICIDES VERY-URGENT- PRESS-NOTE DATED-27TH NOV. 2006

Farmer suicides in Maharashtra on decline: Pawar is misleading the Indian parliament

FARMERS SUICIDES ARE ALL TIME HIGH IN PAST SIX MONTHS IN VIDARBHA


NAGPUR-27 NOVEMBER -2006,

VIDARBHA JAN ANDOLAN SAMITI HAS REFUTED THE CLAIM OF HON.BLE AGRICULTURE MINISTER SHRAD PAWAR THAT FARMERS SUICIDES IN MAHARASHTRA ON DECLINE .SHARAD PAWAR WAS GIVING THIS INFORMATION IN LOKSABHA TODAY AND IT IS REPORTED THAT

QUOTE
-----
The government today told the Lok Sabha that number of suicides by farmers due to agriculture- related causes in Maharashtra was on the decline.

In respect of remaining states including Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala, it is "too early" to assess the impact of Centre's Rs 16978.69 crore rehabilitation package at the ground level as it was recently approved for implementation, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said during Question Hour.

"The emerging trend in respect of Maharashtra indicates that number of suicide (cases) by farmers due to agriculture- related causes is on decline," he said.

The package for mitigating distress of farmers in 31 suicide-prone districts involves Andhra Pradesh (Rs 9650.55 crore), Karnataka (Rs 2689.64 crore), Kerala (Rs 765.24 crore) and Maharashtra (Rs 3873.26 crore).

It aims at establishing a sustainable and viable farming and livelihood support system through debt relief to farmers, improved supply of institutional credit, crop centric approach to agriculture, assured irrigation facilities, watershed management, better extension and farming support services and subsidiary income opportunities through horticulture, livestock, dairying and fisheries.

Pawar said the package for six districts of Maharashtra's Vidarbha region was announced in July this year.

The total number of suicides by farmers in Vidarbha from July to October this year, as reported by the state government, was 542, he said.

UNQUOTE
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

VIDARBHA JAN ANDOLAN SAMITI KEEPING DAILY TRACK OF FARMERS SUICIDES IN VIDARBHA SINCE 1998 , IN PRESS RELEASE TODAY INFORMED THAT SHARAD PAWAR HAS NOT BEEN PROVIDED CORRECT FARMERS SUICIDE NUMBER BY GOVT. OF MAHARASHTRA AS COTTON GROWERS SUICIDES IS ALL TIME HIGH AND IT IS 25 TIMES MORE THAN 2001 AND ALL MOST INCREASE IN FOUR FOLD IF IT IS COMPARE WITH SUICIDE IN 2005 FOR THE SAME PERIOD JULY TO OCTOBER AS LAST ONLY 126 FARMERS SUICIDES REPORTED AND IT WAS ONLY 86 IN 2004 WHERE AS IT IS ALL MOST NIL EARLIER TO THAT YEAR IN SAME PERIOD,KISHOR TIWARI OF VJAS INFORMED TODAY.
VJAS TERMED SHARAD PAWAR STATEMENTS AS MOST UNFORTUNATE AS HE SAID
" The emerging trend in respect of Maharashtra indicates that number of suicide (cases) by farmers due to agriculture- related causes is on decline," IN FACT RURAL DISTRESS REASONS AS PER HIS NEWS PAPER "SAKAL" SURVEY MORE THAN 90% RURAL VIDARBHA SUICIDES ARE DUE TO AGRARIAN CRISIS AND SHARAD PAWAR HIMSELF KNOWS GROUND LEVEL REALITY,KISHOR TIWARI ADDED.
IN ORDER TO SLOW DOWN SUICIDE IT IS MUST TO FOR GOVT. TO GIVE ADVANCE BONUS TO COTTON GROWERS AND COMPLETE LOAN WAIVER TO ALL FARMERS ,VJAS DEMANDED.

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KISHOR TIWARI

PRESIDENT
VIDARBHA JANADOLAN SAMITI
CONTACT-MOBILE-09422108846

Sunday, November 26, 2006

11 farmers commit suicide in Vidarbha

11 farmers commit suicide in Vidarbha

http://ptinews.com/pti%5Cptisite.nsf/$All/7BD81606F09F2CFA652572320041246F?OpenDocument




Nagpur, Nov 26 (PTI) Eleven farmers committed suicide in the last two days in various parts of Vidarbha, an NGO claimed here today.


With this, the number of suicides by farmers in the region has risen to 1,136 since June, and 91 have ended lives in November alone.

The dead were identified as Rameshwar Hade of Rohinkhed in Buldana, Namdeo Karmole of Bhoji in Wardha, Narayan Khobalkar of Viverkheda in Washim, Devidas Chikre of Sindhewahi in Nagpur, Karnu Soyam of Nagejhari in Yavatmal, Pravin Vijay Bakamwar and Bhagwan Kadam of Yavatmal, Bhaskar Jaoujal of Hingni in Akola and Anil Khadse, Kishore Yewatkar and Dyandeo Bendre of Amravati, a release issued by Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti said. PTI

Friday, November 24, 2006

8 MORE FARMERS SUICIDE IN THREE DAYS REPORTED (SEE LIST) TAKING TOLL 1132 SINCE JUNE 2005

VIDARBHA JAN ANDOLAN SAMITI
REGD. OFFICE: 11, TRISARAN SOCIETY, KHAMLA, NAGPUR - 440 025.
PH. 2282447/457 MOBILE-9422108846. vidarbha@gmail.com
==========================================================REF: - FARMERS SUICIDES VERY-URGENT- PRESS-NOTE DATED- 25TH NOV., 2006

8 MORE FARMERS SUICIDE IN THREE DAYS REPORTED (SEE LIST) TAKING TOLL 1132 SINCE JUNE 2005
ALL RECENT COTTON GROWERS SUICIDES DUE TO MASS FAILURE OF B.T. COTTON-VJAS
NAGPUR-25TH NOVEMBER -2006,
8 MORE FARMERS COMMITTED SUICIDES IN VIDARBHA IN LAST THREE DAYS TAKING TOLL 1132 SINCE JUNE 2005,PROVING WRONG GOVT. OF MAHARSHTRA’S CLAIM THAT RATE OF SUICIDE HAS BEEN DROP DOWN,INFORMED KISHOR TIWARI OF VIDARBHA JAN ANDOLAN SAMITI.
IN FACT ALL THREE MONTHS ARE WORST HIT AS AGUST-111,SEPTEMBER-125 .OCTOBER-112 NOW NOVEMBER–91 FARMERS COMMITTED SUICIDES REPORTED MAKING ADMINISTRATION TOLL CLAIMS THAT ALL RELIEF PACKAGES ARE SHOWING THE RESULTS.IN FACT RELIEF AID HAS NOT REACHED TO ANY FARMERS FAMILY WHO ARE IN DISTRESS AND LISTED IN THE GOVT. OF MAHARASHTRA SURVEY OF SUCH FAMILIES. RELIEF AID IS BEING GIVING TO THE POLITICAL WORKERS OF PARTIES IN POWER AS PER LIST OF LOCAL MINISTERS.DELAY IN OFICIAL PROCUREMNT OF COTTON BY STATE GOVT. IS FORCING FARMERS TO HAVE DISTRESS SALE OF RAW COTTON MORE OVER SUDDEN COTTON CROP FAILURE HAS ADDED FUEL IN THE ON GOING COTTTON FARMERS SUICIDES SPATE,KISHOR TIWARI ADDED.
HERE ARE NAMES OF THE 8 FARMERS WHO COMMITTED SUICIDES IN LAST THREE DAYS .
1 DEVISINGH BAKSHIRAM JADHAV 23-NOV-06 MOZRI BARSHITAKLI BULDHANA
2 ARUN SITARAM SONVANE 23-NOV-06 PATHROT AMARAVATI AMRAVATI
3 RAMESHWAR BAPR HADE 24-NOV-06 ROHINKHEDA MATOLA BULDHANA
4 MANDEV NARAYAN DAKOLE 24-NOV-06 ANJI DEOLI WARDHA
5 NARAYAN NAMDEV KHAMMALKAR 24-NOV-06 DEEPKHEDA RISOD WASHIM
6 DEVISINGH SAKHARAM CHIKATE 24-NOV-06 SHINDEWANI SAWNER NAGPUR
7 KARANU BABURAO SOYAM 24-NOV-06 NAGEJARI KELAPUR YAVATMAL
8 PRAVIN VIJAY BAKAMWAR 25-NOV-06 SUNNA KELAPUR YAVATMAL

