Vidarbha Farmer widow’s ‘GandhiGiri’ -Seek Divine Intervention to End Government Apathy

Vidarbha Farmer widow’s ‘GandhiGiri’ -Seek Divine Intervention to End  Government Apathy

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Vidarbha agrarian crisis is classic example of hostile rural India where socio-economic system has been completely collapsed ,issues are not only related to Agricultural ‘Crop-Cost-Credit’ ,it has been much more integrated to complex crisis of unemployment ,very high cost private health services and educational fees ,changing life style and food habits coupled with drastic climate change and degradation of land and surface and ground water mismanagement hence finding solutions with help of  MNCs promoted technology or WB( world bank ) promoted policies has added more fuel to crisis since 2005 .in fact UPA-NDA both Govt. are equally responsible for on going vidarbha farmers genocide hence sensitive section of civil society has to come forward to under stand existing deep distress, despair and gloom that is killing innocent farming community in India as NCRB data farmers suicides is most likely to cross more than 3 lakhs farmers suicide in 2013 which is record genocide in the history of  any time hence this protest is focusing larger area of  Indian rural crisis hence we want media is give justice to crisis

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Nagpur :January 26, 2013

The unique way of ‘Gandhigiri’ today on republic day farm suicide hit   Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, hundreds  farm widows and farmers protest day long fast worshiped   the photos of state Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar next to their deities in a temple and pray so that wisdom dawns on these leaders to resolve their woes.

“Today protest is one of last attempt to put agrarian crisis of vidarbha on national radar as day after day framers are killing themselves due to high debt and the persisting agrarian crisis and yet neither  the concerned state or union minister, media or even civil society has a single candle to light for these poor farmers, UPA Govt. at the centre has turned blind eye to very serious issue where as main opposition parties have no agenda to save dying agrarian community who are innocent victims of wrong policies and technology promoted state hence this protest” says Kishore Tiwari of Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS), an organization representing farmers in this region while addressing the farm  widows and farmers .

‘Cotton cultivating belt west vidarbha has witnessed  more than 2000 farmers suicides  in the worst-hit district of Yavatmal and the Vidarbha region comprising 11 districts saw 11,000 suicides since 2005. 8 more farmers committed suicide in the last 72 hours taking the toll to 22 in this New Year and Maharashtra has five million cotton farmers who are facing severe cotton crop failure. The failure of the Bt cotton crop in 4.2 million hectares of land has led to farmers off loading raw cotton at throw away prices since there has been no state intervention or compensation, he says, driving bankrupt farmers to kill themselves but administration is busy in painting rosy picture of bumper crop that is adding more fuel to crisis’ Tiwari added.

‘Vidarbha agrarian crisis is classic case of hostile rural India where socio-economic system has been completely collapsed ,issues are not only related to Agricultural ‘Crop-Cost-Credit’ ,it has been much more integrated to complex crisis of unemployment ,very high cost private health services and educational fees ,changing life style and food habits coupled with drastic climate change and degradation of land and surface and ground water mismanagement hence finding solutions with help of  MNCs promoted technology or WB( world bank ) promoted policies has added more fuel to crisis since 2005 .in fact UPA-NDA both Govt. are equally responsible for on going vidarbha farmers genocide hence sensitive section of civil society has to come forward to under stand existing deep distress, despair and gloom that is killing innocent farming community in India as NCRB data farmers suicides is most likely to cross more than 3 lakhs farmers suicide in 2013 which is record genocide in the history of  any time hence this protest is focusing larger area of  Indian rural crisis hence we want media is give justice to crisis.’ Tiwari urged  in the protest rally.   

Today when  the country was celebrating  Republic Day, “over 300 widows of farmers who committed suicide and 2000 farmers gathered  at the Maregaon village temple in Yavatmal district to pray and wished that Chavan and Pawar realize the ongoing tragedy before them and take necessary steps to save us,” said Bebitai Bais, President of Vidarbha Farmers’ Widows Association informed . Maregaon village is where a parliamentary panel headed by MP Basudeo Acharya visited last year to look into the causes of agrarian crisis and submitted its report to the Indian Parliament. “However, nothing came of it,” she says.

While addressing protesters drawing attention to the irony of worst hit crisis   is that the Maharashtra government is spending millions of rupees on agriculture exhibitions in Nagpur, Yavatmal, Amaravati and Akola whilst Bharatiya Janata Party’s ex-president Nitin Gadkari is busy   organizing the Agro-Vision show in Nagpur   whereas same time administration is denying relief and aid to starving farm widows and their families. Distressed farmers are not being given food security, health care or educational help even after the National Commission for Farmers headed by Dr M. S. Swaminathan and the Dr Narendra Jadhav Committee recommended the same moreover the recent Rs 7.78 billion fund announced for drought assistance to Maharasthra has left out any mention of debt-trapped farmers of Vidarbha, Tiwari said.

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