Murdered by Monsanto?
Last night 5 more cotton farmers committed suicide in Maharashtra's cotton growing region of Vidarbha, taking the total to 443 farmers in the growing season since June 2005.
The majority grew Bt cotton which was promoted to poor farmers in India using false and misleading claims as well as unethical practices. (see EVERY TRICK IN THE BOOK - THE MARKETING OF BT COTTON IN INDIA)
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=5741
Just how disastrous Bt cotton proved for Vidarbha's desperate farmers was revealed by a recent study in Maharashtra which showed the incomes of Bt cotton farmers were 68% lower than the incomes of non-Bt cotton growers.
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=6444
Meanwhile, a statutory body investigating charges of monopoly practices filed against Mahyco-Monsanto has found the company guilty of illegal practices and found that the monopolistic and exorbitant rates charged by the company for their Bt cotton varieties was a significant factor in farmer distress.
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=6435
Here are the names of the more than 200 farmers in Vidharba who have taken their lives since the beginning of January 2006. As many again suffered a similar fate in the period from June 2005. As already noted, the vast majority of the victims cultivated Bt cotton.
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List of Vidarbha Farmer suicides since JANUARY 2006
Taken from a list provided by Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti
Name of Farmers
Sahebrao Bhimrao Wankhede
Nandkumar Watane
Chabutai Shrikrushna Nikhade
Madhukar Shriram Shikare
Ramkrushna Sheku Meshram
Mangesh Ambadas Sable
Bhimrao natthuji Bophade
Lonkaran Tukundrao Dongre
Suresh Pandharinath Nagre
Pandit Raibhan Umbarkar
Dayal Raghoji Badkal
Manohar Sampat Pawde
Rama Namaji Kshirsagar
Baldeo Atmaram Warkhade
Gajanan Aknath Jawjal
Ramesh Devidas Jadhav
Kamalabai Chavhan
Devicharan Jagnnath Gaikwad
Ramrao Pancham Patil
Ashok Yashavant Gujjar
Vijay Bhaurao Tekam
Kisan Ganapat Akde
Sunanda Babarao Engole
Yamuna Ramdas Ade
Subhash Shankarrao Shevtkar
Babulal Savalya Bhilawekar
Mahadeo Nakathe
Rambhau Marotrao Shahade
Ramdas Saduji Patil
Sakharam Kashiram Kukare
Anandrao laxman Motghare
Dadarao Bhoyar
Shrirang Surybhan Meshram
Sheshrao lalji Rathod
Hemanth Vishwath Bhasme
Manoj manohar Waghamare
sudam Gopalrao Kandalkar
Sahebrao Mohod
Babarao Natthuji Sable
Vilas Narayan Dhale
Raju Vasantrao Nakhate
Panjabrao Khute
Ajabrao Atmaram Gavande
Baliram Govindrao Kutemare
Pravin Raut
Bhavsing Mithya jadhav
Nanaji Sitaram Batte
Yamunabai umale
Laxman Dattuji Adhav
Dnyneshwar Laxman Bhendare
Raju Vishwash Vidhate
Tulshiram Pandurang Marotkar
Pralhad Laxman Kirtane
Ramdas rajaram Gillari
Bablu Girdhari Brahmankar
nilesh Vishwasrao Nagmothe
Gulsing Ramdhan Rathod
Namdev Amarsing Rathod
Bala Arjun Wasekar
Sudhakar Mahadeo Chaudhari
Nagorao Dupare
Ashok Jadhav
Bhumanna Iranna Annamwar
Mohan Harising Rathod
Govind Narayan Landge
Ganesh Jayram Nikame
Pochu Bira Chittawar
Ambadas Jagan Mundale
Kamalabai Mansing Solanki
Dilip Bhimrao Bambal
Mangusing Ramji Rathod
Ramdas Tukaram Ahir
Prabhakar Zanzat
Devram Sakharam Bhandarkar
Domodhar Dajiba Waghade
Rashtrapal Shankar Meshram
Digambar Bhaurao Zade
Shriram Tulshiram Tinturkar
Mahadeo Mangluji Gopale