ALL RECENT COTTON GROWERS SUICIDES DUE TO MASS FAILURE OF B.T. COTTON-VJAS
AS PER TODAY ARTICLE OF SENIOR RURAL AFFAIRS EDITOR OF HINDU B.T. COTTON HAS BEEN FAILED AND RECENT MOST OF THE COTTON GROWERS SUICIDES ARE DUE TO THE B.T. COTTON FAILURE ,KISHOR TIWARI ADDED
HERE IS THE DETAIL REPORT
QUOTE
DATE:25/11/2006 URL: HTTP://WWW.THEHINDU.COM/2006/11/25/STORIES/2006112502891100.HTM OPINION - NEWS ANALYSIS A FADING COTTON BUMPER CROP P. SAINATH CLAIMS OF A COTTON BUMPER CROP IN MAHARASHTRA HAVE FADED. FARMERS FEEL SUCH TALK WAS MEANT TO PUSH PRICES DOWN FURTHER. PROCUREMENT DELAYS COULD ALSO FORCE MANY TO SELL IN DISTRESS TO PRIVATE BUYERS.
— PHOTO: P. SAINATH LAXMIBAI BODEWAR SITS ON HER BED OF UNSOLD COTTON. THE YIELD FROM HER 35 ACRES HAS BEEN POOR, COTTON PRICES HAVE TANKED, AND PROCUREMENT IS YET TO BEGIN IN ANY SERIOUS WAY. SHE IS AMAZED BY TALK OF A `BUMPER CROP.' "BUMPER CROP? WHERE ARE YOU LIVING?" MOHAN MARATRAO PATIL WANTS TO KNOW. "MY FAMILY HAS 45 ACRES HERE IN YAVATMAL — AND ALL WE'VE MANAGED IS 80 QUINTALS OF COTTON SO FAR. AT BEST, WE'LL GET ANOTHER 80. WE'VE LOST LAKHS OF RUPEES." THAT HIS LANDS ARE IRRIGATED HAS NOT HELPED. "FIND ME THE FARMER WHO HAS HAD THAT GREAT HARVEST." MR. PATIL, A BT COTTON GROWER IN VANJIRI, SCOFFS AT THE NOTION OF A BUMPER CROP. THE IDEA WAS AIRED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF MAHARASHTRA ITSELF. THE STATE'S MINISTER OF MARKETING, HARSHVARDHAN PATIL, TOLD THE PRESS MORE THAN ONCE THAT HE EXPECTED A HUGE RISE IN COTTON PRODUCTION THIS YEAR. SOME REPORTS HAD HIM PREDICT A `BUMPER CROP' OF 350 LAKH QUINTALS. OTHERS HAD HIM PEG IT AT A MORE MODEST 300 QUINTALS. EITHER WAY, THIS WOULD MEAN A HUGE INCREASE OF 30-40 PER CENT OVER THE OFFICIAL ESTIMATE FOR LAST YEAR. ON THE GROUND, IN ANY OF THE SIX `CRISIS' DISTRICTS OF VIDHARBHA, THIS `BUMPER CROP' IS HARD TO SPOT. FARMERS REPORT HUGE LOSSES. OFFICIAL REPORTS TEND TO CONFIRM THEIR CLAIMS. "THE STATE WOULD BE LUCKY TO SEE A YIELD OF 160 LAKH QUINTALS THIS YEAR," SAYS VIJAY JAWANDIA IN WARDHA. A LEADING FARM ACTIVIST OF THIS REGION, MR. JAWANDIA BELIEVES "THE ONLY PURPOSE THIS KIND OF BUMPER CROP PROPAGANDA SERVES IS TO DEPRESS ALREADY LOW PRICES." "IT'S THE OLDEST STORY," SAYS MR. PATIL. "WHEN THE CROP IS IN THE FARMERS' HANDS, ALL SORTS OF THINGS ARE SAID AND DONE TO DEPRESS THE PRICE. ONCE IT IS WITH THE TRADERS, YOU WILL SEE THE PRICE IMPROVE." THE IMPLICATIONS ARE GRAVE FOR MOST OF THE REGION'S 1.7 MILLION FARM FAMILIES. CLOSE TO HALF A MILLION OF THEM — MORE THAN TWO MILLION PEOPLE — HAVE BEEN RECORDED BY A GOVERNMENT SURVEY AS FACING "MAXIMUM DISTRESS." THE MINISTER APPEARS TO HAVE BASED HIS CLAIM ON THE ESTIMATES OF THE COTTON ADVISORY COMMITTEE. THAT BODY FELT MAHARASHTRA WOULD SEE A YIELD OF 70 LAKH BALES THIS YEAR. (THAT IS ABOUT 350 LAKH QUINTALS.). THE AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT MAY NOT CONTEST THAT CLAIM IN PUBLIC. BUT TOP OFFICIALS SAY THE YIELD WON'T EXCEED 40 LAKH BALES (200 LAKH QUINTALS). THE GAP BETWEEN THE TWO CLAIMS IS A MASSIVE 150 LAKH QUINTALS. WHICH, MR. JAWANDIA POINTS OUT, "COULD BE THE FINAL PRODUCTION FIGURE IN TOTO." ALSO, AS A SENIOR OFFICIAL IN AMRAVATI TOLD THE HINDU : "ALMOST 3.5 LAKH HECTARES WERE SEVERELY HIT BY FLOODS AND EXCESSIVE RAINFALL IN THIS DIVISION. BOTH COTTON AND SOYBEAN HAVE BEEN HURT." THERE WERE OTHER PROBLEMS, TOO. "EVERYBODY WAS DOWN WITH CHIKUNGUNYA," SAY FARMERS ACROSS THE REGION. "IT WAS VERY TOUGH TO GET LABOUR WHEN WE NEEDED THEM MOST." WITH SOME FARMERS HAVING SWITCHED TO SOYBEAN THIS SEASON, IT GETS EVEN HARDER TO SEE WHERE THE `BUMPER CROP' CAN COME FROM. "ONE AIM, OF COURSE, IS TO DEPRESS PRICES," SAYS KISHORE TIWARI OF THE VIDHARBHA JAN ANDOLAN SAMITI (VJAS). "YOU WILL FIND MILL OWNERS ASSOCIATIONS AND THE LIKE ALWAYS PREDICTING A BUMPER CROP. THEY DO NOT HAVE THE MACHINERY OR MEANS TO MAKE SUCH ESTIMATES, BUT THEY WILL. IT PUSHES THE PRICE DOWN. YET, THIS BUMPER CROP CAMPAIGN HAS ANOTHER PURPOSE. IT AIMS TO BOOST THE IMAGE OF BT COTTON, WHICH HAS FARED BADLY. THE IDEA IS TO SAY, EVEN ON LESS ACREAGE, THERE'S MUCH MORE YIELD — THANKS TO BT." MANY SHARE HIS MISTRUST. THIS IS ONE STATE WHERE THE GOVERNMENT HAS GONE OUT OF ITS WAY TO PROMOTE BT COTTON. EVEN THOUGH SOME TOP OFFICERS HAVE EXPRESSED GRAVE DOUBTS OVER THIS PATH. THIS IS NOT NEW. LAST YEAR, THE STATE'S AGRICULTURE COMMISSIONER GAVE THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA A REPORT THAT SAID "NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES WERE OBSERVED" BETWEEN BT AND NON-BT VARIETIES OF COTTON. EXCEPT, OF COURSE IN TERMS OF THE PRICE OF BT COTTON SEED — WHICH THE REPORT FOUND WAS NOT "A JUSTIFIABLE COST." SOME BASIC MYTHS WERE UNDERMINED. "ON AN AVERAGE 3 TO 5 SPRAYINGS WERE GIVEN TO BOTH BT AND NON-BT. THE ATTACK OF SUCKING PEST WAS REPORTED ON BOTH." IT ALSO SAID ITS FIELD OFFICERS FOUND BT COTTON'S PERFORMANCE "NOT SATISFACTORY." AND THAT IN SOME CASES, "NON-BT VARIETIES YIELD BETTER THAN BT VARIETIES." DESPITE THIS, MINISTERS, MLAS, AND FILM STARS WERE ROPED IN TO PROMOTE BT COTTON. THIS YEAR, THE LATEST OVERVIEW OF THE "FARMERS' SUICIDES IN MAHARASHTRA" FROM THE OFFICE OF THE DIVISIONAL COMMISSIONER, AMRAVATI, BEGINS MORE TACTFULLY. IT SAYS RESULTS FROM BT COTTON "HAVE BEEN MIXED." IT THEN GOES ON TO SPILL THE BEANS. "IN RAIN-FED CONDITIONS, BT COTTON HAS NOT PAID GOOD RETURNS." WHICH IMPLIES A DISASTER, SINCE NEARLY 97 PER CENT OF COTTON GROWN IN THE STATE IS UNIRRIGATED. "THOUGH THE USE OF BT COTTON IN MAHARASHTRA IS INCREASING," SAYS THE OVERVIEW, "THE YIELDS HAVE BEEN UNSTABLE. WHEN FARMERS INVEST HEAVILY IN PURCHASING SEEDS AND OTHER INPUTS, THE NET RETURN HAS OFTEN BEEN NEGATIVE." MR. PATIL AND HIS NEIGHBOUR AGREE. "WHAT DO I DO?" ASKS LAXMIBAI BODEWAR. "FIRST, WE'VE TAKEN A BLOW, GETTING MUCH LESS THAN OUR 35 ACRES SHOULD HAVE GIVEN US. NOW WE ARE UNABLE TO SELL WHAT WE HAVE. THE PRICE HAS COLLAPSED. AND THERE IS NO PROCUREMENT." SHE TALKS TO US SITTING ON A GIANT BED OF COTTON. PART OF THE 100 QUINTALS SHE'S STUCK WITH AT HOME. MS. BODEWAR, TOO, IS A BT COTTON GROWER. FOR A STATE SITTING ON A `BUMPER CROP,' THE ACTION HAS BEEN SLOW. NEVER MIND A YIELD OF 350 LAKH QUINTALS OF COTTON. OFFICIAL PROCUREMENT HAS NOT EVEN TOUCHED ONE LAKH QUINTALS AS YET. "THE DELAY IS DELIBERATE," SAYS MR. TIWARI OF THE VJAS. "THIS IS FORCING FARMERS TO SELL WHAT LITTLE THEY HAVE TO PRIVATE TRADERS. TO DEFLECT CRITICISM, THEY WILL STEP UP PROCUREMENT JUST BEFORE THE START OF THE ASSEMBLY SESSION ON DECEMBER 4. BY THAT TIME, MANY WILL HAVE SOLD IN DISTRESS. THEN THEY WILL SAY — FARMERS ARE GETTING A MUCH BETTER PRICE ON THE OPEN MARKET. SO LET US WIND THIS UP ALTOGETHER. THAT IS THE GAME."© COPYRIGHT 2000 - 2006 THE HINDU
UNQUOTE
THE COMPLETE LOAN WAIVER AND RESTORATION OF COTTON PRICE @ RS.2700/- PER QUINTAL IS ONLY SOLUTION TO STOP THESE ON GOING FARMER'S SUICIDES IN VIDARBHA BUT ADMINISTRATION HAS DIVERTING ECONOMIC ISSUES OF AGRARIAN CRISIS TO SOCIAL ISSUES AND SPENDING MORE THAN RS.3 MILLION ON SPIRITUAL GURU'S PARVACHAN-KRITANS WHO ARE NOT AWARE OF ANY OF RURAL PROBLEMS OF RURAL VIDARBHA.
AS EXISTING PACKAGES SPECIALLY ANNOUNCED FOR WEST VIDARBHA IN ORDER TO CONTROL THESE ON GOING FARMERS SUICIDES ARE NOT TARGETED TO THE REASONS OF DISTRESS IN THE RURAL AREA OF COTTON GROWING REGION MASS SUICIDES OF FARMERS ARE LIKELY TO BE REPORTED IN NEAR FUTURE AS THERE IS NO ADMINISTRATION TO SEE THESES HELPLESS FARMERS AND THERE COMPLETE CURIOS AND HOSTILE CORRUPTION INCREASING DISTRESS AMONG FARMERS, WARNED KISHOR TIWARI. PLIGHTS OF THE FARMERS ARE KNOWN TO EVERYBODY BUT NOBODY IS KEEN TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS. GOVT SHOULD ANNOUNCE COMPLETE LOAN WAIVER AND COTTON RATE @RS.2700/- PER QUINTAL IMMEDIATELY AS FIRST STEP TO STOP THESE SUICIDE, KISHOR TIWARI DEMANDED.
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PRESIDENT
VIDARBHA JANADOLAN SAMITI
CONTACT-MOBILE-09422108846

