- MIDDAY SPECIAL -

INDIA'S COTTON FARMERS' SUICIDES CONTINUING FARMERS GATHER at a recent meeting in the Nagpur area to hear proposed government solutions to the country's ongoing cotton farming dilemma. Previous government assistance has fallen short of goals to alleviate the plight of farmers and surviving widows. Farmers meeting photo from Vidarbha@gmail.com

Toll Over 8 Thousand Last 4 Years - C O T T O N C A L L E D K I L L E R C R O P - By M. R. Lawrence, Editor Update 2350 GMT, 26/07/07 Reprint: ©2007 (Vidarbha, India) - Pradip Kumar Maitra was quoted in an email to Midday as saying, "Three debt-trapped farmers commit suicide every day in Vidarbha. And the cotton has now been dubbed "the killer crop" as the growers could not get the reasonable returns because of the high cost of farming. Tiwari urged the government to promote low-cost farming so farmers can earn enough returns for surviving. Maitra added, "Two relief packages have been announced for the region by the state and union government since December 2005, but the suicides continue. The suicide rate that was declining since December, drastically went up from February this year." Independent sources report more than 500 farmer suicides have occurred already this year, leaving many grieving and destitute widows looking after their starving children. The Hindustan Times mid-April summaries for Nagpur elaborated on two recent deaths: Venkat Reddy was the cousin of former chairman of Jhari Panchayat Samiti, Ramanna Yelktiwar. Twenty-seven-year old, Venkat was a progressive farmer who consumed poison on a Saturday morning. He had taken a loan of Rs 35,000 from the local State Bank of India and could not repay the loan because of not getting remunerative prices of raw cotton, reports said. Another victim, Bhimrao Bone (65) ended his life by hanging himself. Extreme indebtedness and crop failure were said to be the cause of these suicides. Kishor Tiwari, leader of the farmers advocacy group, Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS), pointed out the about-face on banking loan policy as established in a government issued directive aimed at providing working capital for cash strapped farmers, a change said to be now the main cause of recent suicides. Tiwari said, "As bankers have stopped giving fresh crop loans and have dropped down the credit (financing) facility by 40% from the original NABARD order, debt starved cotton farmers are killing themselves." When India's finance minister submitted his annual budget for year 2007-08, it was warmly welcomed as the "Agriculture Budget". However, complaints of funding misallocations have FARMERS’ WIDOWS and children at a June meeting await announcements of possible government financial assistance. - Photo via VJAS since surfaced claiming some farming areas are obtaining disproportionate loan amounts at the expense of other areas such as Vidarbha. According to Tiwari, "The Yavatmal district, which has reported the maximum number of suicides, has been earmarked a loan standard representing a 30% decline from its 2006-07 target. Washim district shows a decline of 41%, Akola 36%, and Buldhana 38%, against the previous fiscal year targets. These district credit plans have been finalised on the basis of broad guidelines prepared by NABARD." Proposed cotton farmer loan repayment waivers have also been the victim of official government policy reversal. Veteran Gandhian leader Mohan Dharia, in a letter to VJAS, supported Vidarbha cotton farmers' efforts for fresh credit and complete loan waivers. As a result of Dharia's intervention according to VJAS representatives, "... the Maharashtra government promised to fulfill these demands, but then backed out." "Cutting down on credit allocations and curtailing promised loan waivers amounts to punishing Vidarbha for being chosen in the PM's package," Tawari says. He concludes that now cotton farmers are left at the mercy of private money lenders, which will invite more farm suicides. Additional protests and community meetings are planned, according to VJAS. Compiled from Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti Statements - SuicideEcho@gmail.com Send Midday your News & Comment. You may see it here! MyBuzz@Midday.com