IN ORDER TO SAVE FARMERS OF VIDARBHA, PLEASE ARRANGE TO CHANGE THE GUARDS OF INDIA AND MAHARASHTRA.

VIDARBHA JAN ANDOLAN SAMITI

REGD. OFFICE: 11, TRISARAN SOCIETY, KHAMLA, NAGPUR ¡¯C 440 025.
PH. 2282447/457 MOBILE-9422108846.

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REF: - FARMERS AGITATION URGENT DATED- 25 TH JULY, 2006

TO,

SMT. SONIA GANDHIJI,

HON, BLE CHAIRMAN, UPA,

10, JANPATH,NEW DELHI-110 001

REF: RECENT STATEMENTS OF MAHARASHTRA CHIEF MINISTER AND INDIAN PRIME MINISTER ON GOING FARMER'S SUICIDES IN VIDARBHA THAT THEY ARE HELPLESS TO STOP THESE SUICIDES.

SUB: IN ORDER TO SAVE FARMERS OF VIDARBHA, PLEASE ARRANGE TO CHANGE THE GUARDS OF INDIA AND MAHARASHTRA.

RESPECTED MADAM,

WE ARE VERY SMALL FARMERS GROUP IN COTTON BELT OF WEST VIDARBHA WHERE AS ON TODAY 680 FARMERS HAVE COMMITTED SUICIDES SINCE JUNE2005, IF WE SEE OUR SUICIDE REGISTER IN LAST 7 YEARS OF PDF GOVT. IN MAHARASHTRA THE COUNT OF FARMER SUICIDE IS CROSSING THE 2500 MARK THOUGH GOVT. OF MAHARASHTRA PRESENTLY ON RECORD ADMITTED THAT 1800 FARMERS HAVE COMMITTED SUICIDES DUE TO DISTRESS PREVAILING IN THE RURAL SECTOR OF VIDARBHA. THE ISSUE OF COTTON GROWERS HAS HIT HARD WHEN DR.M.S.SWAMINATHAN, CHAIRMAN OF NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR FARMERS (NCF) TOURED VIDARBHA IN LAST WEEK OF OCTOBER-2005 TO STUDY THE FACT BEHIND THE FARMER'S DISTRESS RESULTING IN SUICIDES. DR.M.S.SWAMINATHAN HAS SUGGESTED SOME RECOMMENDATIONS MAINLY

1. RESTORATION OF ADVANCE BONUS & PROCUREMENT OF COTTON UNDER COTTON MONOPOLY SCHEME WITH OUT IN FURTHER DELAY I.E. IN NOVEMBER, 2005.

2. FRESH CREDIT TO ALL COTTON GROWERS WHO ARE IN DEBT TRAP OF PRIVATE MONEY LENDERS.

3. HIKE IN IMPORT DUTY OF RAW COTTON MAINLY SOLD BY AMERICAN FARMERS WITH VERY HIGH EXPORT SUBSIDY.

HAVING IGNORED ALL THESE RECOMMENDATIONS, MAHARASHTRA GOVT. ANNOUNCED RS.1070 CRORE SPECIAL PACKAGES BUT THAT TRIGGERED FURTHER 500 COTTON GROWERS SUICIDE AS RELIEF WAS NOT TARGETED TO THE FARMERS WHO ARE IN DISTRESS. WHEN SUICIDES NUMBERS CROSSED 600 AND HIGH COURT AND MEDIA BECOME CRITICAL ON INVENTIVENESS' OF GOVT. IN MAHARASHTRA AND AT THE CENTRE, INDIAN PRIME MINISTER DR.MAMOHANSINGHJI TOURED VIDARBHA ON 30^TH JUNE & 1^ST JULY OF THIS MONTH AND ONCE AGAIN HE COME OUT WITH PACKAGE OF RS.3750 CRORE IN THIS PACKAGE ALSO CENTRAL GOVT. FAILED DUE TO TAKE OUT FROM DEBT TRAP AS WHOLE PACKAGE WAS VERY SALIENT OF PENDING LOAN OF THE FARMERS MORE OVER PRIME MINISTER HAS NOT SPOKEN SINGLE WORD ON THE COTTON ADVANCE BONUS AND HIKE IMPORT DUTY OF AMERICAN SUBSIDIES COTTON THAT HAS TRIGGERED THE SUICIDES AND YESTERDAY MAHARAHSTRA CHIEF MINISTER HAS TOLD PRIVATE NEWS CHANNEL THAT HIS GOVT. IS FAILED TO STOP ON GOING FARMERS SUICIDES .ACCORDING TO REPORT YOUR CHIEF MINISTER TOLD AND I QUOTE-