A fading cotton bumper crop- P. Sainath reports mass failure of B.T. cotton this year too

Date:25/11/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/11/25/stories/2006112502891100.htm

Opinion - News Analysis

A fading cotton bumper crop

P. Sainath

Claims of a cotton bumper crop in Maharashtra have faded. Farmers feel such talk was meant to push prices down further. Procurement delays could also force many to sell in distress to private buyers.

— Photo: P. Sainath

Laxmibai Bodewar sits on her bed of unsold cotton. The yield from her 35 acres has been poor, cotton prices have tanked, and procurement is yet to begin in any serious way. She is amazed by talk of a `bumper crop.'

"BUMPER CROP? Where are you living?" Mohan Maratrao Patil wants to know. "My family has 45 acres here in Yavatmal — and all we've managed is 80 quintals of cotton so far. At best, we'll get another 80. We've lost lakhs of rupees." That his lands are irrigated has not helped. "Find me the farmer who has had that great harvest." Mr. Patil, a Bt cotton grower in Vanjiri, scoffs at the notion of a bumper crop.

The idea was aired by the Government of Maharashtra itself. The State's Minister of Marketing, Harshvardhan Patil, told the press more than once that he expected a huge rise in cotton production this year. Some reports had him predict a `bumper crop' of 350 lakh quintals. Others had him peg it at a more modest 300 quintals. Either way, this would mean a huge increase of 30-40 per cent over the official estimate for last year.

On the ground, in any of the six `crisis' districts of Vidharbha, this `bumper crop' is hard to spot. Farmers report huge losses. Official reports tend to confirm their claims. "The State would be lucky to see a yield of 160 lakh quintals this year," says Vijay Jawandia in Wardha. A leading farm activist of this region, Mr. Jawandia believes "the only purpose this kind of bumper crop propaganda serves is to depress already low prices."

"It's the oldest story," says Mr. Patil. "When the crop is in the farmers' hands, all sorts of things are said and done to depress the price. Once it is with the traders, you will see the price improve." The implications are grave for most of the region's 1.7 million farm families. Close to half a million of them — more than two million people — have been recorded by a government survey as facing "maximum distress."

The Minister appears to have based his claim on the estimates of the Cotton Advisory Committee. That body felt Maharashtra would see a yield of 70 lakh bales this year. (That is about 350 lakh quintals.). The Agriculture Department may not contest that claim in public. But top officials say the yield won't exceed 40 lakh bales (200 lakh quintals). The gap between the two claims is a massive 150 lakh quintals. Which, Mr. Jawandia points out, "could be the final production figure in toto."

Also, as a senior official in Amravati told The Hindu : "Almost 3.5 lakh hectares were severely hit by floods and excessive rainfall in this division. Both cotton and soybean have been hurt." There were other problems, too. "Everybody was down with chikungunya," say farmers across the region. "It was very tough to get labour when we needed them most." With some farmers having switched to soybean this season, it gets even harder to see where the `bumper crop' can come from.