Suresh Sheshrao Pathe
Nanaji Vistari Shende
Kashiram Gulab Rathod
Ayya Behru Atram
Ramdas Mansing Pawar
Pandurang Kawadu salame
Rameshwar Bhimrao Suroshe
Dama Kawadu Lanjewar
Bhaurao Devrao Kale
Haridas Parasram Mukale
Manohar Maroti Pimpalkar
Bhanudas sakharam kakad
Tulshiram Tukaram Zimte
Madan Suryabhan Gavhale
Narayan Ramji Gore
Nur kha Tane Kha Pathan
Sahebrao Amrutrao Narnaware
Shaligram Waghaji Shelke
Gulabrao Rambhau Bhise
Chunnilal Pandurang Rahagadle
Megharaj Sambhaji Govarkar
Smt. Suman Amrutrao Sarode
Sahadev Digambar Puri
Shrikrishna Baliram Hingane
Vitthal Nandu Gajabe
Purushottam Haribhau Bhute
Sanjay Rambhau Likhar
Jajbharat Narayan Wankhede
Vilas Keshave Madavi
Kawadu Anandrao Petkar
Dattu Mahadeo Londe
Dnyneshwar marotrao Gargate
Bikhu Yamunadas Pawar
Ramchandra Tarachandra Chandak
Mahadeo Pundlik Lokhande
Prabhakar Sadashiv Rode
Vishwasrao Vyankati chavre
Dadarao Turerao Deshmukh
Jairam Bhikaji Gite
Namdeo Natthuji Taide
Ashok Bhoyar
Murlidhar uttam Hahare
Digambar Sukhadev Vekte
Ramchandra Phakira Vaidhy
Dilip Raghoba Thakare
Dipak laxman chavalkar
maroti Namdeo Taide
Shamsundar Pandhe Pawar
Santosh Shankarrao Tapre
Namdeo Bhimrao Mahalle
Manik Shivram Pusdekar
kisan maniram Rathod
Arvind Madhav Kalmedh
Raju Shyamrao Dhole
Ganesh Sevakram Thakare
Govind Anandrao Waghamare
Subhash Punjaram Chincholkar
Dnyneshwar Ambadas Bhagat
Ratiram Ragho Dhudse
Jageshwar Sampat Ajwale
Arun Madhav Kaje
Santosh Sopan Raut
Gajanan Shrikrishna Sarode
Nagorao Laxman Bhavne
Sanjay Parasram Dadmal
Kashirram Sheru Rathod
Sanjay Balawantrao Ralekar
Shanta Vinayak Jadhav
Vitthal Shaligram Ambulkar
Pandit Govinda Manwar
Pramod Bhagvantrao Lakde
Shamkar Vyankatrao Bhaisagar
Ganapat Govinda Devhare
Gajanan Pandurang Nevare
Gangadhar Wamanrao Raut
Netram Dattuji Dhoble
Surlu Pandurang Kalalkar
Govinda Dattaji Varhade
Anil Dnyneshwar Bahurupe
Shriram Kashiram Kawade
Shashikala Ramkrishna Bhatkar
Purnaji jagtrao Korde
Gajanan Kacharu Engle
Kailas Shravan Atram
Gajanan Ukunda Manture
Ramkisan Baliram Enagle
Kishor Rambhau Solanke
Ashok Vasant Korade
Subhash Dnyaneshwar Kenhe
Ramu Punaji Ade
Sharavan haribhau wakhade
Sudhakar gulab khadase
Prakash shankar pawar
Dhanraj chintaman chaphale
Chandrabhan gudghane
Vishanu shivlala jadhav
Rajendra babanrao bhujbal
Anil ramrao gawande
Sayyad yakub sayyad immam
nathu bhiwa salwe
bhayya sitaram pal
rahul mahadev bothade
prahlad kisan rathod
sukhadev namdev sarode
shankar bhagwan thakare
gajanan ataram nimkhande
mukund pandurang gadhawe
arun narayan pathade
chhagan devidas kharad
mohan shivram patinge
bharatram keshorao topale
ran hari vasuedo istape
vasuev mahadev raut
pudlik devaji madale
shivdas kisan thakare
arun mahadev jawake
dhanraj nathuji raikwar
sudhakar baburao dandekar
gajanan vasudeo dhole
raju udaybhan dhurve
digamber shayrao bahale
chandrabhan bapurao gurnule
dasaru goma atram
vasant mahadev thakare
kishor shayrao kadu
jayvant vithal shete
raju nathuji tagde
hirishchandra jairam kore
deorao keshaorao raut
prakash dattuji nanore
anil bapu kedar
tejram dayaram raghorpe
shranivas madhukar virulkar
mohan ramchandra gorade
arjun sadashiv pal
gajanan uttam tale
kialas dhanraj zade
ashru janji bajad
rahul sahebrao wankhede
purshottam parasram vaidya
anil kisan katale
shantaram ramchandra bhogal
arun ganpat thakare
dattu shankar raut
sandep uttam sabe