GOVT. UNABLE TO HELP FARMERS: DESHMUKH

THREE WEEKS AGO, PRIME MINISTER MANMOHAN SINGH WAS IN MAHARASHTRA WHERE HE ANNOUNCED A RS 4000 CRORE PACKAGE FOR DEBT RIDDEN FARMERS IN VIDHARBHA. BUT CHIEF MINISTER VILASRAO DESHMUKH TODAY ADMITTED THAT THE SUICIDE CRISIS IS FAR FROM OVER WITH 60 FARMERS HAVING TAKEN THEIR LIVES SINCE THE PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT TO THE AFFECTED REGION.

"WE ARE DOING OUR BEST, BOTH THE CENTRE AND THE STATE IS DOING WHAT IT CAN. IT'S TRUE THE SUICIDES ARE NOT REDUCING. WHATEVER HELP WE ARE GIVING, WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM OR FULLY CONTROL IT. WE ARE LOOKING FOR SUGGESTIONS," SAID DESHMUKH.

ADVANCE BONUS

THE STATEMENT COMES AS A STUNNING ADMISSION BY MAHARASHTRA'S CHIEF MINISTER THAT HIS GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN UNABLE TO CONTROL THE RISING TIDE OF FARMER SUICIDES IN THE STATE'S COTTON BELT.

EVERYONE IS SURPRISED BY DESHMUKH'S CLAIM THAT HE NEEDS SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO STOP THE DEATHS. THOSE SUGGESTIONS HAVE BEEN MADE AGAIN AND AGAIN BY FARMERS, EXPERTS AND JOURNALISTS.

WHAT THE PRIME MINISTER COULD HAVE DONE WAS RESTORE THE ADVANCE BONUS ON COTTON, RS 500 A QUINTAL. SUICIDES PEAKED AFTER THE STATE WITHDREW THIS BONUS IN 2005.

ALTHOUGH THE PACKAGE OFFERED INTEREST WAIVERS ON LOANS, MASSIVE DEBTS STILL REMAIN AND FARMERS WERE COUNTING ON AT LEAST A PARTIAL DEBT WAIVER.

PRINCIPAL AMOUNT

THE PACKAGE DOES NOT SPEAK OF RAISING IMPORT DUTIES ON COTTON TO PROTECT THE LOCAL MARKET EVEN THOUGH THE GLUT OF COTTON IMPORTS HAS LED TO A CRASH IN COTTON PRICES.

"THERE ARE PROBLEMS. PARTY WORKERS AND OTHERS SAY THAT IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO WAIVE INTEREST RATES. FOR ACTUAL BENEFIT THE PRINCIPAL AMOUNT SHOULD BE WRITTEN OFF," SAID VILAS MUTTEMWAR, MOS, NON-CONVENTIONAL ENERGY.

CRITICS TRACKING THIS ISSUE SAY THEY ARE NOT SURPRISED BECAUSE THE PM'S PACKAGE AND EVEN THE STATE'S OWN VIDARBHA PACKAGE EARLIER DID NOT ADDRESS THE FARMERS' CORE CONCERNS.

THEY ALSO ADD THAT THE PACKAGES DO NOT MATTER WHEN THE POLICY AFFECTING FARMERS REMAINS UNCHANGED.