"One aim, of course, is to depress prices," says Kishore Tiwari of the Vidharbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS). "You will find mill owners associations and the like always predicting a bumper crop. They do not have the machinery or means to make such estimates, but they will. It pushes the price down. Yet, this bumper crop campaign has another purpose. It aims to boost the image of Bt cotton, which has fared badly. The idea is to say, even on less acreage, there's much more yield — thanks to Bt."

Many share his mistrust. This is one State where the Government has gone out of its way to promote Bt cotton. Even though some top officers have expressed grave doubts over this path. This is not new. Last year, the State's Agriculture Commissioner gave the Government of India a report that said "no significant differences were observed" between Bt and non-Bt varieties of cotton. Except, of course in terms of the price of Bt cotton seed — which the report found was not "a justifiable cost." Some basic myths were undermined. "On an average 3 to 5 sprayings were given to both Bt and non-Bt. The attack of sucking pest was reported on both." It also said its field officers found Bt cotton's performance "not satisfactory." And that in some cases, "non-Bt varieties yield better than Bt varieties." Despite this, Ministers, MLAs, and film stars were roped in to promote Bt cotton.

This year, the latest overview of the "Farmers' suicides in Maharashtra" from the office of the Divisional Commissioner, Amravati, begins more tactfully. It says results from Bt cotton "have been mixed." It then goes on to spill the beans. "In rain-fed conditions, Bt cotton has not paid good returns." Which implies a disaster, since nearly 97 per cent of cotton grown in the State is unirrigated. "Though the use of Bt cotton in Maharashtra is increasing," says the overview, "the yields have been unstable. When farmers invest heavily in purchasing seeds and other inputs, the net return has often been negative."

Mr. Patil and his neighbour agree. "What do I do?" asks Laxmibai Bodewar. "First, we've taken a blow, getting much less than our 35 acres should have given us. Now we are unable to sell what we have. The price has collapsed. And there is no procurement." She talks to us sitting on a giant bed of cotton. Part of the 100 quintals she's stuck with at home. Ms. Bodewar, too, is a Bt cotton grower.

For a State sitting on a `bumper crop,' the action has been slow. Never mind a yield of 350 lakh quintals of cotton. Official procurement has not even touched one lakh quintals as yet. "The delay is deliberate," says Mr. Tiwari of the VJAS. "This is forcing farmers to sell what little they have to private traders. To deflect criticism, they will step up procurement just before the start of the Assembly session on December 4. By that time, many will have sold in distress. Then they will say — farmers are getting a much better price on the open market. So let us wind this up altogether. That is the game."

© Copyright 2000 - 2006 The Hindu

Give Up Anti-Peasant Policies Or Face Peasants’ Wrath

People's Democracy

(Weekly Organ of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)
Vol. XXX

No. 48

November 26, 2006

MASSIVE KISAN RALLY’S WARNING TO UPA GOVT



Give Up Anti-Peasant Policies Or Face Peasants’ Wrath



AIKS president S Ramachandran Pillai addressing the rally

Rajendra Sharma



FROM the massive kisan rally organised in the national capital on November 20, the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) has issued a stern warning to the UPA regime: Give up your anti-people policies or else face the growing struggle of the toiling people! This more than 50,000 strong rally told the government in unequivocal terms that the policies endangering the Indian agriculture, peasantry and the nation’s interests won’t be allowed any more.



This was the biggest rally of its kind in the last few years, where kisans, agricultural workers and other rural toilers had collected in a large number. They had come from all corners of the country to the capital.



The speakers at the rally impressed upon the audience that implementation of even the pro-peasant and pro-agriculture promises of the UPA government’s National Common Minimum Programme could not be expected to be fulfilled without an intensification of struggles.



The rally concluded the three-week long, nationwide jatha campaign of the AIKS on its 12-point charter of demands concerning the peasantry. To recall, this campaign witnessed the taking out of four jathas from four corners of the country, supplemented by several sub-jathas at the state and local level. These jathas traversed through 21 states of the country and held hundreds of meetings and other programmes en route to stress the fact of, and make the people aware about, the ongoing agrarian crisis in the country, its causes and its relationship with the current policy framework. The aim was to bring to the people the demands that are aimed at saving our agriculture, saving the peasantry and saving the country.



As a grim reminder of the ongoing agrarian crisis and its causes, the rally not only raised the issue of suicide by more than two lakh peasants in the last 12 years; it also underlined its determination to fight by raising the slogan “No to Suicide; Unite and Fight!”



Coming on the eve of the winter session of parliament, the rally with full force demanded that the promise to protect the two most vulnerable sections of the agrarian population must be fulfilled at the earliest and in earnest. Another demand was that the bill for protection of the tribal people’s rights must be passed in the winter session itself, and that a comprehensive bill for the agricultural workers must be immediately introduced in parliament. Apart from endorsement of these two demands by the rallyists, the latter also resolved to extend support to the proposed nationwide strike on December 14 and to the ongoing struggle of the peasants of western Rajasthan. It was decided that an AIKS delegation would take up the 12 demands with the concerned ministers of the central government, and that the struggle on these demands would be intensified in the coming days.



COLOURFUL RALLY



AIKS general secretary K Varadha Rajan addressing the rally



Thousands of peasants from several states took part in this colourful rally organised by the Kisan Sabha. They came from Tripura, Manipur, Assam, West Bengal and Bihar in the east; from Himachal, Punjab and Haryana in the north; from Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan in the west and from Kerala, Tamilnadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh in the south. Particularly noteworthy was the large-scale participation of peasants from Vidarbha area in Maharashtra, Waynad district in Kerala and Anantpur district in Andhra Pradesh; these are the areas that are more acutely facing the deadly effects of the ongoing agrarian crisis.



The biggest contingent in the rally was from Maharashtra. Here, on the one hand, the cotton growers of Vidarbha are facing ruination because of the declining cotton prices and, on the other, the tribal and poor peasants of Raigad are facing the threat of being deprived of their lands – the only source of their livelihood – posed by the special economic zones. They are thus made destitute. Large numbers of peasants and agricultural workers from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal, Haryana and Punjab also joined the rally.



On this occasion, the historic Ramlila Maidan and the adjoining areas in the national capital wore the red colour of the Kisan Sabha flags, apart from the banners highlighting the problems facing the peasantry and the AIKS demands. Evident on all sides was the central slogan of this nationwide peasant awareness campaign: “Save Peasantry! Save Agriculture! Save the Country!”



CULMINATION OF JATHAS



The proceedings of the mass meeting started after the jathas from four corners of the country converged on the rally venue. The audience greeted the southern jatha with loud applause and slogans, by greeting the AIKS general secretary, K Varadharajan, who had been leading the jatha. The latter had started from Kanyakumari on October 31 and moved through Kerala, Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh before reaching Delhi. Here, Varadharajan was presented a memento on behalf of the peasants of Kayyur, the land of peasant martyrs in Kerala.



One section of the eastern jatha had started from Orissa on November 2 and another from Tripura on November 5; peasant activists from Manipur had joined the second stream in Assam. The combined Jatha covered West Bengal, Bihar and UP before reaching Delhi. The rallyists greeted Achintya Rai of this jatha. Ashok Dhawale leading the western jatha starting from Mumbai and Lehmbar Singh Taggad leading the northern jatha were also greeted in the like manner.



AIKS president S Ramachandran Pillai presided over the mass meeting. He started his introductory speech by underlining the importance of the AIKS’s nationwide jatha campaign. He explained how the four leading jathas and numerous sub-jathas had covered 21 major states of the country, contacted lakhs of peasants en route and conveyed to them the Kisan Sabha’s message concerning the problems and interests of the agrarian masses in India and the need of a united struggle to overcome these problems. In an emotion-choked tone, the AIKS president asked the peasantry not to commit suicide in desperation but to come together and fight.



