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Monsanto's GMO Corn Linked To Organ Failure, Study Reveals

2012-01-03T20:55:00.000-08:00

January 3, 2012

Monsanto's GMO Corn Linked To Organ Failure, Study Reveals

Huffington Post Katherine Goldstein/Gazelle Emami First Posted: 03/18/10 06:12 AM ET Updated: 05/25/11 04:10 PM ET

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In a study released by the International Journal of Biological Sciences, analyzing the effects of genetically modified foods on mammalian health, researchers found that agricultural giant Monsanto's GM corn is linked to organ damage in rats.
According to the study, which was summarized by Rady Ananda at Food Freedom, "Three varieties of Monsanto's GM corn - Mon 863, insecticide-producing Mon 810, and Roundup® herbicide-absorbing NK 603 - were approved for consumption by US, European and several other national food safety authorities."
Monsanto gathered its own crude statistical data after conducting a 90-day study, even though chronic problems can rarely be found after 90 days, and concluded that the corn was safe for consumption. The stamp of approval may have been premature, however.
In the conclusion of the IJBS study, researchers wrote:

"Effects were mostly concentrated in kidney and liver function, the two major diet detoxification organs, but in detail differed with each GM type. In addition, some effects on heart, adrenal, spleen and blood cells were also frequently noted. As there normally exists sex differences in liver and kidney metabolism, the highly statistically significant disturbances in the function of these organs, seen between male and female rats, cannot be dismissed as biologically insignificant as has been proposed by others. We therefore conclude that our data strongly suggests that these GM maize varieties induce a state of hepatorenal toxicity....These substances have never before been an integral part of the human or animal diet and therefore their health consequences for those who consume them, especially over long time periods are currently unknown."

Monsanto has immediately responded to the study, stating that the research is "based on faulty analytical methods and reasoning and do not call into question the safety findings for these products."
The IJBS study's author Gilles-Eric Séralini responded to the Monsanto statement on the blog, Food Freedom, "Our study contradicts Monsanto conclusions because Monsanto systematically neglects significant health effects in mammals that are different in males and females eating GMOs, or not proportional to the dose. This is a very serious mistake, dramatic for public health. This is the major conclusion revealed by our work, the only careful reanalysis of Monsanto crude statistical data."

Vidarbha farmers flays Maharashtra’s Rs 2,000 cr Historic Package

2011-12-24T06:32:00.000-08:00

Vidarbha farmersflays Maharashtra’s Rs 2,000 cr Historic Package

Nagpur-24^th december2011

Vidarbha farmers stronglyobjected Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan statement that the Rs2,000 crore package for cotton, soya and paddy growers that was announced bythe state recently as historic as the bailout package for crop failure ofaround 10 million hector cotton, soya and paddy to tune of more than Rs.20,000crore hence aid is just peanut will not address the hardship of 7 million farmfamilies effected in this manmade agrarian calamity, Kishor Tiwari, presidentof Nagpur-based Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti, (VJAS), activist group working forcotton farmer rights in a Press release today..

‘Yes we are agree with CM that package was"never seen before" and not likely to be seen again, but if he knowsground reality of agrarian crisis hit rural Maharashtra then he should haveunderstood what nonsense he is talking about, when state is facing problem formonthly salary of the Babus over burdened with debt of 2.87 thousand crore ,heis misleading the media and state too which most unfortunate” Tiwari added.

The Chief minister PrithvirajChavan announced the details of the Rs2,000-crore compensation package forcotton, paddy and soya farmers on the concluding day of the state legislature’swinter session which has completely disappointed 7 million debt trapped cotton,soya and paddy rowers of Maharashtra when CM said dying distressed cotton farmer would get Rs4,000 per hectarewhereas paddy and soya farmers would be given Rs2,000 per hectare in cash tomaximum limit of 2 hector per farm family more over two hectares is the maximumlimit for the relief, paddy and soya farmers would get the compensation only iftheir loss is 25% or more giving the scope for administration to reject mostcrop failure and agrarian crisis hit farmers will not get anything in their hands.Its better to not announce the package at all,” Tiwari said,

“farmers of vidarbha region aredemanding hike in cotton procurement price to @ Rs.6000/- in order to compensate the losses incurred bythem and cash compensation @ Rs.20,000 per hector but state has announcedRs.2000 crore for nearly 90 lakh hector which will peanut hence there is demandto revised the relief package and to sort out issues of dry land farmers whichare victims of Agrarian crisis and needsincome base incentive to stop their on going suicides and such steps are mustand should taken without delay but CM salient over the price front and longterm solution likely trigger further fall of cotton prices and will additionalfuel to farm suicide spiral which has killed more than 8000 cotton farmer since2004 in west vidarbha alone ” ,Tiwariadded.

Maharashtra DF Govt. today mostwaited announcement of giving Rs.2000 crore relief package for 40 lakhs hectorcrop loss compensation is another eyewash as earlier vidarbha farmer packages of year 2005 and2006 has dashed hopes of more than 5 million farmers who are facing severe economical crisis dueto massive crop failure who are demanding the bailout package and hike in MSPof cotton ,soybean and paddy as thiswill trigger another spiral of farmer suicides having failed to address thebasic issue of price and future sustainability of dying agrarian community,Kishor Tiwari added.

‘It was most expected that afterCM indicated earlier that bankrupt financial condition of Maharashtra can’teven give Rs.8000/- per farm family maximum to 5 millions cotton farmers wherethere is crop failure against the demand of Rs.10,000/- and the cotton farmers of western vidarbha willget nothing as administration has shown minimum crop failure in this region andnow out 70 lakh hector area under cultivation of cotton, soya and paddy whopwill get what that god know?. Farmers and all parties including congress NCPthat MRP hike in cotton ,soya and paddy and cash compensation in line withsugarcane growers of western Maharashtra butonce again Govt. has mad mockery of agrarian crisis and announced such pennyrelief which is nothing but hoax’ Tiwari added.

‘we are demanding long termsolution to agrarian crisis not any package which are mostly contractor drivenand designed to rehabilitation of the ill managed politician runs cooperativebanks. our farmers are working for handful MNCs who are manufacturing Gm seed,fertilizer and pesticides and revival of own agriculture is must which is notbeing done ’ Tiwari said.

"There is a need for stategovernment's intervention in this regard. The government should provide at leastRs 6,000 per quintal. The chief minister Prithviraj Chavan had promised that hewould talk with the union government for better support price for the rawcotton. However, nothing has been done in this regard," Tiwari alleged.

Bt. Cotton Cultivation should be Banned-MeriNews Report

2011-12-22T03:59:00.001-08:00

Bt. Cotton cultivation should be banned

http://www.merinews.com/article/bt-cotton-cultivation-should-be-banned/15862959.shtml

**Now the government has enough reasons to ban the climate sensitive Gm cotton crop. Without wasting much time it should ban it, bringing happiness to the farmers that have been forced to commit suicides due to regular crop failures.**

IT IS official that dry land cotton farmers who opted for Bt, cotton in 40 lakh hectares are likely to lose Rs. 10,000 crores as per initial estimate of crop failure by Maharashtra administration, a farmer advocacy group has alleged.

The announcement of Maharashtra Chief Minister Prathiviraj Chavan that government will announce a bailout package to Maharashtra dry land farmers to the tune of Rs.2000 crore that will cover crop failure of Bt.cotton in 40 lakhs hector in the year 2011-12. This has happened only twice in last five years, the first time in the year 2005-2006 when government compensated farmers to the tune of Rs. 220 crore as it grew Bt cotton in 4 lakh hectares.

“Bt. cotton was first approved for commercial cultivation in nine states by Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) but as Per Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar’s own admission that average yield of Bt.cotton in dry land areas of Maharashtra is only 125 kg. Now it’s official that dry land cotton farmers who opted Bt.cotton in 40 lakh hectares are likely to lose Rs.10,000 crore as per initial estimate of crop failure reported by mahrashtra administration,” Kishor Tiwari of Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti, informed in a press release today.

'The admission of Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar that Bt.cotton yield is minimum in Maharashtra and compensation package of Rs.2000 crore promptly announced by Maharashtra Chief Minister Prathiviraj Chavan for Bt.cotton crop failure has once again substantiated our long pending demand that highly rain sensitive and climate sensitive Gm cotton crop has completely failed since 2005 and should banned, 'Tiwari added.

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Farmers Threaten to 'Donate' Govt Aid to Maoists-IANS

2011-12-18T03:29:00.001-08:00

Farmers Threaten to 'Donate' Govt Aid to Maoists-IANS

Nagpur, Dec 18 (IANS): Refusing to accept the state government's 'paltry' Rs.2000 crore aid package, some farmers in Maharashtra's Vidarbha region have threatened to donate the amount, averaging Rs.1,700 per head, to Maoists active in the state's eastern districts, an activist said here Sunday.
The decision was taken Saturday, Dec 17 by nearly 20,000 farmers of five villages in the Arni sub-district of Yavatmal, around 175 kms from here. Yavatmal is notorious for being the country's worst suicide-hit farmland district.
"The villagers of Bellora, Mangrul, Sakur, Borgosavi and Brahmanwada have formed an action committee and an unanimous decision was taken on the issue. Whenever we get this Rs.1700 aid, we shall donate it to the Maoists," Raju Raut, the committee's representative from Bellora told IANS.
Several hundred farmers along with their local village representatives took part in the meeting Saturday, where the decision to donate the aid to Maoists was discussed and finalized.
Raut claimed that the villagers decided on the extreme measure since the government's aid package is too little and too less and is merely a 'tokenism' to lure the farmers to withdraw their ongoing month-old agitation, demanding better remuneration for their produce.
Last Wednesday, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, while announcing the Rs.2000 crore package, termed it 'historic and the biggest ever aid' for over seven million needy farmers in the regions of Vidarbha, north Maharashtra and Marathwada.
Chavan informed the State Legislature currently in session in Nagpur, that the cotton, soyabean and grain growers needed the aid package most and pointed out that the state government had provided similar aid packages of nearly Rs.600 crore to sugarcane growers in the past two years.
This latest aid package, which followed a Rs.1000-crore package last year, was roundly criticized by opposition parties, farmers groups and NGOs like 'Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti' (VJAS).

11 more Vidarbha Farmers Suicides reported in December

2011-12-12T01:55:00.001-08:00

11 more Vidarbha Farmers Suicides reported in December: Farmers Demands Policy Driven Relief Package not ‘Contractor or Bank Driven’

Nagpur -12^th December ,2011

The suicide spiral of debt trapped vidarbha farmer who are deep grip of agrarian crisis since 2005 due successive crop failure and volatile market prices of cotton has added 11 more victims as these 11 farmers suicides cases surfaced in first 10days of December 2011 when they failed to get any rlief from state due to technical hurdles created by state election which has administration to announce any relief to 5 million dying farmers of Maharashtra on the pretext of so called code of conduct enforced due on going local body election Maharashtra taking toll to 715 in year 2011, ill feted farmers are

1.Mahadev Sapkal of Talked in Buldhana

2.Bhimrao Kulsange of Dhanoli in wardha

3.Bhattu Padalwar of Itgoan in bhandara

4.Shankar Katkar of Dadhipidhi in amaravati

5.Bhagwan Meshram of Kelzara in yavamal

6.Gajanan Bhongale of Belora in yaatmal

7.Balabhau Rathode of Uamardari in washiml

8.Kishor Talmale of Umaripathar in Yavatmal

9.Sanddep Khadase of Kkolpakhindi in Yavatmal

10.Tukaram Satpute of Kenwad in washim

11.Devidas Sarodkar of Thad in Buldhana

Kishor Tiwari, president of Nagpur-based Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti, (VJAS), activist group working for cotton farmer rights who are documenting these farm suicides since 1997 informed in a Press release today.

‘we are demanding long term solution to agrarian crisis not any package which are mostly contractor driven and designed to rehabilitation of the ill managed politician runs cooperative banks. our farmers are working for handful MNCs who are manufacturing Gm seed, fertilizer and pesticides and revival od own agriculture is must which is not being done ’ Tiwari said.

The vidarbha agrarian is result of wrong policies promoted by state and situation of cotton growers in west Vidarbha has worsened when ban of cotton export imposed last year and massive crop failure this year .

"There is a need for state government's intervention in this regard. The government should provide at least Rs 6,000 per quintal. The chief minister Prithviraj Chavan had promised that he would talk with the union government for better support price for the raw cotton. However, nothing has been done in this regard," Tiwari alleged.

Tiwari continued, "The government did not concede our demand of providing food security to desperate, distressed and marginal farmers even. The government needs to behave sensibly and responsibly to address farmers' woes and prevent the prevailing spate of suicide in the killing fields of Vidarbha." If the cotton growers do not get better price this season, the situation will assume drastic proportions, he cautioned.

VJAS has urged Govt. of India to send team of expert to assess the Bt. Cotton crop damage in Maharashtra and west vidarbha in particular where cotton farmers are killing themselves ।VJAS has been demanding hike in cotton MSP Rs.6000/- per quintal and relief package to dying cotton farmers of region, Tiwari added.

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Harvest of Grief-THE WEEK

2011-11-12T03:56:00.001-08:00

Saturday, 12 November 2011

Harvest of Grief-THE WEEK

Harvest of grief-THE WEEK

Harvest of grief
- By Niranjan Takle

Sat Nov 12 11:27:38 GMT 2011
*

Tiwari calls “farmers genocide”. Through his Vidarbha Janaandolan Samiti, Tiwari has been working on the agrarian crisis in Vidarbha for long. “The most feasible solution to this problem is to immediately opt for organic farming. It is the most cost-effective way of increasing productivity in terms of number as well as nutrition quality,” he said. He suspects a conspiracy behind the government promoting hybrid seeds and chemical fertilisers which are harming farmers.

