Cotton Export Ban Impact –four Vidarbha Farmers Suicides reported 48 Hours

Cotton Export Ban Impact –four Vidarbha Farmers Suicides reported 48 Hours

Nagpur-March 10, 2012

After on going protest in cotton belt in Maharashtra where all Traders and Ginners are boycotting the cotton auctions and farmers blocked road in Yavatmal, Wardha, Akola, Amaravati, Nagpur including burning of cotton before collectorates offices in Amaravati and other offices in various places in vidarbha now serious impact of Govt. decision to bring export ban has started to come up as four more vidarbha farmers suicides reported after imposition on export ban v.i.z.

1. Bapurao of Village Shidola in Mamravati

2. Nilkant Mandole of Village Khategoan in Gondia

3. Sheshrao Rajpallu of Village Sawanga in Yavatmal

4. Shankar Vaidhya of Village Barjali in Yavatmal

Informed farm activist Kishore Tiwari of Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti VJAS,

Last month cotton was traded above @Rs.4200/- quintal but the fear of export ban brought down @Rs.3700 quintal till 3^rd march but news of export ban on 5^th march has crashed the Indian cotton prices and at Adilabad in AP and Ghatanji farmer sold the cotton @Rs.2500/- per quintal before traders started the agitation to boycott the cotton traders in most cotton markets in Maharashtra but real impact has been the restarting farm suicide spiral in vidarbha as more than 30% cotton is till lying with farmers and other 30% are with local ginners and traders hence cotton export ban has it’s severe impact as there is very little demand domestic market since October hence all arguments of commerce ministry are untrue and far from ground reality, Tiwari added.

“When UPA promotes free trade and fair trade practices to stake holders then who is strongly protecting this unfair trade practices at cost of innocent cotton farmers lives, there are 7 million cotton farmers families cultivating cotton in 12 million hectors and handful Babus and finger counting garment exporters can not ruin the rural economy of Maharashtra ,Gujrat,AP,MP,Rajthan and Punjab.when Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said he was kept in the dark about the ban and Maharshtra Chief Minister Prathiraj Chvan ,Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy have strongly objected to the ban on cotton exports then who is protecting Anand Sharma ???”Tiwari asked.

Earlier Indian cotton farmers were very optimistic with the Group of Ministers (GoM) meet to review the ban on cotton exports after after Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said he was kept in the dark about the ban and Maharshtra Chief Minister Prathiraj Chvan ,Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy have strongly objected to the ban on cotton exports remained inconclusive on Friday as a result of this the ban stays “Talks remained inconclusive and further discussion is required. The meeting can place take tomorrow," Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma said” .this is delay and face saving tactics till any decision is taken in more meetings to be held in the coming days, has disappointed and delay in revoking the unwanted cotton export ban will not only ruined 7 million cotton farmers but more 2 million traders ,ginners and workers involved in cotton trade. This is betrayal and this is farmers will react it will force GOM to take decision to lift ban, farm activist Kishore Tiwari of PUCL added.

“GOM meeting was high-jacked and Babus involved commerce and Cotton Advisory Board managed justifies the ill-motivated ban even after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had asked review decision of ban cotton exports. We are till confused to understand the justification to protect finger counting people by pushing more than 10 million agrarian community and cotton trade community to push in to death trap when country has already witnessed more than 2,50,000 farmers suicides in last decade which is till growing in cotton belt of India. The delay in decision is stage managed and cartel which has managed this export ban will take advantage and same GOM will revoke in forthright when damage would have been done .we take all farmers on the road will intensify stir so that justice is prevailed.” Tiwari added.

“when Indian domestic demand is just 20 million bales as against national production of 33 million bales there is no reason put restrictions when interest of domestic textile mills are fully protected .the decision to ban Indian cotton export is another example rampant corruption going on in UPA Govt. there is big names involved in the sudden export ban will expose the all misdeeds of commerce ministry hence for the first time farmers suicide issue has given focus of wrong policies of state ,we will see that the truth is prevailed” Tiwari added.

The decision for imposing ban has been taken ‘to favors garment manufactures’, he alleged while seeking CBI probe into the matter along with restoration of cotton under open general license(OGL)