Highlighting various aspects of the ongoing agrarian crisis, SRP pointed out that the agrarian crisis directly concerned 65 per cent of India’s population that is dependent on agriculture. Referring to peasant suicides in various states, he said the government statistics also say more than two lakh peasants have committed suicide since 1995. These are apart from the starvation deaths, SRP stressed. After a trend on coming down, poverty ratio is now again increasing, covering newer sections and newer areas. While more and more peasants are losing land and thus pushing the number of agricultural workers up, the days of work available to agricultural workers in a year are on the decline. The rate of growth in agricultural production is now lagging behind the rate of population growth. The per capita per day availability of foodgrains was 510 grams, at the beginning of the so-called economic reforms in 1991; it had come down to 436 grams in 2003.



The AIKS president also referred to the increasing ruination of the peasantry because of the declining prices of their produce. On the other hand, the costs of various agricultural inputs like water, power, diesel, seeds, pesticides and fertilisers have shot up in the last one decade, thus making cultivation a loss-making proposition. At the same time, only 27 per cent of the cultivators are able to avail of cheap institutional credit; the rest 73 per cent are still being fleeced by usurers and are in their vicious grip. And to cap it all, the public investment in agriculture and rural development has been constantly slashed in the last 15 years; various agricultural subsidies have met the same fate. On the one hand, as a part of its liberalisation drive at the instance of the World Bank-IMF-WTO trio, the government has withdrawn the quantitative restrictions on the imports of agricultural produce and slashed the customs duty and other taxes on these products. On the other hand, the government is also withdrawing itself from the support price mechanism that used to give a modicum of relief to the peasantry. All this has led to sharp declines in the prices of our cash crops and other agricultural produce, ruining the peasantry.



SRP said this deepening and all-round agrarian crisis was the result of wrong policies being pursued by the central government as well as most of the state governments barring the Left-led ones, and the policies of liberalisation have made this crisis all the more ruinous. Referring to the proposed Seeds Bill, the so-called Knowledge Initiative agreement with the US and some other steps, SRP said the UPA government is only following in the footsteps of the previous NDA government. The regime has not even taken care to implement the valuable suggestions made by the M S Swaminathan commission to stem the tide of the agrarian crisis, while the packages so far announced by the government have proved to be quite inadequate. He emphatically said the crisis would continue as long as the present ruinous policies are not given up.



Referring to the heroic peasant struggle in western Rajasthan and the repression it is facing, SRP said these fighting peasants could not be cowed down, and announced the AIKS’s full support for them. He appealed to the peasants to foil the communal and casteist designs to break the toiling people’s unity in order to forge a determined struggle all over the country.



AIKS general secretary K Varadharajan narrated his experience in the southern jatha. He said L K Advani had started his rathyatra from the same Kanyakumari but that was to divide the Indian masses, while the AIKS jatha was aimed at uniting the peasants and other toilers. He informed that everywhere en route, one question invariably came up during the press conferences: What would you do if the central government refuses to concede your demands and fulfil its promises regarding the peasantry and agriculture? Its reply was given in a Tamil proverb, meaning that a cow gives you milk if you dance and sing in front of her. So the jatha has sung and danced a lot in its long and arduous journey. What if the UPA government remain still adamant? Then the peasant ties the cow’s legs and shows her a lathi to take milk out. The same would be done to the UPA government if it does not concede to the peasants’ demands.



Referring to the suicide by over two lakh desperate farmers, Varadharajan said his jatha also covered Waynad district in Kerala and Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh where a large number of peasants have taken their own lives. He said the ongoing crisis has caused a deep imbalance in the whole development process. A cartoon in a leading daily shows a wrestler with strong chest (high GDP growth rate) and strong arms (industry and IT sectors) but having small and emaciated legs that symbolise our agriculture. The AIKS general secretary asked: Can a country with such disproportionate development stand on its feet? Can it move? The fight for saving the peasantry thus becomes a fight to save the very present and future of the country. Ashok Dhawale leading the western jatha, Lehmbar Singh Taggad leading the northern jatha and AIKS joint secretary Samar Baura who was in the eastern jatha also spoke on the occasion along with others.



Dhawale said the rally has issued a clear-cut warning to the UPA government and that it is up to the government to decide what fate it wants to meet. So far it has failed to properly recognise the fact of peasant suicides or the starvation deaths in tribal areas; what it sees is only that the Sensex has crossed the 13,000 mark or that the number of millionaires in the country is now above 83,000. In Maharashtra, the state government is out to hand over as much as 25,000 acres of peasant lands to Mukesh Ambani in the name of an SEZ. But, Dhawale said, the current crisis is not insurmountable; it can be overcome by adopting alternative policies like the ones the Left-led governments of West Bengal, Tripura and Kerala are pursuing.



Taggad warned the government that the response that the AIKS’s jatha campaign has evoked in various parts of the country is indicative of the Indian peasants’ resolve to fight. The campaign has also demonstrated that the AIKS, with its over two crore membership and countrywide organisation, is eminently suited to lead the Indian peasantry in this struggle.



Baura recalled Gandhiji’s dictum that villages are India’s soul, adding that now the very soul is being forced to escape the body. He also criticised the faulty implementation of rural employment guarantee scheme in Bihar, Jharkhand and some other states; the fact also remains that the scheme is being implemented today in only one-third of the districts and the centre is yet to extend it to other parts of the country. He said the Left has extended support to the UPA government on the basis of its promises, and we will think what we have to do if the regime fails to honour its promises.



AIKS joint secretary N K Shukla put the 12-point charter of demands before the rally for its endorsement, and the rally endorsed it with loud applause and display of the determination to fight. AIKS finance secretary Noorul Huda moved a resolution about extending support to the December 14 strike, and this too was endorsed in the same manner. AIKS vice president Benoy Konar described this resolve of solidarity as a move in the direction of forging a fighting worker-peasant alliance.



Tribal peasant leader and member of parliament, Bajuban Riyan, moved another resolution demanding that the government must get the tribal rights bill passed in the winter session of parliament itself. He said the government is anxious about the forests, the environment and wild animals but not about nine crore tribal people of this country.



CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Brinda Karat detailed the provisions of the proposed tribal rights bill, adding that the tribals are a people who are considered tribal in one state and dalit in another. She reminded how the government had itself submitted to the Supreme Court that 5.7 lakh acres of forestland were handed over to big companies. But our rulers begin to writhe in pain when it comes to giving the tribals their due rights.



CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat, Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury, several prominent communist leaders, members of parliament were present on the dais as guests. CITU president M K Pandhe, AIAWU joint secretary Suneet Chopra, AIDWA general secretary Sudha Sundararaman, DYFI leader Pushpendra Tyagi came to the mike to assure the peasant struggles the support of their respective organisations.



Through another resolution moved by Subodh Roy, the rally condemned the repression let loose by the BJP’s Rajasthan government against the peasants agitating for canal water. AIKS vice president and Rajasthan assembly member, Amra Ram, greeted the rally on behalf of the fighting Rajasthan peasants and expressed hope about the latter’s victory with the support of working people all over the country. Amid loud slogans, he informed the rally that the Rajasthan peasants are going to hold a big Warning Rally in Gharsana on December 2.



The historic November 20 rally in the capital ended with the resolve that peasants would no more commit suicide in desperation but would take to the path of struggle to bring the government to its senses.

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Govt. Survey of 1.7 Million Vidarbha Farmers- 75 Percent Vidarbha Farmers Distressed: Report

Govt. Survey of 1.7 Million Vidarbha Farmers- 75 Percent Vidarbha Farmers Distressed: Report

http://www.dailyindia.com/show/84764.php/75-percent-Vidarbha-farmers-distressed:-Report

Vidarbha, Nov 22 (ANI): Maharashtra's Vidarbha region has kicked up a storm again, with a State Government survey claiming that about 75 percent of its farmers are distressed and also reporting that farmer suicide cases have gone up by 25 times since 2001.

A survey of 1.7 million farmer families in six districts of Vidarbha, has revealed that a little more than one fourth are facing high distress and the remaining three fourths are under medium distress. Crop loss or crop failure resulting in debt or domestic and societal pressures like being unable to get their daughters married off owing to lack of money and an inability to afford health costs, are cited as the main factors for this distressed condition.