Subhash Kharode did the best he could do to convince the authorities of the nature of his death—he wrote his suicide note on a 050 stamp paper. “I am not getting the right price for my crop because of the inconsistent policy of the government. I am depressed and committing suicide. A similar note to the district collector has been kept in my pocket,” said the note by the farmer.
Kharode hanged himself on a tree in his farm at Akot in Akola district of Vidarbha in Maharashtra. But even the stamp paper failed to do the job, as the police, after the inquest, called it an “accidental death”.
“This is a new ploy of the state government and the police department,” said social activist Kishor Tiwari, “to claim cases of suicide have gone down.” Cruelly, in cases where they record the death as suicide, they leave some loopholes and make the family ineligible for the compensation of Rs:1 lakh,” he said.
Farmers die by the dozen in Vidarbha every week. Till September, there had been 654 suicides in the region this year. That is, every 13 hours a farmer commits suicide. “This is the official number. The deaths not recorded as suicides by the police would be another 250-300,” said Prakash Pohare, an activist-journalist in Akola. After Kharode’s suicide, Pohare led a rally to the police station protesting the fudged inquest, but to no avail.
Everybody knows why farmers commit suicide: debt trap due to crop loss or poor crop prices. So why can’t the government fix it? Faulty and skewed policies, in fact, are at the bottom of the farmers’ suicide story.
Sangita Panchalenwar’s husband, Nilesh, killed himself with pesticide on September 10 last year. He had a loan of Rs:40,000 from Central Bank and had suffered heavy losses because of excess rainfall. “It has been a year but I have not received any compensation. I don’t even know what they wrote in the inquest,” Sangita says. She has given her five acres to a farmer neighbour on contract and gets Rs:1,000 a month. She has to work as a contract labourer on other farms to feed her two children, and has no idea how to repay the loan without getting any compensation.
Sangita’s village, Hivara Barsa in Yavatmal district, has 150 houses, and most of them are in the debt trap. The village has seen three suicides in the past nine months and the people fear more will happen. “I have a loan of Rs:9 lakh on my 28-acre farm. This year the excess rainfall has destroyed my cotton and soybean. We can’t even afford to educate our children,” said Prakash Bolenwar, a farmer. “I think many suicides will happen in the months to come.” Yavatmal, which is considered to have the most fertile land in the region, has seen the most suicides in Vidarbha in the last decade.
“The government is not showing any will to address the real reasons. The promotion of chemical fertilisers and pesticides and modified seeds has really been the reason of this tragic state of agriculture in Vidarbha,” said Pohare. Farmers’ input costs have shot up and the returns seldom match them. “The input or production costs in cotton farming with chemical fertilisers, pesticides and Bt cotton have increased 10 times in the last 10 years but the returns are dropping every year,” said Gopal Shelke, a cotton farmer in Kanheri in Akola. In fact, all the farmers cultivating Bt cotton in his village are in the debt trap. Shelke’s friend Rajendra Sarap committed suicide two years ago.
Though the worst affected by the debt trap and suicides, Vidarbha is the least benefited from the government’s loan waiver. The properties of the joint families in the region are often in the name of all the family members (unlike elsewhere in the state where the family-owned land is divided in the names of individual members and every individual has the status of an independent farmer) making them ineligible for the loan waiver which requires a farmer to hold not more than five acres.
Take the case of Sunita Sarap, whose husband, Rajendra, committed suicide by taking pesticide. He had 12 acres and a loan of Rs:1 lakh. Sunita had to sell seven acres to pay back the loan after his death and to meet the expenses of her daughter’s marriage. Though she has a well for irrigation, her crops suffer from the long hours of load shedding. “We don’t get electricity for 14 hours a day. We get it late in the night when we can’t go to the field because of snakes and wild boars. It is as good as not allowing us to cultivate,” she said. She did not get any loan waiver because her husband had owned more than five acres.
Even for many of the farmers who got the loan waiver, the benefit was restricted to Rs:25,000 and the balance amounts were just rescheduled, said Tiwari. Since 2001, as per official data, six of eleven districts of Vidarbha—Amaravati, Akola, Yavatmal, Buldhana, Washim and Wardha—had more than 8,000 farmer suicides but only 2,497 of them have been “eligible for the compensation of Rs:1 lakh”.
“Every year the percentage of ineligible farmers is increasing because of the wrong and faulty panchanamas done by the police and this happens at the behest of the government,” said Tiwari.
Zaabaji Ramachandra Kale of Ganeshpur in Yavatmal committed suicide on September 6, 2011. “We didn’t get any benefit of the loan waiver,” said his wife, Taanebai. Zaabaji had submitted all the documents to the tehsildar for division of land in his and his sons’ names. “The officer asked for a bribe of Rs:10,000, which we couldn’t pay,” said the wife.
Zaabaji, who had a loan of Rs:1.5 lakh, cultivated 7.5 acres of the 15 acres his family owned. The delayed monsoon this year destroyed his cotton and soybean crops. “We had suffered similar loss last year also. Though the government announced a Rs:1,000 crore relief package, we didn’t get a penny. The agriculture officers didn’t even turn up to see the loss,” said Sachin, Zaabaji’s son.
In June 2005, chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh announced a package of Rs:1,075 crore. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited Vidarbha and announced a package of Rs:3,750 crore in July 2006. Of this, Rs:712 crore was for writing off the overdue interests, Rs:1,296 crore for rescheduling of the credit and the rest for irrigation projects. “It was all treatment of symptoms and not the disease. The irrigation projects take years to commence and many more years to complete. The core problems like rising production costs, falling prices, reducing productivity, food security and efficient crop insurance remain to be addressed,” said Pohare. Obviously the measures are not working, as more than 5,000 farmers have committed suicide since 2006.
As it received many complaints, the state government asked the Vasantarao Naik Sheti Swavalamban Mission to study the implementation of these packages. B.V. Gopal Reddy of the mission visited the sites, held hearings and submitted his findings. He noted large-scale misappropriation. “There were many instances of an MLA’s wife or zilla parishad office bearer taking the cows and buffaloes posing as farmers in distress,” said Tiwari. The government suspended 50 officers and initiated a departmental inquiry against 405.
A forced departure from the traditional way of cultivation is one reason the farmers end up in the debt trap. The cost of production has gone up with the usage of hybrid seeds and chemical fertilisers and pesticides. Green chilli hybrid seeds cost Rs:30,000 a kilo, brinjal seeds Rs:8,000 and tomato seeds Rs:65,000. If the rains are not on time, the farmers have to repeat sowing, at times more than once.
Hybrid seeds are highly susceptible to diseases, and the plants require a profuse use of expensive fertilisers and pesticides. “Traders always indulge in black-marketing and almost everything is sold at double the price,” said Pohare. “The government gives a subsidy of Rs:1.4 lakh crore to fertiliser companies every year. If it really wants to stop farmer suicides and increase productivity, it should stop giving crores of rupees to fertiliser companies and use it to encourage farmers to opt for organic farming.”
Pesticides are widely used by farmers of Vidarbha to kill themselves. “The government should ban pesticides. This is like a poison at hand for farmers,” said Aparna Malikar, whose husband, Sanjay, took pesticide. He had taken a loan of Rs:2 lakh from Pusad Urban Coop Bank for his cotton and soybean cultivation. But excess rainfall destroyed his crop. After her husband’s death, Aparna started tilling her farm to feed her daughters, who are in class two and in kindergarten.
In October, Aparna participated in the Kaun Banega Crorepati television show on Sony and won Rs:6.40 lakh. Moved by her plight, actor Amitabh Bachchan, who hosts the show, gave her another Rs:1.5 lakh. But she was inconsolable. “I lost my husband for the fear of repaying Rs:2 lakh. Today even if I have this money, I can’t get my Sanjay back,” she said.
Activists have some suggestions to end what Tiwari calls “farmers genocide”. Through his Vidarbha Janaandolan Samiti, Tiwari has been working on the agrarian crisis in Vidarbha for long. “The most feasible solution to this problem is to immediately opt for organic farming. It is the most cost-effective way of increasing productivity in terms of number as well as nutrition quality,” he said. He suspects a conspiracy behind the government promoting hybrid seeds and chemical fertilisers which are harming farmers.
Pohare, who has been doing organic farming successfully on his 25-acre farm at Kanheri in Akola, uses cow dung and the waste generated in the field as vermi-compost fertilisers, and natural pesticides like neem seeds. “This keeps the input production cost negligible compared with the hybrid seeds and chemical fertilisers. One acre of organic soybean farming costs only a few hundred rupees for me, while thousands of rupees are needed otherwise,” he said.
Pohare is also doing organic cotton farming successfully. “Indian cotton has always been better than European cotton and these foreign companies promoted Bt cotton to kill our quality and the traditional knowledge of cultivation,” he said. Pohare has been trying to spread awareness about organic farming among farmers in Vidarbha. “This awareness has to reach every farmer and this can’t happen without the government’s support. It has to think of the true welfare of the farmer,” he said.
The agrarian crisis in Vidarbha has been studied by the Vasantarao Naik Sheti Swavalamban Mission, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research and Dr Narendra Jadhav, former vice-chancellor of Pune University. All these studies have pointed out that only 3 per cent of the total farmers get the benefits of irrigation and the rest still depend on the rain.
The reports say the minimum support price that the dry-land farmers of Vidarbha get is only 55-65 per cent of the production cost. They also criticise the fall in the government’s spending on agriculture—from 20 per cent in 1990 to 6 per cent in 2000—and highlight the need for local water conservation projects rather than big irrigation projects.
About 90 per cent of the farmers in Vidarbha do not have access to institutional loans and go to private moneylenders, who charge 48 per cent to 60 per cent interest. “The home minister talks about acting against private moneylenders, but the state couldn’t make the institutional finance efficient and proactive,” said Tiwari. The state government, he said, was once even fined by the Supreme Court for the chief minister’s office stopping the police from acting against a politically powerful moneylender.
If the government is serious about helping the farmers of Vidarbha, experts say, it should get rid of the administrative negligence and take appropriate measures to plug the gaps in the system. It should proactively and empathetically look at their problems. Until then the number of widows in Vidarbha will keep rising.

Ten more Cotton farmers suicides added to a quarter of a million Indian farmers’ suicide tally from Vidarbha

2011-11-05T03:16:00.000-07:00

Ten more Cotton farmers suicides added to a quarter of amillion Indian farmers’ suicide tally from Vidarbha

Nagpur-5th November 4, 2011

The innocent victimization of Indian cotton farmers is tillcontinue as Ten more debt trapped farmers killed them selves in this week sinceMonday from the dying field of westvidarbha taking toll to 663 in year 2011, ill feted farmers are

1.Parshuram Jabhulkarof Pandharkawada(Pisgoan) in Yavatmal

2.Gajanan Sawant ofPangara Pole in Buldhana

3.Anata Bhilange ofNivana in Buldhana

4.Vithoba Munde ofSonasi in Buldhana

5.Gajanan Kavate ofPalodi in Akola

6.Devrao Nimbolkar inasola in Akola

7.Sukhadev Pawar ofamadi in Yavatmal

8.Ashok Chintelwar ofkaregoan(bandal) in Yavatmal

9.Ramesh Tekam ofMangarda in Yavatmal

10.Dadarao Nage ofLohgoan in Amaravati

Kishor Tiwari, president of Nagpur-based Vidarbha JanAndolan Samiti, (VJAS), activist group working for cotton farmer rightsinformed in a Press release today.

The official national farmsuicide data of NCRB become official which has reported that the country hasseen over a quarter of a million farmers’ suicides between 1995 and 2010. TheNational Crime Records Bureau’s latest report on ‘Accidental Deaths &Suicides in India’places the number for 2010 at 15,964. That brings the cumulative 16-year totalfrom 1995 — when the NCRB started recording farm suicide data — to 2,56,913,the worst-ever recorded wave of suicides of this kind in human historyandMaharashtra posts a dismal picture with over 50,000 farmers killing themselvesin the country's richest State in that period. It also remains the worst Statefor such deaths for a decade now.

Close to two-thirds of all farmsuicides have occurred in five States:Maharashtra,Karnataka, A.P., Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

local leading daily reportedtoday that around 15 lakh Hector Bt.cotton crop has been lost in six districtof west vidarbha where in Maharashtra most of Bt.cotton crop has been damageddue to delayed rain and erratic weather condition .Maharashtra is the statewhere Bt.cotton has crossed 50 lakhs hector this year out of which more than 35lakhs hector is purely dry land area where rainy water is only source.

Situation of cotton growers inwest Vidarbha has worsened with the wrong policies of the state and particularlyban of cotton export time to time. The Bt cotton seeds promoted by the statehave increased the economic pressure on farmers instead of resulting in higheryields of disease free crops. Already a low return and high risk livelihood,these policies that claim to reduce the risk have only increased the cost offarming. As a result, the cotton economy of the region has collapsed, resultingin mass suicide since 2001, he pointed out that when the rate of cotton lintgets a rate of $5.346 per kg in USA (around Rs 8,906 per quintal), the farmersof Vidarbha was getting a meager rate of Rs 4,000 per quintal.

VJAS that has been documentingthe farmers' suicide in the region, said that most of the cotton farmers weredistressed because of meagre rate of raw cotton in the market this season.

"There is a need for state government's intervention in this regard. Thegovernment should provide at least Rs 6,000 per quintal. The chief ministerPrithviraj Chavan had promised that he would talk with the union government forbetter support price for the raw cotton. However, nothing has been done in thisregard," Tiwari alleged.

The minimum support price for the cotton was announced just Rs 3,300 perquintal when the rate was over Rs 6,000 last year, he pointed out.

Tiwari continued, "The government did not concede our demand of providingfood security to desperate, distressed and marginal farmers even. Thegovernment needs to behave sensibly and responsibly to address farmers' woesand prevent the prevailing spate of suicide in the killing fields ofVidarbha." If the cotton growers do not get better price this season, thesituation will assume drastic proportions, he cautioned.
VJAS has urged Govt. of India to sendteam of expert to assess the Bt. Cotton crop damage in maharashtra and westvidarbha in particular where cotton farmers are killing themselves .VJAS hasbeen demanding hike in cotton MSP Rs.6000/- per quintal and relief package todying cotton farmers of region, Tiwari added.

In 16 years, farm suicides cross a quarter million-Maharashtra leads in statistic of shame

2011-10-29T02:40:00.001-07:00

Maharashtra leads in statistic of shame

Mumbai,October 29, 2011

In 16 years, farm suicides cross a quarter million-

P. Sainath

It's official. The country has seen over a quarter of a million farmers’ suicides between 1995 and 2010. The National Crime Records Bureau’s latest report on ‘Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India’ places the number for 2010 at 15,964. That brings the cumulative 16-year total from 1995 — when the NCRB started recording farm suicide data — to 2,56,913, the worst-ever recorded wave of suicides of this kind in human history.

Maharashtra posts a dismal picture with over 50,000 farmers killing themselves in the country's richest State in that period. It also remains the worst State for such deaths for a decade now. Close to two-thirds of all farm suicides have occurred in five States: Maharashtra, Karnataka, A.P., Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

The data show clearly that the last eight years were much worse than the preceding eight. As many as 1,35,756 farmers killed themselves in the 2003-10 period. For 1995-2002, the total was 1,21,157. On average, this means the number of farmers killing themselves each year between 2003 and 2010 is 1,825 higher than the numbers that took their lives in the earlier period. Which is alarming since the total number of farmers is declining significantly. Compared to the 1991 Census, the 2001 Census saw a drop of over seven million in the population of cultivators (main workers). The corresponding census data for 2011 are yet to come in, but their population has surely dipped further. In other words, farm suicides are rising through the period of India's agrarian crisis, even as the number of farmers is shrinking.