UNQUOTE

TWO DAYS EARLIER HON, BLE PRIME MINISTER HAS ADMITTED THAT IT IS SYSTEM DEFAULT THAT ARE RESULTING FARMERS SUICIDES, IT IS REPORTED THAT

I QUOTE-

PM BLAMES FARMER DESPAIR ON LACK OF SUPPORT

NEW DELHI, JULY 22. THE PRIME MINISTER, DR MANMOHAN SINGH'S RECENT VISIT TO VIDARBHA, WHERE HE ANNOUNCED THE RS 3750 CRORE RELIEF PACKAGE FOR FARMERS IN THE WAKE OF THEIR COMMITTING SUICIDE, HASN'T BROUGHT ANY REPRIEVE TO THEIR SUFFERINGS. THE PM BLAMED LACK OF INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT FOR THE FARMERS' DESPERATION. HE SAID LACK OF INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT FOR SMALL AND MARGINAL AGRICULTURISTS AND THEIR DEPENDENCE ON PRIVATE FINANCES WERE CAUSES FOR THEIR INDEBTEDNESS AND POVERTY.

"DEBT, IN TURN, HAS DRIVEN MANY OF THEM TO DESPERATION (THE PM REFRAINED FROM USING THE WORD SUICIDE)," HE SAID, WHILE ADDRESSING THE FIRST MEETING OF THE ADVISORY COUNCIL ON ARTIFICIAL RECHARGE OF GROUNDWATER.

THE PM'S STATEMENT WHICH REFLECTS FAILURE OF CENTRE-STATE COORDINATION TO RATIONALISE WATER DISTRIBUTION HAS RESULTED IN POOR STATE OF WATER AVAILABILITY FOR AGRICULTURE ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THIS REMAINS THE MOST CRITICAL AND PERHAPS THE MOST LIMITING FACTOR IN RURAL GROWTH.

THE PM ALSO REMARKED THAT "INVESTMENT IN SURFACE IRRIGATION SYSTEMS HAS CREATED ISLANDS OF PROSPERITY BUT HAS DONE LITTLE TO IMPROVE LOCAL FOOD SECURITY IN MANY PARTS OF THE COUNTRY".

UNQUOTE-

AS MAIN DEMANDS OF COTTON GROWERS OF VIDARBHA ARE NOT BEING ADDRESSED BY THE PRIME MINISTER AND CHIEF MINISTER OF INDIA WHICH ARE
1. AS MORE THAN 90% ARE TAKING CROP-LOAN FROM PRIVATE MONEY LENDERS AS THEY DEFAULTER OF BANK DUE TO VERY OLD DUES HENCE CENTRAL GOVT. SHOULD GIVE RS.5000/- CRORE FOR FARMERS' OLD DEBT ADJUSTMENTS AND FOR FRESH CROP LOAN TO EVERY FARMER IN ORDER TO STOP THEIR EXPLOITATION.

2. CENTRAL GOVT. SHOULD GIVE AT LEAST RS.3000/- CRORE CAPITAL MOBILIZATION FUND TO MAHARASHTRA GOVT. AND DIRECT THEM TO PROCURE RAW COTTON @ RS.3000/- PER QUINTAL UNDER MONOPOLY PROCUREMENT SCHEME.

3. HIKE IN IMPORT DUTY OF COTTON UP TO 60% WITH LISTING OF COTTON UNDER NON-OGL ITEM.

4. SPECIAL SUBSIDY TO ALL FOOD GRAIN CROP FARMING @ RS.1000/-PER ACRES.

HENCE THIS PRAYER

PRAYER

HON,BLE CHAIRMAN OF UPA & PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS IS KINDLY REQUESTED TO CHANGE PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA AND CHIEF MINISTER OF MAHARASHTRA AS BOTH ARE TOO HOSTILE TO CONTINUE IN OFFICE IN ORDER TO SAVE FARMERS OF VIDARBHA.


THANKING YOU,
YOURS TRULY,


KISHOR TIWARI

PRESIDENT

VIDARBHA JANADOLAN SAMITI
CONTACT-MOBILE-09422108846