The survey was carried out in 8351 villages at the behest of Maharashtra Chief Secretary D. K. Shankaran. Districts like Amravati, Akola, Yavatmal, Washim, Buldhana, and Wardha were covered under the study, which involved village level workers, teachers and tehsildars.

Around nine lakh families in these villages are under debt, whereas the remaining depended on farm inputs which are scarce. Unmarried daughters were a key source of misery for over three lakh families. Owing to lack of money the marriages could not be arranged, but some farmers showed interest in the mass marriage scheme of the state government to deal with the problem.

Around 12 lakh farmers face struggles as crops fail resulting in losses, either due to infavourable climatic conditions, lack of irrigation facilities or natural calamities. Chronic diseases were another arena causing distress. Organic farming was believed to be bringing some respite to some 40 percent farmers, who seemed to have taken to it.

The six districts covered in the study come under the Prime Minister's `relief package' announced soon after his visit to the region in June this year. The Amravati Division includes five out of the six districts, barring Wardha.Considering the alarming facts in the study, reported by The Hindu, the State Government has sought help from spiritual leaders to counsel the distressed farmers. Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh was a witness to one such spiritual gathering to assess its success.

According to government statistics between 2001 and 2006 suicide cases by farmers are almost at 2400 in these six districts.

The study says that on an average 100 suicides in a month are recorded in the six districts, however a decreasing trend was being seen as far as crop issue suicides are concerned.

The trend is shown as declining as most of the deaths reported by the state government are shown as non-genuine so as to deny compensation to farmers on grounds of ineligibility.

Around 40 percent cases were shown as ineligible last year, this year the count climbed up to 60 percent ineligible cases. The real picture which is concealed must be frightening. (ANI)

It's official: distress up, suicides appalling-p.sainath




Date:22/11/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/11/22/stories/2006112201731100.htm

Opinion - News Analysis

It's official: distress up, suicides appalling

P. Sainath

The Maharashtra Government's findings now show us that over 75 per cent of all farm households in the Vidharbha region are in distress. The data also show that farm suicides were 25 times higher this year than in 2001. But conscious jugglery works to play down the numbers.

— Photo: P. Sainath

Thursday, November 16, 2006

IN 2006 1215 FARMERS SUICIDE -IT'S 300% RISE IN SUICIDE AFTER RELIEF PACKAGE ANNOUNCEMENT.

VIDARBHA JAN ANDOLAN SAMITI

REGD. OFFICE: 11, TRISARAN SOCIETY, KHAMALA, NAGPUR - 440 025.
PH. 2282447/457 MOBILE-9422108846. vidarbha@gmail.com

=======================================================================================
REF: - FARMERS SUICIDES VERY-URGENT- PRESS-NOTE DATED-17TH NOV., 2006

ACCORDING TO MAHARASHTRA GOVT. VIDARBHA SIX DISTRICTS IN 2006 1215 FARMERS SUICIDE -IT'S 300% RISE IN SUICIDE AFTER RELIEF PACKAGE ANNOUNCEMENT.

NAGPUR-17TH NOVEMBER. -2006,

MAHARASHTRA GOVT.'S OWN WEB SITE TODAY UPDATE HAS EXPOSED MAHARASHTRA CHIEF MINISTER'S CLAIMS THAT FARMERS SUICIDE ARE ON DECLINE WHEN GOVT. OFFICIAL PUT THE TOTAL FIGURE OF THE FARMERS SUICIDE IN 2006 TILL DATE AS 1215 WHICH 300% HIGHER THAN LAST TWO YEARS SUICIDE FIGURES.

AFTER BOMBAY HIGH COURT NAGPUR BENCH HAS GIVEN ORDER TO MAHARSHTRA GOVT. IN A PUBLIC INTEREST LITIGATION FILED BY VIDARBHA JAN ANDOLAN SAMITI, AS PER RECENT UPDATE POSTED MAHARASHTRA GOVT. WEB SITE IN 2006 DEATH TOLL OF FARMERS WHO COMMITTED SUICIDES IS 1215 TILL 8TH NOVEMBER 2006.

PLEASE LOG ON FOR WEB DETAILS

http://www.vnss-mission.gov.in/docs/suicide.pdf

WEB DETAILS OF FARMERS SUICIDE UPDATE IS ATTACHED HERE WITH

GOVT. OF MAHARASHTRA HAS PUT THE SHOCKING DATA OF FARMER SUICIDE OF SIX DISTRICT OF WEST VIDARBHA ON IT'S WEB SITE THAT SUICIDES REPORTED IN 2006 ARE 20 TIMES MORE THAN IT WAS IN 2001,HERE ARE DETAILS

HTTP://WWW.VNSS-MISSION.GOV.IN/DOCS/SUICIDE.PDF

YEAR

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

SUICIDES

49

105

143

441

429

1215

ALL RELIEF PACKAGES ARE NON-OPERATIVE AS PER INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON THE WEBSITE SPECIALLY CRATED TO UPDATE DATA OF RELIEF AID IN LAST TWO MONTHS NOTHING HAS SIGNIFICANTLY HAPPENED OTHER THAN 500 ADD FARMERS SUICIDES .

OUT OF 3 MILLION FARMERS GOVT. DIRECT OR INDIRECT AID HAS REACHED TO ONLY 6000 FARMERS, IT IT'S COMPLETE APATHY OF GOVT. BABES IN THE MANTRALAYA WHO ARE NOT RELEASING THE MONEY, KISHOR TIWARI INFORMED.

PRESENTLY HELPLESS FARMERS ARE SELLING THE COTTON BELOW MINIMUM SUPPORT PRICE BUT GOVT. PROCUREMENT HAS ONLY STARTED IT'S PROCUREMENT AT ONLY 22 CENTRES FROM 15TH NOVEMBER THOSE ARE VERY SELECTIVE CENTERS, VJAS HAS DEMANDING RESTORATION OF ADVANCE BONUS IN COTTON MONOPOLY SCHEME AND GOVT. PROCUREMENT @ RS. 2700/- BUT THIS MAIN DEMAND IS BEING INTENTIONALLY TURNED DOWN RESULTING MASS SUICIDES, KISHOR TIWARI.

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THANKING YOU,
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KISHOR TIWARI

PRESIDENT

VIDARBHA JAN ANDOLAN SAMITI

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

FARMERS' SUICIDES TOUCH 1,101 IN VIDARBHA

VIDARBHA JAN ANDOLAN SAMITI

REGD. OFFICE: 11, TRISARAN SOCIETY, KHAMLA, NAGPUR - 440 025.
PH. 2282447/457 MOBILE-9422108846.
vidarbha@gmail.com

===============================================================
REF: - FARMERS SUICIDES VERY-URGENT- PRESS-NOTE DATED- 16TH NOV.., 2006

FARMERS' SUICIDES TOUCH 1,101 IN VIDARBHA

COTTON CROP FAILURE AND DROP DOWN IN PROCUREMNT PRICES ARE THE MAIN REASONS OF SUICIDE-VJAS

NAGPUR-16TH NOVEMBER -2006,

AS MANY AS 1,101 FARMERS HAVE COMMITTED SUICIDE IN THE BACKWARD VIDARBHA REGION OF MAHARASHTRA SINCE JUNE 2005, FARMERS ACTIVIST GROUP VIDARBHA JAN ANDOLAN SAMITI CLAIMED TODAY 16TH NOVEMBER,2006.

YAVATMAL DISTRICT (288) ACCOUNTED FOR THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF DEATHS IN THE LAST NEARLY 17 MONTHS FOLLOWED BY AMRAVATI (202) AND BULDANA (137) DISTRICTS, NGO VIDARBHA JAN ANDOLAN SAMITI SAID IN A RELEASE HERE.

THE NUMBERS OF SUICIDES IN OTHER DISTRICTS OF THE REGION ARE: AKOLA (123), WASHIM (125), WARDHA (90), CHANDRAPUR (41), NAGPUR (36), BHANDARA (32), GONDIA (17) AND GADCHIROLI (10).