While the 2010 numbers show a dip of 1,404 from the 2009 figure of 17,368, there is little to cheer about. “There was a similar dip in 2008, only to be followed by the worst numbers in six years in 2009,” points out Professor K. Nagaraj, an economist at the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, who did the largest ever study of the farm suicides covering a decade (The Hindu, November 12-15, 2007). “This one-year decline does not in any way indicate we have turned the corner. This dip happened mostly because of one-off falls in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. In fact, a look at the ‘Big 5' who drive the numbers shows the fallout of the agrarian crisis to be as grim as ever. They have actually increased their share of the farm suicides.”

The five States with the largest share of the quarter-of-a-million farm suicides recorded in India over the past 16 years are Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

While the total number of farmers who took their own life in 2010 showed a dip from the preceding year, the share of the Big 5, in fact, rose to 66.49 per cent of all farm suicides in 2010. It was 62 per cent in 2009. Three of the Big 5 States have shown significant increases over 2009: Maharashtra (+269), Karnataka (+303), and Andhra Pradesh (+111). Nationally, the last eight years have seen on average, farmers killing themselves at a rate of one every 30 minutes.

In all, 14 of 28 States reported increases in 2010, while four have recorded declines of five or fewer suicides. The dip in 2010 comes with big falls in Chhattisgarh (-676), Tamil Nadu (-519) and Rajasthan (-461) and significant falls in Madhya Pradesh (-158), Puducherry (-150), and Uttar Pradesh (-108). West Bengal and Gujarat also report declines of 61 and 65. But the overall trend remains dismal.

In 1995, the first time the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) tabulated farm suicide data, the Big 5 accounted for 56.04 per cent of all farm suicides . In 2010, despite a one-year decline, they accounted for 66.49 per cent. Maharashtra's story is alarming. It saw 20,066 farmers kill themselves between 1995 and 2002. That stands dwarfed by the 30,415 farmers who took their lives in the next eight years. The latter period saw an annual average increase of nearly 1,155 such deaths in the State. This was also the period when money was poured into relief ‘packages' of the Prime Minister, the Chief Minister, through the loan waiver of 2008, and other measures.

During the very decade in which it reigned without break as the worst State to be a farmer in, Maharashtra rose to the first position among the big States in per capita income. Overall at Rs. 74,027, it is behind only much smaller States like Haryana and Goa. The Union Agriculture Minister is from this State and has held that post for six of those 10 years

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Farm Suicides on the rise in Vidarbha-INDIA TODAY

2011-10-28T09:40:00.000-07:00

Farm Suicides on the rise in Vidarbha-INDIA TODAY

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/suicide-in-vidarbha-rahul-gandhi-kalawati/1/157775.html

India Today

Suicides on the rise in Vidarbha, Rahul Gandhi's Kalavati remains symbol of deprivation

Damayanti Datta and Kiran Tare | Vidarbha, October 28, 2011 | 17:48

The long, bumpy road to Jalka, 130 km from Nagpur, travels through miles of scorched cotton fields. In a tin-roofed hut, Kalawati Bandurkar, 55, sits surrounded by her six grandchildren. She tries to discipline them with an occasional shout, and then ruffles their hair in rough affection. She picks up the cranky one-year-old, Naman, her grandson who has just lost his mother. One more hungry mouth to feed in a family of eight. Kalawati's forehead pleats in a fierce frown. "You can't depend on anyone, anything. Not rains, not government." Perhaps not even on her 28-year-old daughter, Naman's mother Savita, who set herself ablaze in September. "She was bleeding continuously since Naman's birth," says Kalawati. "I used to take her to the doctor." But with money in short supply, Savita took the familiar way out. Poverty and grief stalk Kalawati's home.

"I would take you to the house of Kalawatiâ€¦a woman with nine children whose husband committed suicide. I would urge you to respect her." When Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi quoted her example in his July 21, 2008, Lok Sabha speech, describing how she had diversified her income, Kalawati became the symbol of rural resurgence. But Rahul didn't return to check on her. In 2010, Kalawati's son-in-law, plagued by debts, committed suicide. In September, it was her daughter-the fourth death in her family in the last six years.

There's at least one Kalawati in every village in Maharashtra's "graveyard for farmers", Vidarbha. In the last 16 years, Vidarbha has recorded the largest wave of suicides in history, according to the Centre for Human Rights and Global Justice of New York University School of Law (CHRGJ). And a great number of those affected are cotton farmers. A study of official data by K. Nagaraj of the Madras Institute of Development Studies, reports that nearly 29,000 farmers committed suicide in Maharashtra between 1997 and 2005 due to extreme poverty. The figure for Vidarbha is estimated to be 8,652 between 2004 and 2011. This year, 647 cases have already been reported, according to the Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS).

The figures hide lives ruined as collateral damage. According to some estimates, there are 1.5 million surviving family members affected by the suicides. Their stories are no less tragic. With the husband's death, a new vicious cycle of debt is set in motion: the widows inherit their husbands' debts, work round the clock to pay back as well as make ends meet, lose a way of life, status and standing in society, and the children get sucked into farm work.

‘Cotton for my shroud’ won Gold at the IDPA Awards-2011 and Nominated for the Vatavaran Environment and Wildlife Film Festival-2011

2011-10-26T12:33:00.000-07:00

Documentary on Vidarbha Agrarian Crisis ‘Cotton for my shroud’ won Gold at the IDPA Awards-2011 and Nominated for the Vatavaran Environment and Wildlife Film Festival-2011

Nagpur -26^th October 2011

The story of the cotton farmers suicides of Vidarbha produced as documentary film ‘Cotton for my shroud’ by Top Quark Films and directed by Nandan Saxena & Kavita Bahl has been overwhelmingly viewed and got a very good response at the Mumbai Film Festival, organised by MAMI which was screened at Cinemax, Versova on October 15, 2011which has won the gold for script at the IDPA Awards-2011 and It has also been nominated for the Vatavaran Environment and Wildlife Film Festival at Delhi, to be held in December 2011, Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti president Kishor Tiwari informed today.

“This is first documentary film which gives true picture of ground reality and exposes the reason of mass genocides of farmers done bt the state and US base Bt.cotton seed company Monsanto We are trying to organize screenings in different cities in other Indian metros too so that we can get civil society support which has turned it’s blind eye on this very serious issue over years .we are indebted to producer who has dared to release this documentary even after getting big hurdles from administration ”Tiwari added.

‘Cotton for my shroud’ shows story of dying field of vidarbha where more than 10,000 cotton farmers have committed suicides since 2004 after the introduction of American Bt.cotton seed as it report and

I QUOTE

You need iron in your soul to walk through the villages in Vidarbha region of India. There is hardly a farmer here who is not under debt and rarely will you come across a village where there has been no suicide. This cotton-growers belt once known for its fine cotton produce is known for cotton farmers' suicides today. It is now termed as the 'graveyard of farmers' by statisticians.

Vidarbha region in the state of Maharashtra – one of the richest states in India - has the highest instance of farmer suicides in India. With over 2.5 million tribal people, it is a classic case of a forest and mineral-rich region languishing while the funds for development are siphoned off to the 'influential' districts in the state. The voice for a separate statehood for Vidarbha is gaining momentum.

The feature-length documentary, 'Cotton for my shroud' is not reportage. The film tries to understand from a grass-roots perspective what is driving cotton farmers in India to despair - is it just a crisis of farm credit and the stranglehold of the moneylender or are they victims of faulty paradigms of development.

The agriculture policies of the Government and their collusion with multinational corporations eyeing the vast market in India - are exposed by the testimonies of farmers and scientists. Torn between aggressive marketing of supposedly 'better varieties' of transgenic crops by the State and his traditional wisdom of low-cost and eco-friendly agriculture, the farmer ultimately lands up in the honey trap of Bt. The result is in an unending cycle of debt and misery.

'Cotton for my shroud' was shot over two extensive visits to the hinterlands of Vidarbha.

In the summer, the lack of resources and bank loan for sowing the fields drives poor farmers to end their lives. In the winter, the depressed rates of cotton become the proverbial last straw.

If one farmer kills himself, we can call it a suicide. But when a quarter of a million kill themselves, how can the government call it suicide? It is genocide.

The Indian state has created conditions that are not conducive to the survival of small farmers. They want them to go, just as the small farmers disappeared in the west. In their place shall step-in large corporations that own vast swathes of farmland, growing pesticide-laced, genetically-modified food for an unsuspecting nation.Narrated in the first person, from the p.o.v of the film-makers, the film looks at the macro picture while following the lives of three families.

While the state and the media label these deaths as suicide, the cotton fields of Vidarbha remain a mute witness to genocide.The film was shot over two visits to the hinterlands of Vidarbha.

Narrated in the first person, the film looks at the macro picture while following the lives of three families. It gives us a window into the drama and despair that forms the warp and weft of life at Vidarbha.

About the Directors: Nandan Saxena & Kavita Bahl

Nandan Saxena & Kavita Bahl work in the genre of documentary and poetry films.

Their oeuvre spans the domains of ecology, livelihoods, development and human rights.

Having spent almost a decade as news-journalists, they turned a new leaf and started as independent documentary film-makers in 1996. Their films explore man’s relationship with his environment through diverse themes and issues: culture, poetry, water, climate change, sustainable livelihoods and human rights.

Their voluntary initiative ‘Via-Media’ is an effort to catalyse change by taking positive stories to receptive minds, and to build the capacity of citizens groups and movements. They take workshops to initiate inquisitive minds into film-making and photography.

Before studying journalism, both of them were students of English literature at the University of Delhi. Kavita reported for The Indian Express for seven years, of which, two were spent covering special features in the North-eastern states.

UNQUOTE

VJAS has thanked Nandan Saxena & Kavita Bahl for their grate work and pain while touring dying field of vidarbha and ‘Cotton for my shroud’ documentary will certainly boost cause of innocent cotton farmer who are victims of wrong policies of state and will force the law makers to stop this massive corruption leading genocide of farmers in future ,Tiwari said.

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VJAS flays ‘China Tour’ of cotton federation Directors when Five Million Maharashtra Cotton Farmers are in Crisis

2011-10-21T23:55:00.001-07:00

VJAS flays ‘China Tour’ of cotton federation Directors when Five Million Maharashtra Cotton Farmers are in Crisis

NAGPUR: October 22, 2011

The on going ‘China Tour’ of The Maharashtra State Cooperative Cotton Growers Marketing Federation chairman Dr NP Hirani and along with all directors at time of worst crisis and panic situation of more than five million cotton farmers of region is under severe criticism as this is wasteful expenditure of tax payers money when accumulated losses of federation has crossed more than Rs.5000 crore and federation has sacked more than 350 officers last months giving reasons that state administration has asked to do so on the ground of ill fated financial condition and bankruptcy of federation but same Maharashtra Govt. has allowed it’s directors needless foreign tour has been strongly flayed by cotton farmers advocacy group Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti(VJAS) who have declared to lodge official protest of anti-farmer move, president Kishor Tiwari informed today.

“Maharashtra cotton farmers and farm widows will burn effigy of Marketing Federation directors along with Chief Minister Prathviraj Chavan who has failed to follow up the main demand of cotton growers to raise Cotton Minimum Support Price MSP from Rs.3,000 to Rs.6,000 per quintal even after the repeated demands of his party and main partner of ruling Govt. NCP .When is sacking staff much nedd for starting the cotton procurement centers as Govt. is not having money to spend then who is spending millons of rupees of this directors china tour, we will move the PIL for recovery of same and will continue the protest ” Tiwari added.

In Maharashtra alone cotton is cultivated over 52 lakh hectare and the lion's share of it is in the rain fed region of Vidarbha and Marathwada where Bt.cotton crop has been failed due to long dry spell in September severely effecting the net yield of cotton by 50% resulting another Black Diwali for Bt.cotton growers who are in rip of agrarian crisis and committing suicides since June 2005 .The rain sensitive Bt.cotton seed which has increased almost triple the cultivation cost and drop down the net average cotton production per hector coupled with international market volatility and Indian Govt. export restrictions are the main reasons of prevailing distress and despair in region forcing the cotton farmers to kill themselves which is matter of national shame but complete apathy of Govt. at the centre and state are adding fuel to this on going farmers genocide, Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti president Kishor Tiwari informed today.

Since august party leaders who are in power are found busy in demanding MSP for cotton like public auction from Rs 5,000 or Rs 6000 per quintal and it is countered by the opposition leaders with the demand for Rs 7,000 or Rs 8,000 per quintal for the sake of political mileage making joke of the debt ridden farmers suffering as UPA Congress-NCP government has shamelessly hiked the cotton price from Rs 3,000 to Rs 3,300 a quintal in four years overlooking sky rocketing production cost which is allowing private traders to exploit the cotton farmers hence Maharashtra farmers are demanding state procurement at minimum Rs . 6000 per quintal in order to give bailout relief more than 5 million debt trapped cotton farmers of Maharashtra as there are valid reasons when The Maharashtra State Cooperative Cotton Growers Marketing Federation chairman Dr NP Hirani has demanded Rs 6,000 per quintal while MPCC president Manikrao Thakre urged Congress president Sonia Gandhi to ensure Rs 5,000 MSP followed by social justice minister Shivajirao Moghe took two MLAs along with him to New Delhi and they urged the Party President Smt.Sonia Gnadhiji to lift ban on cotton export permanently and hike the MSP to Rs 7,000 per quintal but in ground reality cotton farmers will another Black Diwali andthere are more chances of farm suicides due on going despair and distress, Tiwari added.

Looking at prevailing situation internationally wheren cotton prices are likely to soar to Rs 7,000 a quintal this year too riding on the global scarcity on account of poor crops in the US, China and Pakistan, Indian cotton farmers can hedge these prices only if central Govt. manages to raise the minimum support price to Rs 6,000 level but The government has not responded favorably disappointing cotton farmer hence we urge for urgent intervention to save dying cotton farmers, Tiwari said.

"As the reports from allover the are showing world shortage of cotton production , the Indian farmer gets advantage this time as cotton is now placed under open general license (OGL) for exports. But the OGL status should be continued. Last year, the Centre put unnecessary restrictions on exports denying farmers an opportunity to make it big. In the process they lost a market worth Rs 30,000 crore," said Tiwari.

