1.Widows of farmers protest Obama visit
2.Protesters raise Bhopal and Bt cotton
3.Vidarbha farmers flay Obama's role of Marketing Manager of another East India company
EXTRACTS: The protesters demanded a ban on Bt Cotton seeds. "They have ruined the rural cotton-growing economy of Vidarbha," Mr. Tiwari said. (item 2)
"When the country is celebrating Diwali, we are sitting on hunger strike, mourning deaths of our husbands so that this mass genocide is stopped and the prevailing starvation and despair of Vidarbha agrarian community ends," said Bharati Pawar, a farm widow and secretary of VFWA.
According to the VJAS president Kishore Tiwari, "American cotton and Bt Cotton have ruined rural economy of the cotton-growing Vidarbha region. A majority of over 10,000 farmers in Vidarbha, who opted for Bt Cotton seed, committed suicide." (item 1)
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1.Widows of farmers protest Obama visit
The Times of India, November 7 2010
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/6882105.cms
NAGPUR: The cotton growers of Vidarbha, who are suffering immensely due to the prevailing agrarian crisis, staged candlelight protests ahead of US President Barack Obama's India visit on Friday.
The protests, held under the banner of the Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti ”” a pressure group which has been documenting distressed farmers' suicides ”” sought to draw his attention to the plight of the region's agriculture sector caused by 'American policies'.
The main event was organised at Hiwara village in Yavatmal district where a rally was taken out demanding a ban on Bt Cotton ”” dubbed as American seed ”” and withdrawal of subsidies given to US cotton growers. Vidarbha Farm Widows Association (VFWA) president Babytai Bais and a large number of farm widows and debt-ridden farmers from Vidarbha participated in the march who raised slogans holding placards stating 'Barack Obama Go Back'.
"When the country is celebrating Diwali, we are sitting on hunger strike, mourning deaths of our husbands so that this mass genocide is stopped and the prevailing starvation and despair of Vidarbha agrarian community ends," said Bharati Pawar, a farm widow and secretary of VFWA.
According to the VJAS president Kishore Tiwari, "American cotton and Bt Cotton have ruined rural economy of the cotton-growing Vidarbha region. A majority of over 10,000 farmers in Vidarbha, who opted for Bt Cotton seed, committed suicide."
The protesters offered prayers to all 2,16,000 cotton farmers who committed suicide since 1999 ”” after the introduction of WTO regime in India. In a press release, Tiwari claimed that VJAS had sought a meeting with Obama to hand over to him a memorandum during his Mumbai visit but were declined permission by the administration.
Tiwari said the memorandum listed out how 'American' Bt Cotton ”” that promised a bumper yield ”” turned a once lush green Vidarbha into dying fields of farmers. Over 10,000 farmers opted for this seed variety and eventually brought immense financial distress and spelt misery to over three-fourths of the farmers. Terming the tall claims of Bt Cotton being a commercially viable proposition as a hoax, Tiwari said BT seed has driven the farmers to the brink, so much so that one farmer commits suicide every eight hours on an average every day in Vidarbha.
"We'll stage a protest at Delhi when Obama addresses the joint session of the Parliament on November 8. We will be joined by farmers from Punjab and elsewhere," Tiwari said.
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2.Protesters raise Bhopal... [shortened]
The Hindu, November 7 2010 [front page article]
http://www.hindu.com/2010/11/07/stories/2010110761910900.htm
*Vidarbha farmers protest policy of providing huge subsidies to cotton farmers in the U.S.
*'Bt Cotton seeds have ruined the rural cotton-growing economy of Vidarbha'
[Image caption: (Left) Voices of dissent: Left party supporters protest at Churchgate on Saturday against U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to Mumbai.
(Right) In Bhopal, survivors of the gas tragedy stage a demonstration in front of the abandoned Union Carbide factory, demanding justice for the victims and action against Dow Chemicals and Union Carbide Corporation.]
Mumbai: Everything was not hunky-dory during U.S. President Barack Obama's Mumbai visit on Saturday. As the President got a warm welcome, the police kept protesters at bay, clearly intending not to let the voices of dissent reach his ears.
The Communist Party of India and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) of Mumbai protested against Mr. Obama and demanded that Warren Anderson, former chairperson of Union Carbide, be handed over to India. "Do justice to the victims of Bhopal gas tragedy," read a placards held by protesters at Churchgate.