EVER SINCE 16 FARMERS TOOK THEIR OWN LIVES IN JUNE 2005, THE SUICIDES BY DEBT-RIDDEN FARMERS HAVE MAINTAINED AN UPWARD TREND AND FROM NOVEMBER LAST YEAR IT TOUCHED 50-PLUS EVERY MONTH, VIDARBHA JAN ANDOLAN SAMITI CLAIMED.

MONTHS OF JULY (90), AUGUST (111), SEPTEMBER (124) ,OCTOBER(112) AND NOVEMBER TILL DAY 15TH OF NOVEMBER (56) THIS YEAR HAVE REGISTERED SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF SUICIDES, IT SAID.

PRIME MINISTER MAN MOHAN SINGH HAD VISITED THE VIDARBHA REGION ON JUNE 30 AND JULY 1 AND ANNOUNCED A RELIEF PACKAGE OF RS 3,750 CRORE FOR SIX DISTRICTS OF THE REGION -- YAVATMAL, AKOLA, AMRAVATI, BULDANA, WASHIM AND WARDHA. HOWEVER, 493 FARMERS HAVE ENDED THEIR LIVES AFTER PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT, THE VJAS CLAIMED

THE VJAS, A FARMERS PRESSURE GROUP CLAIMED THAT NINE FARMERS COMMITTED SUICIDE IN THE REGION IN LAST TWO DAYS , TAKING THE TOTAL NUMBER OF SUICIDES TO 1,101 THE NINE FARMERS ARE

1

RADHAKRISHANA DHANLAL HEMAHE

14-NOV-06

DATORA

GONDIA

2

DOMA DAMADU RAUT

14-NOV-06

TALEGOAN

WARDHA

3

BABA KISAN WARHEKAR

14-NOV-06

HASTAPUR

YAVATMAL

4

MADHAV RAMAJI KOTEWAR

14-NOV-06

VITHUL

YAVATMAL

5

GANESH AMBADAS GOTMARE

14-NOV-06

NIMBHOLI

YAVATMAL

6

MANOHAR KANIRAM JADHAV

15-NOV-06

KHERDA

WASHIM

7

NARAYAV KAWADU MASRAM

15-NOV-06

MANDVA

NAGPUR

8

VITHAL AMBADAS ROTHE

15-NOV-06

WARWAT

BULDHANA

9

RAVINDRA RAMRAO KALMEGH

15-NOV-06

ACHALWADI

AMARAVATI


THE VJAS SAID THE DECISION OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT TO PAY RS 1,900 PER QUINTAL FOR COTTON THIS YEAR UNDER THE MONOPOLY COTTON PROCUREMENT SCHEME (MCPS) HAS PUSHED DOWN PRICES IN THE OPEN MARKET TO RS 1,500 AND LESS. THIS HAS PUT THE CULTIVATOR IN VIDARBHA IN FURTHER TROUBLE, IT CLAIMED
.

THE NGO HAS CRITICISED THE GOVERNMENT FOR ANNOUNCING THE PRICE OVER THREE WEEKS AND NOT OPENING THE SINGLE PROCUREMENT CENTERS TILL DATE IS MAIN REASON OF INCREASING DISTRESS AMONG THE FARMERS RESULTING MASS SUICIDES IN WEST VIDARBHA. IN FACT RELIEF AID HAS NOT REACHED TO ANY FARMERS FAMILY WHO ARE IN DISTRESS AND LISTED IN THE GOVT. OF MAHARASHTRA SURVEY OF SUCH FAMILIES. RELIEF AID IS BEING GIVING TO THE POLITICAL WORKERS OF PARTIES IN POWER AS PER LIST OF LOCAL MINISTERS.DELAY IN OFICIAL PROCUREMNT OF COTTON BY STATE GOVT. IS FORCING FARMERS TO HAVE DISTRESS SALE OF RAW COTTON MORE OVER SUDDEN COTTON CROP FAILURE HAS ADDED FUEL IN THE ON GOING COTTTON FARMERS SUICIDES SPATE,KISHOR TIWARI ADDED.

AS EXISTING PACKAGES SPECIALLY ANNOUNCED FOR WEST VIDARBHA IN ORDER TO CONTROL THESE ON GOING FARMERS SUICIDES ARE NOT TARGETED TO THE REASONS OF DISTRESS IN THE RURAL AREA OF COTTON GROWING REGION MASS SUICIDES OF FARMERS ARE LIKELY TO BE REPORTED IN NEAR FUTURE AS THERE IS NO ADMINISTRATION TO SEE THESES HELPLESS FARMERS AND THERE COMPLETE CURIOS AND HOSTILE CORRUPTION INCREASING DISTRESS AMONG FARMERS, WARNED KISHOR TIWARI. PLIGHTS OF THE FARMERS ARE KNOWN TO EVERYBODY BUT NOBODY IS KEEN TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS. GOVT SHOULD ANNOUNCE COMPLETE LOAN WAIVER AND COTTON RATE @RS.2700/- PER QUINTAL IMMEDIATELY AS FIRST STEP TO STOP THESE SUICIDE, KISHOR TIWARI DEMANDED.
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THANKING YOU,
YOURS TRULY,

KISHOR TIWARI

PRESIDENT
VIDARBHA JANADOLAN SAMITI
CONTACT-MOBILE-09422108846

Monday, November 13, 2006

vidarbha agrarian crisis-Time isn't the healer for suicide's first faces

vidarbha agrarian crisis-Time isn't the healer for suicide's first faces
vidarbha agrarian crisis-Time isn't the healer for suicide's first faces



Posted online: Saturday, July 01, 2006 at 0000 hrs IST

http://www.indianexpress.com/story/7639.html


YAVATMAL, JUNE 30

Nine farmer suicides in six weeks in Yavatmal. That was the story The Indian Express broke on November 19, 2002, bringing into national focus the plight of farmers in this Maharashtra district. The number was shocking then. Four years down the line, with two suicides on an average in the past few months, ground realities have only got gloomier in suicide belt's Ground Zero.

"The situation has gone from bad to worse," say Parvatabai Lohkare, Urmilabai Jadhav, Keshav Jadhav and Rama Katkar. They should know. They lost a family member each to suicides then and have not seen life getting any better with subsequent government aid.

At Dahegaon village near Pandharkawda, Bandu Katkar's widow Rama received a compensation of Rs 1 lakh immediately after this newspaper published the story.

"We squared off a cooperative bank loan―about Rs 30,000―and about Rs 18,000 taken from our daughters with that money. But crop failures didn't stop. Today, we are burdened with a fresh loan of Rs 30,000," says 75-year-old Zibal, late Bandu's ailing and visually-impaired father. "Last year, we defaulted on repayment so we can't get a fresh loan," he says. After Bandu's death, Rama has been tilling her 10-acre land.

Parvatabai Lohkare from Pimpalshenda village just received 1.5 quintals of cotton as her share from her 3.5-acre non-irrigated land. She rented this out after her husband Sukhdev's suicide in 2002. One of her sons Achal died after Sukhdev's death. Of the two left, the eldest, Deepak, works in Mumbai, but earns enough only for himself. The younger, Anil, is a farm labourer.

The Rs 1 lakh aid she got was used to repay loans. So, it's back to square one for both Rama and Pravatabai.

At Pimpalshenda village, Lachhiram Jadhav's widow Urmilabai is left with a seven-acre barren piece of land lent by a cousin. Seven months ago, the sub-divisional officer gave an aid of Rs 10,000.

"What's the use? I have been borrowing money from here and there to feed my family of two. My daughter Geeta's marriage too became possible with help from villagers," she says.

Pimpalshenda also has many farmers who are tilling the government's ceiling land. So, there is no question of being eligible for loan. This year, money-lenders and farm shop owners have refused to help due to the government crackdown.

At Mohada Kinaha, it's a reversal of roles. Keshav Jadhav's wife Suman had consumed poison after their 3.5-acre farm was ruined by floods. "She was worried how we would marry off our four daughters. Flood is a routine story in our farm as it is situated along a nullah," says Keshav.