“At the national level Maharashtra is main state which is cultivating Bt.cotton in around 52 lakh hector which is around 40% of Indian cotton cultivation moreover agrarian economy of Maharashtra is completely based on cotton production and prices hence we demand urgent intervention from Govt.” Tiwari added

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VJAS moved PMO for CBI probe in fact finding report of more than Two Million Bogus Students on role and Rs.20 thousand crore scam

2011-10-18T03:56:00.001-07:00

VJAS moved PMO for CBI probe in fact finding report of more than Two Million Bogus Students on role and Rs.20 thousand crore scam

Nagpur –18^th October 2011

Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti (VJAS ) has moved PMO urging him for the CBI probe on the shocking fact finding report of mega survey done by Maharashtra Govt. from 3^rd October to 5 october of this year which was being tabled before the Maharashtra Govt. cabinet on 19^th October in order to check the truth strength of students and to know the exact truth of the role of the students on which state is spending more than Rs.10,000 crore as grant-aid after the Maharashtra cabinet took decision on report submitted by as Dr Shrikar Pardeshi—District Collector of Nanded in Maharashtra who undertook such survey in his district from 6 to 10 september and found more than 1 lakh 40 thousand as bogus and school are getting the aid on the basis of this fraudulent students ,it is estimated that final report of state level survey revealed the shocking fact that in a progressive state like maharshtra has made completely mockery of “Sarwashkisha Abhiyan” and ther are more than 2 million student found missing from school and they in fact bogus and shown in order to get aid and staff salary which is practice continued since 1985 after state Gvot flooded the Govt. aided school opened by MLA/Ministers of ruling parties and more than Rs.20 thousand crore is amount of mega scam which likely to be largest scam of the Maharashtra after it’s formation since 1960, Kishore Tiwari of Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti informed in press release today.

“We are following the survey since it was initiated in Nanded District popularly known as ‘Pat Tapasani’ and ,we are finiated with the response of state Govt. after the report Nanded was submitted to state cabinet who decided to conduct it throughout state and it was done in Maharashtra with help of more than 1 lakhs staff and police force between 3^rd and 5^th October even after lot of efforts of local politicians ,final report shows that in Maharashtra more than 2million students are bogus and each year the school management are getting bogus grant to tune of more than Rs.2200 crore amounting to tune of Rs.20 thousands crore in last 15 years hence only CBI probe can bring truth and book all culprit who have mockery of education in Maharashtra. we are expecting the Maharashtra chief minister prathiraj chavan who has ordered such massive survey and brought the truth before nation will ask centre for the CBI probe in alleged irregularities and this bogus student scam” Tiwari added.

In a representation it is allged that initial district administration of Nanded conducted school wise survey to find out the exact number of students in government-aided schools in his district, little did he know that the statistics would be a shocker. In the 3,475 schools inspected, about 140,000 students were found to be bogus and nearly 4,000 excess teachers were found to be catering to these students. The loss to the government exchequer in the district was Rs 150 crore. What’s more, most of this money seems to have gone to the owners of these educational institutions, who are politically influential.

The exercise was undertaken in early September this year. Later, in early October, a similar survey was conducted across the state. Of the 20 million registered students in state-aided schools, 2.1 million turned out to be bogus. There were 65,000 teachers in excess and the loss to the state exchequer stood at Rs 4,000 crore. This included money for mid-day meals and books drawn in the name of these bogus students.

In the past there have been numerous school inspections by the education department, but never one on this scale. The exercise had to be undertaken because rampant corruption and bribery among education officials had led to the suppression of facts about school enrolment in the state. That was until Dr Pardeshi decided to risk it, a risk because three-fourths of the schools surveyed belong to political heavyweights of the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party.

After the school education department realised that there were bogus students and teachers registered across the state and huge sums of money was going into the coffers of institution owners, it decided to implement a pilot project in one district. Nanded was chosen because it had made headlines for cracking down on cheating in SSC and HSC exams.

The district collector planned the entire exercise, and shared it only with a handful. The district’s borders were sealed on the appointed day and Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code was imposed. At the pre-decided time, officials raided the schools and verified each student of all 3,475 schools. The survey involved 466 Class I and II officials and took four days to complete. When the school managements felt the noose tightening, they started ‘importing’ students from neighboring districts. However, these students were easily identified because of the imposition of Section 144 in the district.

On the completion of this survey, Dr Pardeshi made a PowerPoint presentation before the state cabinet. Though the cabinet was divided over accepting the ‘Pardeshi model’, as the exercise is being called, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan is adamant that it be implemented.

It is a common practice among educational institutions to ‘import’ students from other schools when inspections are conducted. According to information available on previous inspections, school owners knew of these inspections in advance. Once a school was inspected, students and furniture would be taken to the next school on the survey list. Though officials did realise that they had seen the same students in other schools (often in multiple schools), no one dared take on the politicians.

The Chief Minister has threatened stringent action against erring schools. But when schools are owned by relatives of ministers, it is an open secret that few would be booked. So far, the names of school owners involved in this fraud have not been revealed. But it is only a matter of time before they become public.

Education malpractices in the state have increased alarmingly. There has been a steady decline in the quality of students and teachers. With excessive political intervention in the education sector, the education department had become ineffectual. “In a coalition government, no hard decisions can be taken. It is bound to hurt one of the coalition partners. Let us see what action is taken now. Even if registrations are cancelled, owners of such institutions make sure their political godfathers get it revoked. It is a win-win situation for such institutions,” says an official of the education department.

Many in the state’s education department believe that successive governments have lacked the will to clean up the education system in the state.

“We are planning move in high court once PMO reject our demand ,we are hopeful that state Gvot . Will take step to curb this massive corruption in next cabinet” Tiwari added.

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Vidarbha farmers welcome central decision to lift all restriction on cotton exports next season

2011-09-09T14:20:00.001-07:00

Vidarbha farmers welcome central decision to lift all restriction on cotton exports next season

Nagpur Dated-10 September 2011

3 million cotton farmers of agrarian crisis hit farm suicide prone vidarbha has welcomed decision Indian Govt’s taken after inter-Ministerial consultations between the Finance, Commerce and Agriculture ministries to lift all kind of restrictions on cotton export under the Open General License (OGL) for the next crop season beginning October. India is the world's second largest cotton producer, Kishore Tiwari of Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti ,activist group fighting for right of cotton farmer of vidarbha region said in press release today .

“It was long pending to keep cotton export under the Open General Licence (OGL) and we are happy that for the next cotton season to continue with the OGL regime as per decision of inter-Ministerial consultations between the Finance, Commerce and Agriculture ministries in the last two days informed by Commerce Secretary Rahul Khullar for next cotton season runs from October 2011 to September 2012’Tiwari added.

Against the estimated domestic consumption of 26.4 million bales, production is pegged at 35.5 million bales next season, against 32.5 million bales in the current season, leaving room for exports, according to the Cotton Advisory Board (CAB). In fact last year wrong policies of state regarding imposition of export restriction last year created instability in the market and the price of Rs 60,000 per candy (a unit of measure) to Rs 35,000 per candy in the global market and Indian cotton farmers were forced to offload cotton ahs half price prevailing in the international market and this the intentionally done to protect handful textile industries hence vidarbha cotton farmers were demanding cotton under open general license (OGL) scheme so that they can get global market prices. west vidarbha is main cotton growing region of India were farmers are committing suicides due to on going agrarian crisis and export under open general license (OGL) is one of relief to protect the dying cotton farmers community.

Posted by vidarbha times at 2:03 PM

Rs 65,000cr loan waiver fails to make farmers debt-free

2011-09-06T22:53:00.000-07:00

Rs 65,000cr loan waiver fails to make farmers debt-free

http://daily.bhaskar.com/article/MAH-MUM-rs-65000cr-loan-waiver-fails-to-make-farmers-debt-free-2410626.html

Kishor Tiwari, leader of the farmers' advocacy group Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti, says that the only thing the ADWDRS did was reduce banks' non-performing assets. "The rich defaulter farmers got loans written off and could apply for fresh ones. Small and marginalised farmers remained neglected. How can schemes tailored for relief to banks do farmers any good?" he asks.
Mumbai: The Centre's debt relief scheme for the farmers has given anything but relief to the poor farmers.

Despite the Rs 65,318.33-crore Agricultural Debt Waiver and Debt Relief Scheme (ADWDRS) launched by the UPA with much fanfare in 2008, nearly 43.42 million (48.6 per cent) of the 89.35 million farmer households are still in debt.

This is the finding of National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) report on 'Indebtedness of Farmers Household'.

The scheme benefited only the rich farmers and their bankers while the poor farmers continue to reel under debt.

Chandrakant Salunkhe, 42, is one such farmer in the drought-hit Hattalkhindi village in Parner tehsil, Ahmednagar district.

He wanted Rs20,000 for seeds and fertilizers in 2009. He tried everything, from the local farm cooperatives to the banks, to raise the money. "They drove me mad with the paper work. And finally I was told I'd be eligible for Rs4,500 only," he says. "I was left with no recourse but the local money lender."

The class 9 dropout says he has been repaying the money every month. "But the money lender and my accounts don't tally and he insists I owe him a lot."
Salunkhe is scared that he may lose his 2.5 acres to the money lender.

The Central government has already released Rs51,340.47 crore to the lending institutions as reimbursement under the ADWDRS. In Maharashtra, the number of indebted farmer households has grown from 42.35% (2007-08) to 54.8% (2009-10).

Kishor Tiwari, leader of the farmers' advocacy group Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti, says that the only thing the ADWDRS did was reduce banks' non-performing assets. "The rich defaulter farmers got loans written off and could apply for fresh ones. Small and marginalised farmers remained neglected. How can schemes tailored for relief to banks do farmers any good?" he asks.

The NSSO survey confirms what critics have said all along: that creating a debt-relief package that transfers funds to banks will not lessen farmers' distress. This is because a substantial chunk of rural indebtedness occurs in the unorganised sector, which is ruled by money lenders. So, while rich farmers who can afford to access bank credit have benefited from the scheme, the poor farmer has not.

Not surprising then that the NSSO figures show how the states which have the worst agrarian crisis are also those that have the highest indebtedness among farmers.

The number of indebted farmer households is the highest in Andhra Pradesh — 49.49 lakh or about 82% of the estimated farm households in the state.
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Five farmers commit suicide in Vidarbha-IANS REPORT

2011-09-02T01:53:00.000-07:00

Five farmers commit suicide in Vidarbha

Fri, Sep 2 2011 14:15 IST | 0 Views

Original Article : http://www.prokerala.com/news/articles/a244283.html

Nagpur, Sep 2

With five cotton growers committing suicide Thursday, a total of 507 farmers have killed themselves during 2011 alone in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, an NGO fighting for farmers' rights said Friday.

The dead were identified as Mohan Raut from Ghazipur in Yavatmal district, Raju Tembhare from Sakur in Yavatmal district, Sharavan Chichghate from Bhindi in Wardha district, Vijay Gomase from Akoli in Wardha district and Laxman Pathode from Dongargaon in Chandrapur district.

"They (farmers) have been demanding a hike in minimum support price (MSP) of cotton to Rs.6,000 per quintal as against the ongoing Rs.3,300 per quintal," said Kishor Tiwari of Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS).

As many as 51 farmers committed suicide during the month of August alone.

Farmers have also been demanding lifting of the ban on cotton export.

"We demand a hike in cotton MSP and urgent relief of food security, fresh crop loan disbursement and healthcare services," Tiwari said.

Tiwari's VJAS has been documenting Vidarbha farm suicides since 1997.

Six more farmers end lives-TIMES OF INDIA

2011-08-26T07:32:00.001-07:00

Six more farmers end lives-TIMES OF INDIA

Printed from

Six more farmers end lives

TNN | Aug 26, 2011, 02.53PM IST

NAGPUR: Six more distressed cotton-growers have committed suicide in Vidarbha over the last 48 hours with conditions for agriculture remaining unconducive despite a plethora of relief measures by the government over the years.

Reeling under exploitation by moneylenders as the institutional finance never reaches them, farmers seem to be hapless victims of the system. That was the reason they were in full support of the anti-corruption crusade launched by Anna Hazare seeing some hope of transparency in government police and schemes.

The six latest victims of the farmer suicide crisis were identified as Kaniram Jadhav of Krishna Nagar of Yavatmal district, Pramod Gawande of Lotwada village and Puroshottam Pakhan of Muradevi in Amravati district, Nitin Fale of Masa in Akola, Sheikh Anwar of Pangarkhed in Buldhana and Santosh Raut of Malegaon in Washim district. All the victims are from cotton growing belt of western Vidarbha which is the worst hit by agrarian crisis. The toll in the current month has risen to 44 and that since January this year to 418.

Yavatmal collector Shravan Hardikar admitted that the rate of farmers' suicide was once again on rise. "We are trying our best to prevent the distress from spreading," he claimed. The institutional credit disbursed this kharif season was of around Rs 650 as against the target of over Rs 900 crore. "Some nationalized banks are not cooperating in this regard and have been issued a stern warning. These banks have been directed to meet the target of disbursing crop loan to needy farmers," Hardikar said.

Kishore Tiwari of Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti said that all hope for farmers now was with Anna Hazare who has promised to take up the farmers' cause after the Jan Lokpal Bill agitation. "On an average, two farmers commit suicide daily in Vidarbha . But there is no concern expressed by the authorities," he said. The veteran Gandhian crusader should take up the cause of farmers and rampant corruption in implementing of the special relief packages announced by the Prime Minister and the state totalling Rs 5000 crore in the last five years, Tiwari said.

‘Six Vidarbha Farmers suicides reported in last 48 hours -Anna Urged to raise farmers on Going Genocide in his Civil Movement'

2011-08-25T03:21:00.000-07:00

‘Six Vidarbha Farmers suicides reported in last 48 hours -Anna Urged to raise farmers on Going Genocide in his Civil Movement'

Nagpur- Dated 25^th August 2011

When all media and political along with billions of Indian are deeply concerned Anna Hazare fast unto death which entered in to 10^th day demanding stringent and effective Anti graft law ,the six more victims of India’s economic corruption at the policy reported from vidarbha farm suicide capital of India as six farmer suicide reported v.i.z.

1.Kaniram Jadhav of Krishnanagar in Yavatmal

2.Pramod Gawande of Lotwada in Amaravati

3.Nitin Fale of Masa in Akola

4.Purshottam Pakhan of Muradevi in Amaravati

5.Sheikh Anwar of Pangarkhed in Buldhana

6.Santosh Raut of Malegoan in Washim

in 48 hours taking toll to 24 in August and 495 in 2011, Kishore Tiwari of Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti informed in press release today.

‘Even vidarbha cotton farmers of farm suicide capital of India has supported Anna Agitation at all village level,we have been demanding stringent law to stop on mass genocide of innocent farmers who are victim of wrong policies of Indian Govt. supported by UPA and NDA both hence very accountable and effective ‘LOKPAL’ comes to the office there is no provision to economic corruption related to free trade , development of land market, privatization water, entry of GM Seed and GM food , takeover of agriculture ,retail and key service sector by MNCs where all decision are taken with heavy corruption and ill managed law makers and policy planers hence country needs stringent law to stop these malpractices which are depriving 90% population from basic needs like food ,shelter, health care, education and employment but this serious issue is completely ignored in Anna Agitation hence we have been urging Team Anna to in list demand of economic corruption at policy and permit level and millions of distressed debt trapped farmers suicides will continue ’Tiwari added.