Farmers' rally
Protests were held in Vidarbha too, the eastern part of Maharashtra, infamous for the high rate of farmer suicides. On Friday, farmers protested against the policy of providing huge subsidies to cotton farmers in the U.S. They also wrote a memorandum to him.
"U.S. President Barack Obama is our guest and we respect him”¦ [But he] should know that the U.S. policy of providing huge subsidies to cotton farmers in America has triggered over 2,16,000 farmland suicides in India," Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS) chief Kishor Tiwari told a rally at Hiwara, Yavatmal, on Friday.
"While the whole country is celebrating Diwali, we are sitting on fast and mourning our husbands so that these suicides end," Bharati Pawar said at the rally.
'Ban the seeds'
The protesters demanded a ban on Bt Cotton seeds. "They have ruined the rural cotton-growing economy of Vidarbha," Mr. Tiwari said.
The VJAS is planning to organise a larger protest when Mr. Obama addresses Parliament on Monday.
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3.Vidarbha farmers flay Obama's role of Marketing Manager of another East India company
Ch. Narendra
My News, 7 November 2010
http://www.mynews.in/News/vidarbha_farmers_flay_obamas_role_of_%E2%80%98marketing_manager_of_another_%E2%80%98east_india_company_N107255.html
US Prez.Barack Obama who visited first India's commercial capital Mumbai on Saturday has cleared his ideas regarding India as 'Market' not biggest democracy where 100 crore population is facing problems 'Food-Shelter-Health’ and asking for statutory permission for overtaking the retail, pharmaceutical, auto, mining and education sector as they have done in agriculture which has already ruined the rural economy of India is great threat to India's food sovereignty ,public health, ecologically safe habitats and existence Indian retail trade , is invitation to start another 'East India co. Regime' ,alleged by the Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti a pressure group which has been fightin for the rights of 3 million cotton distressed protesting to draw his attention to the plight of the region's agriculture sector caused by 'American policies.'
'The first speech of US Prez.Barack Obama in the meeting of Industrialist and Capitalist of India is very shocking as he is the American president who is in the role of Marketing Manager to US MNCs which under deep recession and economic crisis and focusing 100 crore population out of which 80 % are below poverty line and without food, shelter, employment and health security as ‘Big Consumer Market' is very unfortunate .
USA can't ignore basic serious issues of poverty and hunger of south east Asia and big problem to the peace and harmony of the region due to US intervention in adjusting nations and existence of mega military forces in and around India’ Kishor Tiwari sharply reacted over Obama business speech in Mumbai on Saturday.
'US Prez. Barack Obama should speak about the truth that from period between 1995 and 2009, the US government paid a quarter of a trillion dollars or a staggering Rs1250000 crore in farm subsidies to its farmers and as per recent report on US federal subsidy published earlier this year by the Washington-based research organization, the Environment Working Group (EWG), the American tax payers shelled out $245.2 billion in farm subsidies during 1995-2009, which works out to an average of $15 billion or Rs75000 crore per year.
US Prez.Barack Obama demands for India to open up the FDI in retail and food processing, push for the GM seeds' adoption, reinvigorate the Indo-US knowledge initiative is matter of great concern and Indian right wing parties should opem their mouth on the issue before agreements are signed and chapter are closed allowing US companies take over in agriculture and rural business’ Tiwari urged.
'We have been trying to show honourable Prez. that mass genocide is the result of American policies to protect their cotton farmers and the claim that Bt Cotton has brought genetic revolution in agriculture is hoax when 80 per cent of three million cotton growers'' families are in deep distress and debt and one farmer commits suicide every eight hours and that American Cotton and Bt Cotton have ruined rural economy of cotton growing Vidarbha region as more than 10,000 cotton growers in Vidarbha, who opted for Bt cotton seed, committed suicide but this truth will not surface in the whole tour due to hostile approach of Indian Government,' Tiwari added
'US Prez. Should know that the US policy of providing huge subsidies to cotton farmers in America has triggered over 216,000 farmland suicides in India, GOI is forming policies under the influence of White House, it is our Indian Government and the Agriculture Ministry is promoting genetically modified seeds which is too toxic to eat and creating Ecologically problems and banned in US and EU till being promoted as genetic revolution is matter of concern but it is not being reflected in any discussion that's very unfortunate,' Tiwari added.