Monsanto has already been indicted for charging excessive prices for its GM cotton seeds in India. When you combine those prices with the extraordinary hype Monsanto has engaged in in order to push these expensive and poor performing seeds to often desperate farmers, it's clear why Monsanto and its political supporters - like India's agriculture minister, Sharad pawar - bear a heavy responsibility for the deaths and misery that have followed in places like Vidharba.
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excerpts from press release:
SHARAD PAWAR IS RESPONSIBLE FOR VIDARBHA FARMER'S SUICIDES :VIDHARBHA AGRARIAN CRISIS WORSEN AS TOTAL TOLL TO 438
VIDARBHA JAN ANDOLAN SAMITI
REF: - FARMERS SUICIDES PRESS-NOTE
NAGPUR-13TH APRIL-2006,
INDIA'S AGRI. MINISTER AND NCP SUPREME SHARAD PAWAR IS TOTALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR ON GOING COTTON GROWERS SUICIDES IN COTTON BELT OF VIDARBHA. KISHOR TIWARI HAS ASKED FOR HIM TO SET DAWN TAKING MORAL RESPONSIBILITY OF VIDARBHA AGRARIAN CRISIS.
SHARAD PAWAR AS AGRI. MINISTER PLAYED KEY ROLE IN GRANTING MASS COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION PERMISSION TO GENETIC MODIFIED BT. COTTON OF US BASE COMPANY MONSANTO IN VIDARBHA AND WITHDRAWN THE COTTON RATE FROM RS.25OO/- PER QUINTAL TO RS.1800/- PER QUINTAL IN COTTON MONOPOLY SCHEME FORCING COTTON GROWERS TO COMMITTEE SUICIDE.
A BACKWARD REGION OF MAHARASHTRA (INDIA) IS IN GRIP OF AGRARIAN CRISIS AS MORE THAN 76 FARMERS SUICIDES REPORTED IN LAST 30 DAYS TAKING TOTAL TO 438 FARMERS SUICIDES IN THIS KARRIF SEASON SINCE JUNE 2005 MOREOVER AGRARIAN CRISIS ARE SO SERIOUS THAT IN AN AVARAGE 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 438 FARMERS WHO HAVE COMMITTED SUICIDES IN THIS SESSION.
VJAS HAS CLAIMED THAT THESE FARMERS SUICIDES ARE INNOCENT VICTIMS OF GOVT. POLICIES FROM WHICH NCP SUPREME SHARAD PAWAR IS RESPONSIBLE AS HIS PARTY NCP HAS NO SUPPORT IN VIDARBHA, SHARAD PAWAR PROMOTED ANTI COTTON GROWERS POLICES WHICH ARE :-
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.
...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 HEART LAND WERE THOSE WHO OPTED FOR BT COTTON WHICH ULTIMATELY FAILED TO PRODUCE THE ASSURED CROPS, KISHOR TIWARI INFORMED.
PLEASE ARRANGE TO RELEASE THIS PRESS NOTE THANKING YOU, YOURS TRULY,
KISHOR TIWARI
PRESIDENT
VIDARBHA JANADOLAN SAMITI
CONTACT-MOBILE-09422108846
VIDARBHA JAN ANDOLAN SAMITI
REGD. OFFICE: 11, TRISARAN SOCIETY, KHAMLA, NAGPUR ¨C 440 025. PH.
2282447/457 MOBILE-9422108846.