‘in fact rural India’s 70% population of farmers ,tribal and land labors are real victims of massive economic corruption due to wrong policies of state .the well-established policies of giving subsidies, license and free trade ,globalization ,GM food and privatization of health care, education and rural employment are basic issues of corruption which are beyond scope individual base and policy base corruption hence Anna demand even it is conceded today will same fate that was of first lokpal bill 1069 hence present momentum and public unrest is right opportunity for civil society to uproot this US-UK-USSR BASE corrupt political rulers system to allow young generation to take over the power .India needs change and Anna’s civil movement can do it other wise bloody revolution will follow hence Team Anna should expand demand and get ready for long fight as common man is behind them,Tiwari added.

Even after 66 years of so called freedom 90% population is denied food, shelter, healthcare ,education and forced to die due to starvation ,despair and distress then there is need to change system and policies and year 2011 is set to have that change and Anna Hazare’s movement against graft is the beginning of that revolution and we urged all section to civil society to join the second freedom movement in order to save million of dying vidarbha farmers and tribal who are innocent victims of this post-independence hostile systematic political and administrative corruption , Kishore Tiwari said

“2,30,000 Indian farmers suicides in last decade is largest genocide in world history of mankind is result of on going corruption at high level that is resulting in wrong anti-poor and farmer policies and vidarbha is capital of that genocide hence our protest and support to anti-graft agitation is much more valid and legitimate hence to echo this mass genocide in all civil disobedience agitation we have been participating and extending support actively and this time too we are joining Team Anna for the same ”Tiwari added.

‘If Annaji can sacrifice life then why we should not spare come on the road to make ‘corruption free India’ ,we have decided that whole vidarbha agrarian community will join the agitation along with civil society to take issue to the final conclusion’ Mohan Jadhav of Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti informed.

12 vidarbha farmer commits suicides reported in a this week – Govt. urged to stop Vidarbha farm suicides

2011-07-22T22:40:00.001-07:00

Nagpur- Dated 23^rd July 2011

Five ill fated vidarbha farmers suicides reported in last 48 hours giving serious indication of another trigger of farm suicide spiral as 12 more debt trapped farmers suicides already reported in this week and till two days are left taking official toll 448 in year 2011 alone, Kishore Tiwari of Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti informed in press release today .

As per regional media report in last two days five farmers namely

1.Natthu Zade of Village Wadgoan in Yavatmal

2.Kisan Rathode of Village Pophali in Yavatmal

3.Raju Sangale of Village Arada in Amaravati

4.Mohan Bhakare of Vadner in Amaravati

5.Krupalu Nareddy of Village Mangatola inGondia

earlier in this week only reports of 7 farmers suicides were surfaced v.i.z.

6.Kisan Mane of Village Chatari in Yavatmal

7.Pushottam Galaskar of Chavsala in Amaravati

8.Tukaram Ingale of Alegoan in Akola ,

9.Anil Tandilkar of village Ukapati in Amaravatit

10.Subhash Kasdekar of village Ranamalur in Amaravatit

11.Ramesh Jumade of Achalpur in Amaravati

12.Anandrao Khande of viallge Tawashi In Bhandara

reason of despair and distress which has forced these farmers for committing suicides is

the delayed erratic rain and frequent re-sowing, economic losses due to cotton price rescission and NBARD action to Stall the Agri. Credit to under section 11 to district coop banks (DCB) through ill-fated and bankrupt MS co-op Bank .

‘day by day ground situation is getting gloomy but non of senior official has visited the ill-fated families more over administration failed to address crisis and provide any relief to these dying vidarbha afrmer’s families hence we heavy asked Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithiraj Chavan to visit vidarbha and provide relief to distressed farmers in order tostop thses on going farm suicides which can be avoided to healing touch from Govt.,but nobody is giving any serious attention to our repeated appeals for the same” Tiwari added.

‘It was July 2006 when Indian Prime Minister visited agrarian crisis prone western vidarbha and announced special relief package of Rs.3750 crore in which the interest waiver of Rs.1080 crore and gave extended Agri. Credit of Rs.2500 crore promising to make it double in next three years but all promises were kept on paper and bankers reduced Agri. Credit for short crop loan has been further reduced to 50% forcing Indian to announce complete loan waiver of Rs.71,000 crore in march 2008 but vidarbha farmers were intentionally kept out this loan waiver and farmers suicides in the cotton cultivating region till continued as non-professional attitude and non-cooperation of bankers the complete exercise of loan waiver has been failed and crop loan amount in last five year reduced to 50% whereas cultivation cost has increased in multifold thanks to skyrocketing prices of Bt.Cotton Seed ,Fertilizer and pesticides and labor ” Tiwari said

As per district administration reports now it’s official crop loan disbursement is less than 50% in comparison to last year disbursement .there is huge cry in vidarbha for fresh crop loan to all illegible farmers but bankers are facing liquidity crunch due to insufficient fund sanctioned by apex bank NABARD even after Dr.Sudhir Goyal promised us as credit flow in Rs.510 crore in first week of July and another installment of Rs.500 crore since 12th July but nothing has happened and crop loan is till standstill due technical issues after RBI twisted the irregularities and scam of existing directors of MSC Bank .vidarbha farmers suffering due default of western Maharashtra sugar lobby this is most unfortunate hence we demand intervention of central Govt. arrange crop loan disbursement to dying vidarbha farmers” Tiwari added.

“We have urged Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithiraj Chavan visit the vidarbha and look at the integrated agrarian problems of cotton grower which is related to credit, minimum support price(MSP) and stringent export restrictions which is accumulating the distress sand despair resulting in farmers suicides ” Tiwari added.

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Three distress vidarbha farmer commits suicides reported in a day – Prime Minister urged to intervene to solve cotton farmer’s crisis

2011-07-20T22:43:00.000-07:00

Three distress vidarbha farmer commits suicides reported in a day – Prime Minister urged to intervene to solve cotton farmer’s crisis

Three distress vidarbha farmer commits suicides reported in a day – Prime Minister urged to intervene to solve cotton farmer’s crisis

Nagpur- Dated 21^st July 2011

The delayed erratic rain and frequent re-sowing, economic losses due to cotton price rescission and NBARD action to Stall the Agri. Credit to under section 11 to district coop banks (DCB) through ill-fated and bankrupt MS co-op Bank has resulted in three more distressed debt-trapped cotton farmers suicides as per media reports are identified as

1.Kisan Mane of Village Chatari in Yavatmal

2.Pushottam Galaskar of Chavsala in Amaravati

3.Tukaram Ingale of Alegoan in Akola , earlier in this week 4 four more farmers

suicides were reported v.i.z.

4.Anil Tandilkar of village Ukapati in Amaravatit

5.Subhash Kasdekar of village Ranamalur in Amaravatit

6.Ramesh Jumade of Achalpur in Amaravati

7.Anandrao Khande of viallge Tawashi In Bhandara

taking official toll 443 in year 2011 alone, Kishore Tiwari of Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti informed in press release today .

‘It was July 2006 when indian prime minister visited agrarian crisis prone western vidarbha and announced special relief package of Rs.3750 crore in which the interest waiver of Rs.1080 crore and gave extended Agri. Credit of Rs.2500 crore promising to make it double in next three years but all promises were kept on paper and bankers reduced Agri. Credit for short crop loan has been further reduced to 50% forcing Indian to announce complete loan waiver of Rs.71,000 crore in march 2008 but vidarbha farmers were intentionally kept out this loan waiver and farmers suicides in the cotton cultivating region till continued as non-professional attitude and non-cooperation of bankers the complete exercise of loan waiver has been failed and crop loan amount in last five year reduced to 50% whereas cultivation cost has increased in multifold thanks to skyrocketing prices of Bt.Cotton Seed ,Fertilizer and pesticides and labor ” Tiwari said

“We have urged Indian prime minister to revisit the vidarbha and look at the integrated agrarian problems of cotton grower which is related to credit, minimum support price(MSP) and stringent export restrictions which is accumulating the distress sand despair resulting in farmers suicides ” Tiwari added.

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Four more Credit starved vidarbha farmer commits suicide in 48 hours

2011-07-18T03:11:00.001-07:00

Four more Credit starved vidarbha farmer commits suicide in 48 hours

Four more Credit starved vidarbha farmer commits suicide in 48 hours : scanty water and credit restarted farm suicide spiral vidarbha

Nagpur- Dated 18^th July 2011

Massive NPA due defaulting sugar factories of western Maharashtra state owned MS cop. Bank which was declared bankrupt in last month by RBI has created major problem of crop loan disbursement in farm suicide prone district of vidarbha as NBARD has Stalled the Agri. Credit to under section 11 in which state administration failed to proper counter grantee, resulting in more four credit starved farmers suicides in last 48 hours taking official toll 440 in year 2011 alone, debt trapped farmers as per media reports are identified as

1.Anil Tandilkar of village Ukapati in Amaravatit

2.Subhash Kasdekar of village Ranamalur in Amaravatit

3.Ramesh Jumade of Achalpur in Amaravati

4.Anandrao Khande of viallge Tawashi In Bhandara

Kishore Tiwari of Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti informed in press release today .

As per district administration reports now it’s official crop loan disbursement is less than 50% in comparison to last year disbursement .there is huge cry all vidarbha fresh crop loan to all illegible farmers but bankers are facing liquidity crunch due insufficient fund sanctioned by apex bank NABARD as agriculture credit has been frozen after the apex MSCB has declared ill and appointed Dr.Sudhir Goyal as it’s administer ‘

“even after Dr.Sudhir Goyal promised us as credit flow in Rs.510 crore in first week of July and another installment of Rs.500 crore since 12^th July but nothing has happened and crop loan is till standstill due technical issues after RBI twisted the irregularities and scam of existing directors of MSC Bank .vidarbha farmers suffering due default of western maharashtra sugar lobby this is mast unfortunate hence we demand intervention of central Govt. arrange crop loan disbursement to dying vidarbha farmers” Tiwari added.

‘After the interest waiver of Rs.1080 crore in 2006 followed by complete loan waiver of Rs.71,000 crore in march 2008 added to maharashtra Govt.’s extended loan waiver of Rs.6208 crore in December 2008 ,it was told that in vidarbha at least 3 million farmers will get farm credit from financial institutes but non-professional attitude and non-cooperation of bankers the complete exercise of loan waiver has been failed and crop loan amount in last five year reduced to 50% whereas cultivation cost has increased in multifold thanks to skyrocketing price of Bt.Cotton Seed ,Fertilizer and pesticides and labor ” Tiwari said

“We want vidarbha farm suicide saga as part of history and we don’t want to count further farm suicide in vidarbha but corrupt officials and non-functional public leaders are not allowing us to do so .It’s very much humiliating and disturbing to count the farm suicide and then put it of international radar but in order to save dying farming community ,we will continue to do” Tiwari added.

Posted by vidarbha times at 2:57 AM

New Textile Minister Anand Sharma urged to bring raw cotton under Open General License (O.G.L.)

2011-07-13T00:26:00.001-07:00

New Textile Minister Anand Sharma urged to bring raw cotton under Open General License (O.G.L.)

Nagpur – July 13, 2011

It was lifting of quantitative restrictions in 2004 for free cotton import by the NDA Govt. which allowed dumping of cheapest 20 million cotton bales resulting in economic recession and start of cotton farmers’ suicide spiral in vidarbha and now once again it has re-imposed in 2009 when present UPA Govt. introduced stringent cotton export both the time to protect the interest of handful textile mills owners who want cheaper raw cotton at cost of 1 billion dying cotton farmers and this is highly unfair trade practices protected and promoted by state hence vidarbha cotton farmers who are suffered maximum losses and reported more than 10000 farmers suicides after wrong policies of cotton export and import in introduced has written to new powered Indian textile minister Anand Sharma to lift all quantitative restrictions of on raw cotton and provide export incentive to farmers’ so that their economic interest is protected as done by US Govt. in America, Kishore Tiwari of Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti informed today.

“India has reported more than 2 lakhs 34 thousands farmers suicides in last decade which largest genocide in the history of mankind and 90% of farmers who killed themselves are manly cotton growers and wrong Govt. policies related to export and credit and faulty cultivation pattern and input are the main causes of despair and distress which is killing the innocent farming community in India .this is blot to all human kind in the world and fact is much more humiliating the nation like America is manly responsible for the farm genocide” Tiwari informed

Letter written by Vidarbha cotton growing farmers advocacy group Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti(VJAS) has urged New Textile Minister Anand Sharma to examine the fact that there is surplus stock of at least 50 lakhs bales and textile ministry has given it’s node to the demand of agriculture and commerce ministry recommendations of additional permission of 50 lakhs bales in order to protect the financial interest of Indian cotton farmers who are committing suicides as prices of cotton slashed to 50% in month where as uncertainties and unjust quantitative restriction has always allowed the textile cartel to get cheaper cotton by 30% . this is part of textile lobby to get cotton export curtail so that they can exploit the situation .it’s unfortunate that textile minister is playing on direction of this textile cartel that has ruined around one billion cotton farmers to tune of Rs.20,000 crore and losses are likely to be more if Indian Govt. function with anti farmer policies ”Tiwari added

“Indian textile lobby has managed the Indian Textile minister initially to restrict cotton bales export to 55 lakhs bales from earlier year 84 lakh bales even when country cotton production is higher by another 25 lakhs bales then ban export of cotton yarn and now surprisingly as per Quota Policy of Cotton items now added Cotton Waste ( Comber Noil) H. S. Code No. 5202 as Cotton Waste is a ‘By-product’ of Cotton Yarn. when plenty of quota of Cotton Yarn lying unutilized the hostile functioning of ex-Union Textile Minister Dayanithi Maran whowas party to a textile cartel to include the by-product banned ” Tiwari said..

“we have asked New Textile Minister Anand Sharma on the baseless arguments of textile loddy which has ignored tha fact Cotton prices have increased from Rs 30000/candy in April 2010 to Rs 60000/candy April 2011 which is an increase of about Rs 70-75 per kg and immediately Spinners increased the price of yarn from rs 150/- per kg in April 2010 for 30s combed to Rs 230/- per kg in April 2011. increase of Rs 80 per kg which reflects in cotton value to Rs 30000/per candy minimum. Fabric weavers too have increased prices of grey fabric of 40 x 40 counts 124 x 64 with 200 gm per mtr which is quoted at about Rs 70/- per sqmtr as against Rs 38 in April 2010. There s an increase of Rs 32/mtr which is Rs 160/- per kg which in terms of candy is about Rs 58/60000 and present ban on export has brought back cotton prices to the level of April 2010 which is artificial an stage managed and ex-Union Textile Minister Dayanithi Maran is directly involved in this scam ” Tiwari added.

