Vidarbha Farmers Hoping High on Narendra Modi’s Toll Promises

Vidarbha Farmers Hoping High on Narendra Modi’s Toll Promises

Yavatmal-12^th May 2014

NDA’s next Govt. in waiting ‘PM’ in ‘Q’  Narendra Modi’s  very big promise of making Indian Agriculture sector as profit making activity by giving at least  50% on investments by adopting minimum support price (MSP) formula recommended by national commission of farmers and promises of giving fresh crop loan to crisis ridden ,debt trapped distressed farmers of  farm suicide prone  and agrarian crisis  hit region of India ,has raised very high hopes of 5 million distressed dying farmers of Vidarbha region where farmers are committing suicides @ 8 hourly since 2004 and this issue Modi highlighted in all meeting of rural India  that has increased anxiety  of relief aid starved farmers as region went to election in first phase on 10^th April almost 66 days wait, Kishor Tiwari of Vidarbha Janandolan samiti (VJAS) informed in press release today .

‘Narendra Modi’s  agrarian agenda is also shocked activist moreover they are much confused as BJP and Modi himself is strong supporter open economy and promoter high tech tech. genetic research will give direct subsidies to match free market prices for dry land rain fed Indian farmers which is not permitted by WTO and world bank’ Tiwari asked.

‘we are happy when Narendra Modi said farmers are suffering losses due to policies framed by 'babus' sitting inside AC offices and promised that after assuming power at the Centre he will revamp the mechanism of fixing Minimum Support Price (MSP) admitting that Farmers are not benefiting by the current policy, which is being decided by babus sitting inside air conditioned offices. When farmers go to market to sell their products, no government official is present there...Middlemen come there. This is what is prevalent now, he repeatedly promised to revamp the way Minimum Support Price is calculated. "BJP in its manifesto has stated that it has decided to take a historic decision. After forming BJP government in Delhi, we will fix the MSP and babus (bureaucrats) will not be allowed to do as they wish replacing  a definite process for calculating MSP by taking in to account expenditure incurred by the farmer on his land, expenditure of seeds, fertilizer ,pesticide, water, electricity , interest on loan etc-- will be added in MSP. A total will be reached and on that 50 per cent profit will be added, if this happen long pending demand of cotton farmers will be fulfilled but experience of cotton farmers last NDA Govt. too disappointing to remember which allowed free import of more than 20 million cotton bales and entry of MNCs in agriculture sector in the name technology hence Modi ‘s  task  seems to not only difficult as making sustainable agriculture needs introduction of heavy subsidies and market intervention to match MSP as per formula promised by him hence activist group are planning to tke up issues as and when   new Govt. take it office’ Tiwari added.

VJAS has been following Modi and NDA when most of opinion polls started giving clear edge to him & NDA  and are in close liaison with BJP partner ShivSena whose President Udhhao Thakarey  promised openly to fulfill all demands of dying vidarbha cotton farmers  where as Modi has been briefed all issues before he take the power any betrayal from the promises will trigger fresh spiral of distressed farmers suicides  that will most unfortunate too, Tiwari added.