A couple of days ago, heavy rains again ruined fresh sowings in his farm. With the government not intervening effectively, Vidarbha farmers have been shifting to farming pulses, mainly soyabean.

"With a slash in prices due to successive crop failures, we can't afford it anymore. So this year, 75 per cent of the land here is under soyabean," say Kinhala villagers.

Clearly, aid alone won't do. Crop failures need to be stopped. "Most villages have lost their first sowings, which means additional expenses... It also breaks the finance cycle and the farmers are left at the mercy of money-lenders," explains Vijaya Jawandhia, a farm activist.

Last year, the Maharashtra government withdrew the Rs-500 bonus under the pretext of scheme losses, delivering a death blow. And also unleashed a campaign against money-lenders. So, the defaulters had nowhere to go.

Sunday, November 12, 2006

NINE MORE FARMERS SUICIDE IN TWO DAYS REPORTED (SEE LIST) TAKING TOLL 1092 SINCE JUNE 2005

VIDARBHA JAN ANDOLAN SAMITI

REGD. OFFICE: 11, TRISARAN SOCIETY, KHAMLA, NAGPUR - 440 025.
PH. 2282447/457 MOBILE-9422108846.
vidarbha@gmail.com

===============================================================
REF: - FARMERS SUICIDES VERY-URGENT- PRESS-NOTE DATED- 13TH NOV.., 2006

NINE MORE FARMERS SUICIDE IN TWO DAYS REPORTED (SEE LIST) TAKING TOLL 1092 SINCE JUNE 2005

COTTON CROP FAILURE AND DROP DOWN IN PROCUREMNT PRICES ARE THE MAIN REASONS OF SUICIDE-VJAS

NAGPUR-13th NOVEMBER -2006,

NINE MORE FARMERS COMMITTED SUICIDES IN VIDARBHA IN LAST TWO DAYS TAKING TOLL 1092 SINCE JUNE 2005,PROVING GOVT. OF MAHARSHTRA'S CLAIM THAT RATE OF SUICIDE HAS BEEN DROP DOWN,INFORMED KISHOR TIWARI OF VIDARBHA JAN ANDOLAN SAMITI.

IN FACT ALL THRE MONTHS ARE WORST HIT AS AGUST-111,SEPTEMBER-125 AND OCTOBER-112 FARMERS COMMITTED SUICIDES REPORTED MAKING ADMINISTRATION TOLL CLAIMS ATHAT ALL RELIEF PACKAGES ARE SHOWING THE RESULTS.IN FACT RELIEF AID HAS NOT REACHED TO ANY FARMERS FAMILY WHO ARE IN DISTRESS AND LISTED IN THE GOVT. OF MAHARASHTRA SURVEY OF SUCH FAMILIES. RELIEF AID IS BEING GIVING TO THE POLITICAL WORKERS OF PARTIES IN POWER AS PER LIST OF LOCAL MINISTERS.DELAY IN OFICIAL PROCUREMNT OF COTTON BY STATE GOVT. IS FORCING FARMERS TO HAVE DISTRESS SALE OF RAW COTTON MORE OVER SUDDEN COTTON CROP FAILURE HAS ADDED FUEL IN THE ON GOING COTTTON FARMERS SUICIDES SPATE,KISHOR TIWARI ADDED.

HERE ARE NAMES OF THE NINE FARMERS WHO COMMITTED SUICIDES IN LAST TWO DAYS .

1

ANAND KASHINATH BAWANE

11-NOV-06

JAM

WARDHA

LOKMAT

2

DHYANESHWAR SHANKER RAUT

11-NOV-06

SARATHI

AMARAVATI

HITAVADA

3

DEVIDAS GOMAJI PARTHI

11-NOV-06

GUND DHAWADA

GONDIA

SAKAL

4

DHYANESHWAR NARAYAB LAMBAT

11-NOV-06

SASTI

AKOLA

DESHONATTI

5

PUNAJI LAXMAN CHIKATE

12-NOV-06

PARAS

AKOLA

SAKAL

6

RAMKRISHNA JABARU JADHAV

12-NOV-06

LOHGAD

AKOLA

LOKMAT

7

VASUDEO BALIRAM DEVKAR

12-NOV-06

ANDHARSAWANGI

AKOLA

LOKMAT

8

DHYANESHWAR BAJIRAO DONGARE

12-NOV-06

WAKI

AMARAVATI

DESHONATTI

9

SUBHADRA SHAERAO RAUT

12-NOV-06

PIMPALGOAN

NAGPUR

SAKAL

THE COMPLETE LIST OF 1092 FARMERS WHO COMMITTED SINCE JUNE 2005 SUICIDE IS ATTACHED HERE WITH.

COTTON PROCUREMENT HAS NOT STARTED AT ANY CENTRE VIDARBHA

THE MAHARASHTRA COTTON FEDERATION CHIEF DR.N.P.HIRANI HAS STARTED STATE OWNED COTTON PROCURE ON 6TH NOV.2006 AND ANNOUNCED THAT 220 PROCUREMENTS CENTRE WILL OPENED TO PROCUREMENT THE VIDARBHA FARMERS COTTON AT MINIMUM SUPPORT PRICE BUT TILL TODAY NON OF THE PROCUREMENT CENTRE ARE FUNCTIONAL MORE OVER NOT SINGLE PRIVATE PURCHASER HAS STARTED OFFICIAL PROCUREMENT IN ANY A.P.M.C. YARD HENCE MOST OF THE FARMERS ARE FORCED TO SALE THEIR COTTON IN KHEDA KHAREDI THAT'S @ 1700 TO 1800 PER QUINTAL.HOSTILE SALE OF COTTON IS RESULTING MORE SUICIDE AS ONCE AGAIN B.T. COTTON HAS FAILED TO GIVE BUMPER YIELD AS REPORTED BY THE ADMINISTRATION.

THIS YEAR COTTON CROP EXPECTED TO BE ALMOST 50% WELL BELOW THE 120 LACS QUINTALS AS AGAINST 350 LACS CLAIMED BY THE ADMINISTRATION.

THE COMPLETE LOAN WAIVER AND RESTORATION OF COTTON PRICE @ RS.2700/- PER QUINTAL IS ONLY SOLUTION TO STOP THESE ON GOING FARMER'S SUICIDES IN VIDARBHA BUT ADMINISTRATION HAS DIVERTING ECONOMIC ISSUES OF AGRARIAN CRISIS TO SOCIAL ISSUES AND SPENDING MORE THAN RS.3 MILLION ON SPIRITUAL GURU'S PARVACHAN-KRITANS WHO ARE NOT AWARE OF ANY OF RURAL PROBLEMS OF RURAL VIDARBHA.

AS EXISTING PACKAGES SPECIALLY ANNOUNCED FOR WEST VIDARBHA IN ORDER TO CONTROL THESE ON GOING FARMERS SUICIDES ARE NOT TARGETED TO THE REASONS OF DISTRESS IN THE RURAL AREA OF COTTON GROWING REGION MASS SUICIDES OF FARMERS ARE LIKELY TO BE REPORTED IN NEAR FUTURE AS THERE IS NO ADMINISTRATION TO SEE THESES HELPLESS FARMERS AND THERE COMPLETE CURIOS AND HOSTILE CORRUPTION INCREASING DISTRESS AMONG FARMERS, WARNED KISHOR TIWARI. PLIGHTS OF THE FARMERS ARE KNOWN TO EVERYBODY BUT NOBODY IS KEEN TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS. GOVT SHOULD ANNOUNCE COMPLETE LOAN WAIVER AND COTTON RATE @RS.2700/- PER QUINTAL IMMEDIATELY AS FIRST STEP TO STOP THESE SUICIDE, KISHOR TIWARI DEMANDED.
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THANKING YOU,
YOURS TRULY,

KISHOR TIWARI

PRESIDENT
VIDARBHA JAN ADOLAN SAMITI
CONTACT-MOBILE-09422108846