‘New Textile Minister Anand Sharma should admit that Cotton production has grown from a low of 225 lakhs bales to 330 lakhs bales in last 5 years the undue protection to Local textile mills benefiting of buying Indian cotton at prices which are at least lower by 30% as compared to its competitor in Bangladesh, Pakistan and other countries who buy from other growths which is reason behind the present restriction of cotton export and when Indian cotton after lot of hard work and promotion by exporters have found a very stable and regular market of its cotton in foreign countries and Govt. should ensure that the markets created are not lost to competition due to faulty Govt. policies to protect handful textile mill owners .” It is alleged.

‘We need the urgent central intervention and demand to lift all export restriction of cotton bales and yarn too so that farmers get higher price to cotton ‘’Tiwari urged.

Posted by vidarbha times at 12:15 AM

Monsanto officials beaten up by Cotton farmers as Bt.cotton seed failed: Bogus Bt.cotton seed creates havoc in vidarbha

2011-07-11T00:37:00.001-07:00

Monsanto officials beaten up by Cotton farmers as Bt.cotton seed failed: Bogus Bt.cotton seed creates havoc in vidarbha

Monsanto officials beaten up by Cotton farmers as Bt.cotton seed failed: Bogus Bt.cotton seed creates havoc in vidarbha

Nagpur- July 11, 2011

American cotton seed MNC giant Monsanto of having international monopoly of notorious killer BT. cotton seed has never even dreamed in 2005 when he was first commercial cultivation permission of it’s controversial Bt.cotton seed that it sale will jump from 1million hector to record 15 million hector in India that too more than 5 million hector in agrarian crisis hit Maharashtra itself that has crossed the turn over of Rs.15,000 crore as farmers are buying 11 packets of 450 gm per hector as per company’s guide for recommended “population method” but the sudden demand and ill-managed Indian sub agents have brought company in big trouble as 50% of the Bt.cotton seed failed to germinate even after it’s second sowing and now cry has been started in other part of India too ,hence Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti farmers advocacy group has approached local state Govt. of Maharashtra to arrange high level probe in to all complaints received from farmers of west vidarbha where more than 10,000 cotton farmers have committed suicide since june 2005 after the introduction killer BT. cotton seed in this region and around Rs.10,000 crore has been pumped by Indian and state Govt .to bailout cotton farmers from the agrarian crisis which is likely to be get more fuel if corrective action are taken immediately ,Kishore Tiwari of Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti informed today.

Monsanto Bt.cotton seed crisis early June when all bt.cotton seed ordered by Maharashtra dealers sold out it to the adjourning Andhra farmers and there was no seed available to cater to local market and Monsanto sub-agents were failed to respond to state Govt. request suddenly Bt.cotton seed were freely available in market in third week of June but source supply has discovered immediately by Yavatmal police when the raided house of Nerendra Indurkar in the very small village Munjala and caught raid handed packing local cotton seed in the pocket of branded Bt.cotton .police have sealed the very advance imported pocket packing machines and thousands of packets of all popular brands BT. cotton seed being sold on the premium but culprit Nerendra Indurkar were allowed to go with out any interrogation but officials of American BT. cotton seed giant in India were called and facts were told but they denied any link with such bogus BT. cotton seed supply racket.

Monsanto officials beaten up by Cotton farmers as Bt.cotton seed failed

When news of arrival Monsanto senior official from Mumbai are in near village munjala cotton farmers of village karanji 140 K.m. from Nagpur has taken him to their field where complete failure of ‘Paras Sudarshan’ BT. cotton seed was shown to him when he failed to admit the lapse he was severely beaten up even local agriculture officer has not came to his rescue as per reports published in regional news papers .daily all regional papers in vidarbha and marathwada region of Maharashtra where more than 4 million hector are in under bt.cotton cultivation are reporting the flood of bogus seed supplied local agents of American cotton seed MNC giant Monsanto giant is being reported but administration has failed to take any action of this serious issue hence Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti has written to Maharashtra Chief Minister Prathiraj Chavan to order judicial enquiry in the supply racket of bogus BT. cotton seed in Maharashtra and arrange to start criminal action against culprit,Tiwari added.

Posted by vidarbha times at 11:28 PM

Posted by VIDARBHA FARMER SUICIDE at 12:29 AM

''Maran''s cotton export policy resulted in losses to farmers''-PTI

2011-07-08T11:48:00.001-07:00

''Maran''s cotton export policy resulted in losses to farmers''-PTI

''Maran''s cotton export policy resulted in losses to farmers''

http://news.in.msn.com/business/article.aspx?cp-documentid=5275029
Nagpur, Jul 8 (PTI) An association of cotton farmers has accused former textiles minister Dayanidhi Maran of pursuing a wrong policy of clamping a ban on cotton exports that has hurt farmers.
The present cotton crisis in the country is a result of wrong policies enforced by the former textile minister to protect the interests of handful textile mill owners. It has denied best available price of cotton to farmers and resulted in losses of an estimated Rs 20,000 crore to farmers and local ginners and traders, Kishore Tiwari, president of Vidharbha Janandolan Samiti, said.
A complete ban on export from January to May this year has forced them to offload the cotton or cotton bales at half the price which was prevailing till March this year, he added.
Tiwari said if the Centre fails to take action on this, he would approach the Bombay High Court for relief.

Posted by VIDARBHA FARMER SUICIDE at 11:39 AM

Cotton Farmers demands C.B.I. probe in to alleged Rs.500 Crore scam of Textile Minister Dayanidhi Maran to stop Cotton Bale-Yarn Export

2011-07-07T22:14:00.000-07:00

Cotton Farmers demands C.B.I. probe in to alleged Rs.500 Crore scam of Textile Minister Dayanidhi Maran to stop Cotton Bale-Yarn Export

Nagpur - JULY 8 2011

The present cotton crisis in India is result of wrong policies enforced by ex-textile minister of India to protect interest on handful textile mill owners which has denied best available price of cotton to 1 billion cotton farmers of India and resulted in the total losses of more than Rs.20,000 crore to farmers and local ginners and traders as complete ban on export from January to may 2011 has forced to them to offload the cotton or cotton bales at the half price which was prevailing till march 2011 .all decision of putting stringent restrictions of cotton bales export even on cotton yarn and cotton waste was to favor textile mills and garment industries of south India who paid thousand crore as graft to then Textile Minister Dayanidhi Maran and there are documentary evidences of ill-intended decisions taken by textile ministry in last six months and we demand C.B.I. probe to this “Cotton Export Ban Scam” kishore tiwari of Vidarbha Janandoaln Samiti urged Indian Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh to in letter today.

“In letter to Indian Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh on 24^th may 2011 ,vidarbha cotton farmers raised the demand of sack Textile Minister Dayanidhi Maran when textile minister was not responding to letters written by union agriculture minister ,union commerce minister, chief ministers Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra and Karnataka and delayed the decision of lifting cotton export limit from 55 lakhs bales to 65 lakhs bales as against demand of minimum 100 lakhs bales .we have strong case against the Ex-Textile Minister Dayanidhi Maran and ready to submit all proof of mega corruption to C.B.I. if PMO direct the CBI for the same .if PMO fails to take any action the we will move Mumbai high court Nagpur bench for relief ”Tiwari added.

VJAS recalled the letter wrote to PMO iN MAY-2011 and it is reprouced

QUOTE

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cotton price are further crashed in India more farmers suicides are being reported the reason for much Taboo on Cotton exports from India is result of unholy cartel of finger counting textile tycoon and Union Textile Minister Dayanithi Maran which is responsible for present cotton rowers crisis in India ,farm activist group Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti VJAS allged and urged indaina prime minister to sack Union Textile Minister Dayanithi Maran to save more than 5 million dyinf cotton afrmers of Maharashtra ,Kishore Tiwari of Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti VJAS informed in press note today .

“Hindered of cotton farmers and farm widows are marching to Delhi to meet Indian Prime Minister and UPA Convener Smt.Sonia Gandhi for urgent intervention in order to resolve the crisis as Textile minister initially restricted cotton bales export to 55 lakhs bales from earlier year 84 lakh bales even when country cotton production is higher by another 25 lakhs bales then ban export of cotton yarn and now surprisingly as per Quota Policy of Cotton items now added Cotton Waste ( Comber Noil) H. S. Code No. 5202 as

Cotton Waste is a ‘By-product’ of Cotton Yarn. when plenty of quota of Cotton Yarn lying unutilized the hostile functioning of Union Textile Minister Dayanithi Maran has a allaowed textile cartel to include the by-product banned with a major raw material and brought under same category in the field of exports” Tiwari said..

“Cotton prices have increased from rs 30000/candy in april 2010 to Rs 60000/candy April 2011 which is an increase of about Rs 70-75 per kg and immediately Spinners increased the price of yarn from rs 150/- per kg in April 2010 for 30s combed to Rs 230/- per kg in April 2011. increase of Rs 80 per kg which reflects in cotton value to Rs 30000/per candy minimum. Fabric weavers too have increased prices of grey fabric of 40 x 40 counts 124 x 64 with 200 gm per mtr which is quoted at about Rs 70/- per sqmtr as against Rs 38 in April 2010. There s an increase of Rs 32/mtr which is Rs 160/- per kg which in terms of candy is about Rs 58/60000 and present ban on export has brought back cotton prices to the level of April 2010 which is artificial an stage managed and Union Textile Minister Dayanithi Maran is directly involved in this scam ” Tiwari added.

‘As Cotton is an agricultural commodity and higher the prices farmers get, they will be encouraged to produce more and more of cotton and when Cotton production has grown from a low of 225 lac bales to 330 lac bales in last 5 years the undue protection to Local textile mills benefiting of buying Indian cotton at prices which are at least

lower by 30% as compared to its competitor in Bangladesh, Pakistan and other countries who buy from other growths which is reason behind the present restriction of cotton export and when Indian cotton after lot of hard work and promotion by exporters have found a very stable and regular market of its cotton in foreign countries and Govt should ensure that the markets created are not lost to competition due to faulty Govt policies.” It is alleged.

UNQUOTE

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‘We need the urgent central intervention and demand to lift all export restriction of cotton bales and yarn too so that farmers get higher price to cotton ‘’Tiwari urged.

NABARD aid to help restart farm loan disbursement-Times of India

2011-07-07T21:40:00.000-07:00

NABARD aid to help restart farm loan disbursement-Times of India

Printed from

NABARD aid to help restart farm loan disbursement

Ramu Bhagwat, TNN | Jul 8, 2011, 01.07am IST

NAGPUR: Farm loan disbursal in Vidarbha, which was virtually at standstill for the last three weeks, may get kick started again, thanks to the decision of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) to bail out the troubled Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank (MSCB). Top sources in MSCB have indicated that NABARD would release Rs 500 crore this week.

The state apex bank controlled by the Nationalist Congress Party ran into trouble just few months before the onset of the kharif season. With the government appointed administrators replacing the bank board, the clean-up got top priority. Adding to the cash-starved bank's woes, the state government headed by the Congress refused to stand guarantee to fresh loan liabilities of MSCB. The bank administrators tightened the leash on district central cooperative banks which were found diverting funds to non-agriculture purposes, though recovery from farm sector was good.

"The situation came to such a pass that since June 15, the district cooperative banks almost stopped crop loan disbursement. So, farmers had to rush from pillar to post for cash to buy seeds and fertilizers. DCCBs through village level credit societies make up for 80% of institutional credit. The chief minister requested nationalized banks to be more proactive this year but for want of clear instructions from RBI, nationalized banks are yet to come a big way on crop loans," said Kishore Tiwari of Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti.

"The Rs 500 crore from NABARD will be too meagre an amount as Yavatmal district alone has a demand of Rs 300 crore from farmers. Irregular monsoon has added further strain as resowing may have to be taken up in large tracts of land," said Tiwari. With costs of all inputs and preferred Bt cotton seeds available only on premium, the cash needs are going to rise in farm sector.

"More worrying is the state's stance of not regulating microfinance organizations which are fanning in the countryside offering liberal loans at usurious rates of 36%. If the crops fail because of erratic monsoon, the fallout will be disastrous for farmers," warned Tiwari
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Posted by VIDARBHA FARMER SUICIDE at 9:27 PM

When paddy turns poison Farmer kills himself as harvest is rich but no one to buy JAIDEEP HARDIKAR

2011-06-27T00:24:00.000-07:00

When paddy turns poison

Farmer kills himself as harvest is rich but no one to buy

JAIDEEP HARDIKAR

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110627/jsp/frontpage/story_14165282.jsp#

Ashwini, widow of Vidarbha farmer Hargovind Harne who killed himself in January, with daughter Gayatri

Bhandara/Yavatmal, June 26: When he drank poison on January 11, farmer Hargovind Harne’s run-down hut was bursting with freshly harvested paddy. Yet he was neck-deep in debt.

Even the bottle of pesticide that he used to take his own life had been bought on credit, as the bill shows.

His large stock of grain wasn’t the only puzzle in the 47-year-old’s suicide. Vidarbha is infamous for continuing suicides by cotton farmers but Harne grew food, not cotton.

A silent epidemic, however, has gripped food-grain cultivators not just in Vidarbha but across central India’s rain-fed belt. This year, many of them have suffered huge losses despite a good crop, and despite the food inflation in the markets.

There are no buyers for their grain or pulses. The government isn’t buying because its godowns are crammed with the old crop — a fallout of the delay over the food security bill.

Till the bill is spelt out and implemented, the Centre cannot work out how much food stocks it will need. So, it is holding on to what it has and has banned exports.

The big private traders aren’t buying from the farmers, either, because they largely stock their grain in the government silos, which are bulging. So, while inflation rages, the farmers have only managed to sell a little paddy to small-time local traders at Rs 750-850 a quintal, far below the support price of Rs 1,050.

But these traders can buy only a little. The rest of the crop is stashed at the farmers’ homes and might rot in the rain over the next few months.

In Maharashtra’s Gondia district, 25,000 tonnes of rice procured by cooperative societies are lying in the open.

“It’s difficult to carry on,” a distraught Harne, a postgraduate in Marathi literature, scribbled in his signed parting note. “I have unpaid loans.”

Harne was meticulous in keeping records. His ledger showed he had suffered losses of about Rs 10,000 for each of the six acres he cultivated ---- Rs 60,000 in all. Together with his outstanding loans of around Rs 2.5 lakh, the going had looked tough.

Five months on, the situation is equally grim for his frail widow, Ashwinibai, at Songaon village in eastern Maharashtra’s Bhandara district. “We had to sell our paddy at a throwaway price,” she said.

