See the chart of farmer suicides here: http://www.gmwatch.org/p1temp.asp?pid=71&page=1
excerpt: "OVER 300 FARMERS WHO COMMITTED SUICIDE IN THE COTTON HEARTLAND WERE THOSE WHO OPTED FOR BT COTTON WHICH ULTIMATELY FAILED..."
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REF: - FARMERS SUICIDES
PRESS-NOTE
DATED-28TH MARCH 2006
VIDARBHA JAN ANDOLAN SAMITI
REGD. OFFICE: 11, TRISARAN SOCIETY, KHAMLA, NAGPUR 440 025. PH.
2282447/457 MOBILE-9422108846.
VIDHARBHA AGRARIAN CRISIS WORSEN AS 33 FARMERS COMMIT SUICIDE IN LAST 10 DAYS TAKING TOTAL TOLL TO 405: FARMERS ARE INNOCENT VICTIMS OF GOVT. POLICES-KISHOR TIWARI
VIDHARBHA A BACKWARD REGION OF MAHARASHTRA (INDIA) IS IN GRIP OF AGRARIAN CRISIS AS MORE THAN 33 FARMERS SUICIDES REPORTED IN LAST SEVEN DAYS TAKING TOTAL TO 405 FARMERS SUICIDES IN THIS KARRIF SEASON LAST 234 DAYS MOREOVER AGRARIAN CRISIS ARE SO SERIOUS THAT IN AN AVERAGE THREE FARMERS SUICIDES PER DAY ARE BEING REPORTED IN LAST OF 112 DAYS ONLY, VIDARBHA JANANDOLAN SAMITI, PRESIDENT, KISHOR TIWARI INFORMED IN A PRESS RELEASE TODAY. VJAS HAS ISSUED UPDATED DATE WISE LIST OF 405 FARMERS WHO HAVE COMMITTED SUICIDES IN THIS SESSION. VJAS HAS CLAIMED THAT THESE FARMERS SUICIDES ARE INNOCENT VICTIMS OF GOVT. POLICIES V.I.Z.
1.GRANTING PERMISSION US BASE MONSANTRO COMPANY TO HAVE MASS TRIALS OF B.T. COTTON SEED.
2.WITHDRAWAL COTTON PROCUREMENT AT THE @2500/- PER QUINTAL.
3.NO FRESH CREDIT TO FARMERS FROM BANKS.
VIDARBHA AGRARIAN CRISIS ISSUE WAS RAISED BEFORE INDIAN PRIME MINISTER DR.MANMOHANSINGH LAST BY MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENTS DELEGATION LED BY VETERAN GANDHIAN LEADER SMT.NIRMALA DESHPANDE AND PRIME MINISTER HAS PROMISED THEM TO SEND 3RD FACT FINDING TEAM TO VIDARBHA. FIRST FACT FINDING COMMITTEE- EARLIER IT MAY BE RECALLED THAT IN NOVEMBER LAST, DR. SWAMINATHAN HAD LED A FOUR MEMBER HIGH POWER COMMITTEE TO THE VIDARBHA REGION TO HAVE AN ON THE SPOT SURVEY OF THE VARIOUS REASONS THAT MAY FORCE A FARMER TO TAKE THE EXTREME STEP TO END HIS WORLDLY SOJOURN. AS A MATTER OF FACT, DR. SWAMINATHAN HAD REPORTEDLY RECOMMENDED THE GOVT TO ENSURE PRICE OF RS. 3000/ PER QUINTAL OF COTTON BESIDES TAKING INITIATIVE TO CURTAIL THE IMPORT OF COTTON BY IMPOSING HIGHER IMPORT DUTY ON IT.
SECOND FACT FINDING COMMITTEE-IN THIS MONTH SEVEN MEMBER TEAM LED BY DR.ADARSHA MISHRA PRINCIPAL ADVISER IN PLANNING COMMISSION OF INDIA HAS VISITED SUICIDE PRONE VIDARBHA TO KNOW REASONS OF FARMER'S SUICIDES AND DR.ADARSHA MISHRA COMMITTEE HAS ALSO INFORMED SERIOUSNESS OF VIDARBHA AGRARIAN CRISIS IN COTTON GROWING REGION TO PRIME MINISTER.
GOVT. OF MAHARASHTRA HAS BEEN COMPLETELY FAILED TO CONTROL THESE ON GOING SUICIDES IN WEST VIDARBHA AS STATE GOVT DECLARED ITS RS.1070 CRORE PACKAGE FOR THE FARMERS OF VIDARBHA DURING ITS WINTER SESSION AT NAGPUR ON 9TH OF DECEMBER 2005 BUT IT HAS FAILED TO SERVE IT'S PURPOSE AS MANY AS 250 SUICIDES HAVE BEEN REPORTED AFTER THIS RELIEF PACKAGE, KISHORE TIWARI ADDED.
HE FURTHER SAID THAT THEY DEMAND FOR RS. 2700 PER QUINTAL SUPPORT PRICE FOR COTTON, FRESH CROP LOAN TO THE FARMERS EVEN IF THEY ARE DEFAULTERS OF THEIR EARLIER LOAN, IS THE ONLY SOLUTION TO STOP THE PROBLEM WHICH IS MISSING IN CENTRAL GOVT. BUDGET AND THE STATE GOVT. BUDGET EVEN THOSE IT WAS NOT PART RS.1075 CRORE SPECIAL PACKAGE, RESULTING ON GOING SUICIDE.
WITHDRAWAL PROTECTED PRICE OF COTTON IN MAHARASHTRA AND POOR BACK CREDIT NETWORK THIS YEAR US BASE MULTINATIONAL MONSANTO HAS ADDED FUEL IN VIDARBHA AGRARIAN CRISIS. THE BT COTTON SEEDS WITH GREAT FANFARE AND ALL THEIR PROMISES WERE PROVED TO BE FALSE AS OVER 300 FARMERS WHO COMMITTED SUICIDE IN THE COTTON HEARTLAND WERE THOSE WHO OPTED FOR BT COTTON WHICH ULTIMATELY FAILED TO PRODUCE THE ASSURED CROPS, KISHOR TIWARI INFORMED.
IT MAY BE RECALLED THAT VJAS HAD ALREADY FILED AN APPEAL BEFORE THE STATE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION AGAINST THE GOVT AND OVER A DOZEN TOP BUREAUCRATS WITH AN ARDENT PLEA OF GRANTING EXTRATIA TO THE TUNE OF RS. 5 LAKH TO THE NEXT OF KIN OF EACH OF THE DECEASED FARMERS AND TO INITIATE CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS AGAINST THE BUREAUCRATS WHO MAY BE FOUND GUILTY OF DERELICTION OF DUTY LEADING TO THE UNABATED SUICIDES OF THE DEBT RIDDEN FARMERS OF THE REGION. THE MSHRC HAS ADMITTED THE PETITION BUT REPLIES OF DEFENDANTS ARE MARE TIME PASS AND RELIEF EXPECTED IN NEAR FUTURE AND THE NEXT HEARING IS FIXED ON MARCH 27 NEXT.
PLEASE ARRANGE TO RELEASE THIS PRESS NOTE THANKING YOU, YOURS TRULY,
MOHAN JADHAV
SECRETARY
VIDARBHA JANADOLAN SAMITI
CONTACT-MOBILE-09422108846
"vidarbha janandoan samiti" <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>