House full

The rabi season that ended in April produced a record 84 million tonnes of grain across the country. But data till April 21 suggest that the Food Corporation of India, the country’s main procurement agency, was short by 52 per cent of what it had procured in the same period last year.

Yet, in early June, India had about 67 million tonnes of grain (mostly rice and wheat) in its godowns, more than its storage capacity of 63 million tonnes and far above the buffer of 40 million tonnes.

The food ministry says the government plans to increase its procurement to 80 million tonnes in 2011-12 without any additions to storage capacity.

Ashok Gulati, the chairman of the Commission of Agriculture Costs and Pricing, recently warned the Centre that it needs to clear its grain silos before the kharif harvest arrives in the markets three months from now, else there could be a worse crisis.

One remedy, experts say, is to allow exports. The other is to have the grain distributed among the poor before it rots.

If central India is reeling, even farmers in the grain basket of Punjab and Haryana are struggling to sell their crop. So depressed are the prices that paddy growers in Andhra Pradesh recently declared a “crop holiday” for the pre-kharif season, deciding not to grow the summer crop.

One ray of hope is that a panel headed by Planning Commission member Abhijit Sen is studying the economics and logistical feasibility of building a sufficient number of modern grain silos through public-private partnerships.

M.S. Swaminathan, widely regarded as the father of India’s Green Revolution of the ’60s and ’70s, had long ago recommended a national grid for grain storage, stretching from the farm level to large rural godowns to about 50 regional ultra-modern silos.

Tur paradox

Across central India, thousands of quintals of unsold tur are piled up at farmers’ homes although the country faces a shortage. India is expected to import 3.4 million tonnes of tur this financial year to “plug the demand-supply gap”, the food ministry says.

Even though the retail prices are still high, the farmers are being forced to sell their lower-grade pulses at Rs 1,500 a quintal and the higher grades at Rs 2,450, down from the Rs 5,000 and Rs 6,500-7,000 last December.

“I thought tur prices would go up because we have a shortage,” said Pravin Thakare, a three-acre farmer, in Yavatmal’s Gawara village. He has about 15 quintals of tur left at his home; the entire village is stuck with about 400 quintals.

“I have to now borrow money from private lenders to prepare for the kharif crop since the banks are yet to begin loan disbursements,” Thakare said.

Harne’s widow Ashwini too is struggling amid the debt and distress as she takes to farming to try and rebuild her life. The family had suffered a double blow when, the day after Harne’s suicide, his ailing father Bajirao died of a heart attack.

Ashwini, with daughter Gayatri clinging to her, said she had sold 15 quintals of paddy after setting a little aside for the family. “At Rs 825 a quintal,” she said, about a fifth less than the support price.

This coming season, she hopes, both the monsoon and the markets would be kind. “I would tell my husband not to worry and that the bad days would end,” she said, fighting back tears. “I now try to remind myself of the same thing.”

दीड वर्षातील "अपात्र' आत्महत्यांची आता फेरचौकशी-सकाळ वृत्तसेवा

2011-06-20T22:08:00.000-07:00

दीड वर्षातील "अपात्र' आत्महत्यांची आता फेरचौकशी-सकाळ वृत्तसेवा

http://72.78.249.107/esakal/20110621/4921826489823078281.htm
Tuesday, June 21, 2011 AT 01:30 AM (IST)

Tags: farmer, suicide, nagpur, vidarbha

***2006 पासूनच्या अशा सर्व प्रकरणांचा फेरआढावा घेण्यात यावा, अशी मागणी विदर्भ जनआंदोलन समितीने केली आहे. समितीचे अध्यक्ष किशोर तिवारी यांनी या निर्णयाचे स्वागत करताना सांगितले, विविध तांत्रिक कारणांपायी आर्थिक मदत नाकारल्याची असंख्य उदाहरणे आहेत. त्यांचाही शासनाकडून फेरविचार होण्याची गरज आहे. आत्महत्याग्रस्त कुटुंबांना अंत्योदय योजनेचा लाभ मिळावा, कुटुंबातील मुलांना शिक्षणासाठी शासकीय योजनांचा लाभ देण्यात यावा, अशी मागणीही त्यांनी केली.******

नागपूर - 2010 पासूनच्या शेतकरी आत्महत्या प्रकरणांमधील "सात-बारा'शी संबंधित "अपात्र' प्रकरणांच्या फेरचौकशीचे आदेश वसंतराव नाईक शेती स्वावलंबन मिशनकडून सोमवारी संबंधित सर्व जिल्हाधिकाऱ्यांना दिले गेले आहेत. त्यामुळे मागील दीड वर्षातील अशा आपद्‌ग्रस्त अपात्र कुटुंबांना न्याय मिळण्याची शक्‍यता वाढली आहे. आता 2006 पासूनच्या अशा प्रकरणांचा फेरआढावा घेण्याची जोरदार मागणी यासंदर्भात होते आहे. विदर्भाच्या सहा जिल्ह्यांत शेतकरी आत्महत्यांची चार हजार प्रकरणे आर्थिक मदतीसाठी "अपात्र' ठरल्याचे वृत्त "सकाळ'ने नुकतेच दिले होते. वसंतराव नाईक शेती स्वावलंबन मिशनने या वृत्ताची दखल घेतली. मिशनचा प्रभार असलेले अमरावतीचे विभागीय आयुक्त प्रवीण परदेशी यांनी सोमवारी परिपत्रक काढून यासंदर्भातील आदेश दिले आहेत. आत्महत्या प्रकरणात मृत शेतकऱ्याच्या वारसांना मदत देण्याबाबत चौकशी करताना सदर व्यक्ती शेतकरी होती किंवा कसे, याबाबतचे निकष सुधारण्यात आले असून; मृताच्या कुटुंबातील कोणतीही व्यक्ती शेतजमीन धारण करीत असेल, तर त्या व्यक्तीस शेतकरी म्हणून गृहीत धरण्यात यावे, असे शासनाचे निर्देश असल्याचे यात स्पष्ट करण्यात आले आहे. वडिलांच्या निधनानंतर फेरफार झाला नाही म्हणून सामाईक हिश्‍शातील शेतीच्या "सात-बारा'वर मुलांची अथवा वारसांची नावे येऊ शकलेली नाहीत, अशा प्रकरणांमध्ये दुर्दैवाने त्या कुटुंबातील कोणत्याही व्यक्तीने आत्महत्या केल्यास अशी प्रकरणे मदतीसाठी अपात्र ठरविली जातात. त्यामुळे मृत व्यक्तीच्या कुटुंबातील कोणतीही व्यक्ती शेतजमीन धारण करीत असेल, तर त्या व्यक्तीस शेतकरी म्हणूनच गृहीत धरण्यात यावे, असेही त्यात स्पष्ट करण्यात आलेले आहे. 1 जानेवारी 2010 नंतरच्या अशा स्वरूपाच्या सर्व प्रकरणांची फेरचौकशी करण्यात यावी, सामाईक हिश्‍शात शेती असलेल्या शेतकऱ्याने जर आत्महत्या केली असेल व तो निकषात बसत असेल, तर अशी प्रकरणे पात्र ठरवावी व त्यांना मदत वाटप करावे, असे स्पष्ट निर्देश अमरावतीच्या विभागीय आयुक्तांनी आज दिले आहेत. विदर्भातील आत्महत्याग्रस्त अशा सहा जिल्ह्यांचे जिल्हाधिकारी, पोलिस अधीक्षक तसेच अमरावतीच्या विभागीय कृषी सहसंचालकांना हे परिपत्रक पाठविण्यात आले आहे. त्यामुळे आता अशा अपात्र प्रकरणांमधील आपद्‌ग्रस्त कुटुंबांना न्याय मिळण्याची शक्‍यता वाढली आहे. हा दिलासाजनक निर्णय घेताना 2006 पासूनच्या अशा सर्व प्रकरणांचा फेरआढावा घेण्यात यावा, अशी मागणी विदर्भ जनआंदोलन समितीने केली आहे. समितीचे अध्यक्ष किशोर तिवारी यांनी या निर्णयाचे स्वागत करताना सांगितले, विविध तांत्रिक कारणांपायी आर्थिक मदत नाकारल्याची असंख्य उदाहरणे आहेत. त्यांचाही शासनाकडून फेरविचार होण्याची गरज आहे. आत्महत्याग्रस्त कुटुंबांना अंत्योदय योजनेचा लाभ मिळावा, कुटुंबातील मुलांना शिक्षणासाठी शासकीय योजनांचा लाभ देण्यात यावा, अशी मागणीही त्यांनी केली.
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Cotton crisis-mahrashtra chief minister to take up issue with PMO-VJAS

2011-05-26T06:47:00.000-07:00

Cotton crisis-mahrashtra chief minister to take up issue with PMO-VJAS

Yavatmal-26^th may 2011

The joy of vidarbha 3 million cotton farmer with the centre Govt. indication that additional 15 lakhs cotton bales has short lived as Textile Minister Dayanithin Maran has once again delayed the permission to protest the interest of textile cartel as price of cotton further slashed in the local market on Thursday today forcing dying vidarbha farmers to meet Maharashtra Chief Minister Prathviraj Chavan at yavatmal airport when he visited the city to take part in the “water conclave”( Pani Parishad ) hoisted maharashtra state congress committee MPCC in farm suicide epicenter of vidarbha .

“yes this is very serious issue we have earlier written to Prime minister tolift cotton export ban as maharashtra cotton farmers are in deep crisis due to slashing of prices by 40% in one month ,now I will speak to our Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to resolve the issue” Chief Minister Prathviraj Chavan informed the delegation ,net him today acoording to Kishor Tiwari of Vidarbha Janadolan Samiti (VJAS) who pleaded the case of distressed cotton farmers today.

Chief Minister Prathviraj Chavan was accompanied by social justice minister shivajirao moghe ,guardian minister dr.nitin raut,agriculture minister radhakrishanna vighe patil and minister of state rajendra mulak alongwith nagpur M.P. Vilas Muttemwar ,MLA nilesh parvekar ,MLA Waman Kasawar MLA Ranjit Kamble .This meeting was arranged by Amaravati Divisional Commissinor Pravin Pardesi .Farmer Leaders Mohan Jadhav Nitin Kamble ,Suresh Bolenwar, Ankit Naitam was part of delegation .

‘we raised issues of fresh crop loan to all cotton farmers and shelf help group who are in default due to sudden market crash , Chief Minister Prathviraj Chavan assured that he has called the meeting of all bankers to address issue ’Tiwari added.

‘we are also submitted our chapter of demands that include revison of minimum support price of cotton ,food security to dry land farmers, free health care of dying cotton farmer and free higher education to kids of farmers who are debt trapped”Tiwari informed.

Cotton crisis-mahrashtra chief minister to take up issue with PMO-VJAS

2011-05-26T06:39:00.000-07:00

Cotton crisis-mahrashtra chief minister to take up issue with PMO-VJAS

Yavatmal-26^th may 2011

4 farmers commit suicide in 48 hours in Vidarbha-Hindustan Times

2011-05-18T04:53:00.000-07:00

4 farmers commit suicide in 48 hours in Vidarbha

Pradip Kumar Maitra pradipmaitra@hindustantimes.com

NAGPUR:17^th MAY 2011

While the government claims that there has been a drop in farmers' suicides following the implementation of its two relief packages, at least four more suicides have been reported in the past 48 hours.

The recent deaths have bought the suicide toll to 28 this month and 203 since the start of this year. The deceased have been identified as Ajgal Patle, 50, from Mashalmeta, Asaram Khotle,48, from Dharmapuri (Bhandara district), Sudhakar Patil, 35, from Jambhuldhaba in Buldhana) and Prabhakar Barmase, 52, of Benoda-Shahid in Amravati district.

Kishore Tiwari of Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti said the farmers were heavily in debt and ended their lives after realising that they would not be able to get fresh crop loans in the coming kharif season from any financial institution.

“Farmers continue to commit suicide in the region and the figure may go up,“ Tiwari said.

According to agro-economist Srinivas Khandewale, the agrarian crisis has many dimensions.

“There is the problem of high investment in almost all crops, particularly cotton. Moreover, 85% land in the region is non-irrigated and under rain-fed area.
The crisis continues to haunt cotton farmers as farming has become unviable,“ he said. Unless the state addresses the problems of the farmers, the younger generation will not take to farming, he added.

Khandewale insisted that the government should at least provide food security to distressed farmers of the region. Besides, they should be treated as below poverty line people so that they are eligible for benefits, he said.

============================

Bt.cotton crisis-Saga Indian Farmer suicides-Times of India

2011-05-16T22:27:00.000-07:00

Printed from

Two Days after Hike, Bt cotton seeds with Revised Rates out in Market

Ramu Bhagwat, TNN | May 17, 2011, 06.03am IST

NAGPUR: Within two days of Maharashtra government approving a hike in prices of Bt cotton seeds, manufacturers on Monday started distributing stocks with packets bearing the new rates. The price has been hiked by Rs 180 per packet of 450 gm - from Rs 750 to Rs 930 of the BG-II variety. TOI had reported on April 21 that Bt seeds would cost around Rs 200 more in the ensuing kharif season.

Kashinath Milmile, a seed dealer at Pandharkawda, one of the main cotton growing centres of the region, told TOI he was yet to receive stocks from the seed companies. He said a manufacturer with the brand name 'Krishidhan' had distributed stocks with the new rates at Wani market. "The packets of BG-II bore a price tag of Rs 930 and that of BG-I had Rs 830, a hike of Rs 180 per packet," he said.

With reports of monsoon likely to hit Kerala coast by May end, farming activity has started with renewed vigour and purchases of inputs has begun in earnest. With the seed companies finally being allowed to raise prices, which had been stagnant for last four years, new stocks had been held up until now. "The fact that the seed companies are hand in glove with the government is clear from the fact that just a day after Maharashtra government allowed the price hike, packets with prices printed on them are already out," said Kishore Tiwari of Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti.

Tiwari lamented that the state had meekly agreed to the hike without any resistance. "In neighbouring Andhra Pradesh the government is opposing the price hike," he added. Together the two states account for nearly 60% of the country's total area under cotton cultivation.

"The higher cost of seeds will add to the farmer's burden, with fertilizer costs having shot up by 24% as compared to last season," said Tiwari. Milmile also confirmed that DAP fertilizer, which was priced at Rs 512 a bag last year was now selling for Rs 637 and there were reports of a further hike up to Rs 670 soon," said the dealer from Pandharkawda.

"This capital intensive cash crop of cotton is full of risks," Tiwari said. But there is hardly any initiative from the government for any change in crop pattern and farmers are taking a bigger plunge into cotton. There are already reports that cotton area may go up by 20% from around 110 lakh hectares last year.

"Costlier seeds, fertilizers and a steep increase in labour costs will only increase risks, more so since there is no assurance of a higher returns in the next season. But unmindful of consequences more and more farmers from even other regions and those traditionally growing soyabean and tur are shifting to cotton," said Tiwari.

Posted by VIDARBHA FARMER SUICIDE at 10:09 PM

Posted by vidarbha times at 10:19 PM

Vidarbha cotton farmers flay union Govt.’s Decision not allow Cotton Export: Hunger Strike on 1st May to lift cotton export ban

2011-04-28T04:15:00.000-07:00

Vidarbha cotton farmers flay union Govt.’s Decision not allow Cotton Export: Hunger Strike on 1^st May to lift cotton export ban

NAGPUR: April 28, 2011

The recent announcement of Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Anand Sharma that there is no immediate proposal to allow raise cotton bales exports quota which has shattered the hopes of dying vidarbha getting a good price for their produce remained short-lived for cotton growers. Prices plummeted to below Rs 4,500 a quintal during last fortnight after touching a high of Rs 7,000,has been flayed by vidarbha cotton farmer’s activist group vidarbha Janandolan Samiti (VJAS) and threaten to start hunger strike from 1^st may to press demand to raise cotton bales export quota 1.5million from existing 55 lakhs ,Kishore Tiwari of vidarbha Janandolan Samiti (VJAS) informed in press release today.

‘The remark on the issue of increasing export quota of cotton by 1.5 million bales to 55 Lakhs bales, the minister said that Cotton industry's requirements are always uppermost in the mind of the textile ministry or of the group of ministers has added further fuel in to agrarian crisis of cotton growing region of west vidarbha where more than 10,000 farmers killed themselves due to debt and crop failure ’Tiwari added.

The government had put a quantitative cap of 5.5 million bales (170 kg each) on cotton exports for the year ending September this year and earlier promised raise the limit up to 1.50 million bales as India’s is estimated to have harvested 33.9 million bales crop this year (2010-11) as against 24.22 million bales in the previous year as per recent announcement of Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar .

Earlier in the month of February Committee of Secretaries (CoS) in decided to keep the cap on cotton exports at 55 lakh bales and reject Maharashtra state's request to increase it to 75 lakh bales has come as a shock for farm activists and cotton experts in the state now commerce minister has disappointed dying vidarbha farmers were expecting to make good money and wipe out old losses in once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But the exports restriction would mean the domestic prices would come down," lamented Kishore Tiwari.

Slamming the Union government decision, VJAS alleged that the bureaucrats were influenced by strong lobbying by textile mill owners who want cheap raw material to increase their profit margins.

"This decision is shocking. Why put a restriction when there is good demand in global market and benefits of good price can be passed on to cotton farmers who have suffered for over a decade because of unremunerative prices, cotton growers may not get another such chance of high open market prices domestically and globally " asked Tiwari .

"Floods hit crop in China and Pakistan while crop area was cut down in the US, the other major producer. So it's a rare chance that Indian farmer got this time as cotton crop in India was exceptionally good. Moreover, when 83 lakh bales were exported last year, why should the Centre scale it down in a good crop year hence we are demanding the lift all quantitative restriction on cotton export," Tiwari demanded..

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Five more farmers commit suicide in Vidarbha in last 48 hours-HT

2011-04-26T22:55:00.001-07:00

Pradip Kumar Maitra, Hindustan Times

Email Author

Nagpur, April 26, 2011

First Published: 19:53 IST(26/4/2011)

Last Updated: 19:59 IST(26/4/2011)

Five more farmers commit suicide in Vidarbha in last 48 hours

The unabated agrarian crisis in Vidarbha's killing fields has claimed five more distressed farmers in the last two days.

Reports reaching Nagpur on Tuesday evening said that among the latest victims two hail from Yavatmal (Goverdhan Wankhede, 52, of Khateshwar village, and Punaji Dhurve, 26, Zhuli village) and one each from Buldhana (Vitthal Maruti Hage, 37, Wankhed village), Akola (Ganesh Tathed, 38 of Sataragaon) and Amravati (Prakash Wankhede, 45, Dapori village).

These farmers were under the great stress, as they could not repay loans borrowed from banks and private moneylenders this season due to crop failure.

Well-known agro-economist Srinivas Khandewale said that it was a shame on part of the government that they could not stem the farmers' suicide despite three relief packages, including one of prime minister. "There is a need for counseling of distressed farmers and provide food security to them to prevent such tragedies," he insisted.

Kishore Tiwari of Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti, apprehended that if the government fails to provide food security to farmers this year, more farmers would be driven to end life.

"Vidarbha region has virtually turned into a killing field for farmers. The government should realize the ground reality and act promptly," Tiwari urged.

FARMER SUICIDES IN VIDARBHA REGION - YEARWISE
2001: 52 2002: 104 2003: 148 2004: 447 2005: 445 2006: 1,448 2007: 1,246 2008: 1,268 2009: 916 2010: 748 2011 (Till April 26) : 166

Tiwari also demanded that all the distressed farmers of suicide-prone district of the region should be treated as BPL families so that they can get the food grain benefit from the government under public distribution system.

The former Shetkari Sanghatana leader Vijay Jawandhia said that the situation could only be prevented if the farmers get remunerative price for their produces. "The government should hike the guarantee price of raw cotton in coming season in view of the prevailing situation," he said.

Sanjay Deshmukh, the district collector of Yavatmal, was not available for comments.

With the death of these five farmers, the toll has risen to 37 this month while the figure was 43 in March.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/Print/689942.aspx

Five more farmers commit suicide in Vidarbha in last 48 hours-HT

2011-04-26T22:55:00.000-07:00

Pradip Kumar Maitra, Hindustan Times

Email Author

Nagpur, April 26, 2011

First Published: 19:53 IST(26/4/2011)

Last Updated: 19:59 IST(26/4/2011)

Five more farmers commit suicide in Vidarbha in last 48 hours

The unabated agrarian crisis in Vidarbha's killing fields has claimed five more distressed farmers in the last two days.

These farmers were under the great stress, as they could not repay loans borrowed from banks and private moneylenders this season due to crop failure.

Kishore Tiwari of Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti, apprehended that if the government fails to provide food security to farmers this year, more farmers would be driven to end life.

"Vidarbha region has virtually turned into a killing field for farmers. The government should realize the ground reality and act promptly," Tiwari urged.

FARMER SUICIDES IN VIDARBHA REGION - YEARWISE
2001: 52 2002: 104 2003: 148 2004: 447 2005: 445 2006: 1,448 2007: 1,246 2008: 1,268 2009: 916 2010: 748 2011 (Till April 26) : 166

Sanjay Deshmukh, the district collector of Yavatmal, was not available for comments.

With the death of these five farmers, the toll has risen to 37 this month while the figure was 43 in March.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/Print/689942.aspx

Five more Vidarbha farmer suicide in a day :Action against 405 officers is eyewash-VJAS

2011-03-21T23:40:00.000-07:00

Five more Vidarbha farmer suicide in a day :Action against 405 officers is eyewash-VJAS

Nagpur , March 22,2011

The announcement of Maharashtra Govt. of serious scam in Rs.5000 in west vidarbha farm relief package and massive fund diversion given to redress the despair and distress has severely reflected as five more debt trapped cotton farmers suicide reported today, identified as

1.Nama Chavan of Phulwadi in Yavatmal

2. Namdeorathode of Modak in Washim

3. Dhodunji Yedase of Nagai Pod in Yavatmal

4.Dadarao Ambhore of Khadaki in Akola

5.Jitendra Suradkar of Phopali in Yavatmal

Taking tally to 104 in year 2011, Kishor Tiwari of Vidarbha Janadolan Samiti informed today.

Vidarbha farmers who are in deep distress and despair and are committing suicide @ 8 hourly since June 2005 has flayed today Maharashtra government’s announcement terming the action against 405 employees of the agriculture department, including the immediate suspension of 50 officers, accused of siphoning off funds from the central and state aid packages for Vidarbha farmers as ‘eyewash’ because they alleged that all contracts of irrigation and purchases of farm equipments and other beneficiaries under relief schemes being implement under relief packages given by initially chief minister in December 2005 amounting Rs.1075 crore and then Indian prime minister on 1 July 2006 of Rs.3750 crore where given by concern minister and secretaries of irrigation and agriculture department .

“Ajit Dada Pawar and Babalasaheb Thorat then irrigation and Agriculture minister respectably have centralized the decision and decided the agencies under all relief packages as 80% amount of relief fund was allotted to increase irrigation facilities in west vidarbha and 20% amount was given to Agriculture department in which centralized agencies where finalized by concern minister and these two minister are the main beneficiaries of vidarbha farmer’s relief package and we demand that criminal action against Ajit Dada Pawar and Babalasaheb Thorat along with culprit babus of senior rank of Mantralaya ” Kishor Tiwari of Vidarbha Janadolan Samiti demanded in press release today.

Vidarbha farmers said that the action announced in the state legislature by Agriculture Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil said that the funds were meant for the farmers in six districts affect by farmland suicides in Vidarbha region of eastern Maharashtra is too late to punish the corrupt babus as most of .405 officers and employees have been found prima facie guilty and served with show-cause notices including 50 Grade I and II suspended immediately and action will be taken against the remaining officials within a month, have already either got retired or relived from the jobs as there is undue delay in the taking the action on the irregularities in the Vidarbha packages came to light in 2007 and a committee headed by Gopal Reddy, director of V.P. Naik Mission for Farmers, was appointed and submitted its report in 2008, which was tabled before the legislature in march 2009 and concerned officials were served with show-cause notices in the matter in November last year.

‘If relief packages would have given any aid to dying farmer west vidarbha would not have reported more than 5000 innocent cotton farmers suicides even after the announcement of relief packages since July 2006 .this is mass genocide of farmers after corrupt ministers took decisions of siphoning off funds amounting Rs.5000 crore and all misdeeds figured in CAG and PAC reports and we have submitted the facts on affidavit to India Prime Minister but shown the dustbin .around 3 million vidarbha farmers are the grip agrarian crisis and are being forced to commit suicide due to distress but hostile administration failed to provide them food security and health security even after expert committees recommended ,this is much more disturbing hence we demand the main culprit minister should be booked and punished’Tiwari repeated the demand.

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Sack Vilasrao Deshmukh, say agitating Vidarbha farmers-Indo-Asian News Service

2011-02-08T05:45:00.000-08:00

Sack Vilasrao Deshmukh, say agitating Vidarbha farmers

Nagpur, Feb 8 (IANS) More than 2,000 farmers and farm widows Tuesday participated in a day-long hunger-strike in Vidarbha to demand the sacking of union Rural Development Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, an activist said.

In the agitation called by the Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS), farmers in Pandharkawada village of Yavatmal district, some 150 km south of here, also said that they would go on an indefinite hunger-strike to press for their demand.

'The Supreme Court has found Deshmukh guilty of misuse of the office of chief minster to protect his party's moneylender Dilip Sananda,' VJAS president Kishor Tiwari said.

'Why is he still being allowed to hold position of a union minister? This is unacceptable,' he added.

Supreme Court Justice A.K. Ganguly Monday called the United Progressive Alliance government's shifting Deshmukh from heavy industries to rural development ministry 'a shameless act'.

The apex court, in its Dec 14 judgment last year, had also termed Deshmukh's behaviour as incongruous and had enhanced the fine of Rs.25,000 imposed by the Bombay High Court on the Maharashtra government to Rs.10 lakh for using his influence as chief minister to prevent the police from registering a criminal case against a Congress legislator's moneylender father.

'This is a serious issue. If a senior minister has failed to protect the interests of a common man and misused his constitutional powers, he should be sacked. Instead, not only is he being retained, but also being given charge of rural development,' Tiwari said.

VJAS urged Indian Prez. to release Dr.Binayak Sen

2010-12-24T21:42:00.000-08:00

VJAS urged Indian Prez. to release Dr.Binayak Sen

VIDARBHA JANANDOLAN SAMITI

11, Trisaran Society, In front of Somalwar School, Khamla, NAGPUR – 440 025 (M.S)

Tel No.- (07235) 227387/ 227564 Mob No. 9422108846 /

============================================================

Ref: VJAS/PREZ/590/2010 very urgent- fax Dated - 25/12/2010.

To:

The President of India,

Rashtrapati Bhavan,

New Delhi-110 001

Ref- the conviction human rights worker Dr Binayak Sen by a Raipur Sessions Court on charges of sedition and waging war against the Indian State

Sub- Requisition to free human rights worker Dr Binayak Sen in order to save Democratic values of Indian Republic.

Respected Madam,

The million of vidarbha tribals ,farmers ,farm widows and unwed mothers of farm suicide capital of India are shocked at the conviction of well-known public health doctor and human rights worker Dr Binayak Sen by a Raipur Sessions Court on charges of sedition and waging war against the Indian State. The conviction carries a sentence of life imprisonment, a drastic and completely unjust fate, to be handed out to one India’s finest social activists.

We call upon the higher Indian Prez.to uphold principles of law, justice and the rights enshrined in the Indian Constitution and undo the severe damage done to the reputation of the judiciary itself through the Raipur courts flawed judgment.

The charges against Dr.Binayak Sen , of allegedly aiding outlawed Maoist rebels in Chhattisgarh, have not been corroborated by any of the witnesses or evidence produced in court so far. On the contrary there have been numerous instances of the prosecution resorting to use of fabricated documents and contradictory testimonies to press its case.

We further believe that the charges against Dr.Binayak Sen , made under draconian anti-terrorist laws, are trumped up and intended to punish him for his outspoken criticism of the Chhattisgarh government for its human rights violations against its own tribal populations. Dr Sen, a heart patient, has already spent over two years in prison from May 2007 to May 2009 and was released on bail by the Indian Supreme Court.

That the world’s largest democratic country cannot tolerate criticism and non-violent human rights activism is a matter of shame to Indian citizens everywhere and this attitude of intolerance needs to be roundly condemned. Such low quality of justice, routinely delivered in our courts, is indeed itself a threat to Indian democracy.

Not only should Dr.Binayak Sen be released immediately from imprisonment and charges withdrawn, there needs to be a thorough inquiry against all those who have framed him so maliciously. We also demand adequate compensation to Dr Sen for being deprived of his basic freedoms and his family for being subjected to the most inhumane mental torture and persecution.

PRAYER

Hon,ble Indian president smt. Pratibhatai patil is requested to arrange to free human rights worker Dr Binayak Sen in order to save democratic values of Indian republic.

KISHOR TIWARI

President

Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti

Nagpur

SAVE VIDARBHA FARMER(call-91-9422108846)

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VJAS urged Indian Prez. to release Dr.Binayak Sen