‘Candle-Light
Vigil’ of Vidarbha Farm widows to mark
2014 as ‘Year of Betrayal’
Pandharkawada -31st December 2014
Hundreds of farm widows in
‘Vidarbha’ region of western part of Maharashtra in India to participated in day
long protest and joined ‘Candlelight
Vigil’ followed of special prayer to pay tribute to more than 1100 vidarbha
farmers who committed in the out going year 2012 by oberving 2014 as ‘Year of Betrayal’ as promises given by new Indian Govt. has
completely betrayed it’s election promise
of giving sustainable minimum support price (MSP) with much hyped Modi’s
formula of investment in cultivation plus 50% profit and restoration of fresh
institutional credit to all debt trapped distressed farmers in agrarian crisis
hit areas and urged Indian prime minister Narendra Modi to intervene to
stop on going farm suicide spiral as many as 1109 farmers committed suicides
this 2004 on average, 3,685 farmers in
the state took their lives every year between 2004 to 2013 and year 2014 has
been much more gloomy and disappointing for dying farmers when their ray of
hope that new NDA Govt. failed to change economic policies implemented by
earlier UPA Govt.,Kishor Tiwari of Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti (VJAS), Activist
group who is documenting farmers suicides in Vidarbha region informed in press
release today.
Vidarbha farm wdiows association
leaders aprana malikar,rekha gurnule,vandana gawande,archana arut ,mangla
betwar ,chandrakala meshram,pornima kopulwar,bebitai bais and farm activist
mohan jadhav ,suresh bolenwar,ankit naitam ,prem chavan, moreshwar watile
joined the protest .
“Year 2014 has been one of worst
year as per crop failure, market recession and unseen natural calamities and
agrarian distress is december vidarbha alone 62 fresh farmers suicides surfaced
and disturbing reports of starvation in relief starved drought affected region coupled
with the continuous administration
apathy towards the crisis ,has deepen crisis hence we have obsered ‘Candlelight Vigil’ protest on the new eve
of new year as mark of protest ‘2014-‘Year of Betrayal’ ,Tiwari said
VJAS once again urged PM Modiji
of introducing the renowned farm scientist M S Swaminathan's formula for
fixation of MSP which provides for cost plus 50 per cent remuneration to the
farmers as the basis of fixation of MSP for agricultural crops should be looked
into during the process of finalization of Union Budget for 2014-15 along with
fresh institutional credit restoration to every debt trapped farmers as that is
only way to make agriculture far more sustainable besides ensuring no farmer
was compelled to either leave this occupation or commit suicide.
As most of distressed Small and marginal farmers who committing
suicide are debt trapped hence complete loan waiver and Fresh interest free short term crop loans
whereas other farmers should be given crop loans at 2 per cent, urging for one
time debt relief package should be provided for all farmers, Tiwari added.
आपल्या लाडक्या मुलांच्या भविष्याचे स्वप्न पेरणार्या शेतकर्याला यंदाही पावसाने दगा दिला. दोन एकर कोरडवाहू शेतातील फक्त एकच क्विंटल कापूस घरी आला. घेतलेल्या कर्जाची परतफेड, मुलांचे शिक्षण पूर्ण होणार की नाही, अशा विंवचनेत सापडलेल्या यवतमाळ जिल्ह्यातील बाभुळगाव तालुक्यातील तांबा येथील सोमेश्वर कुंडलिक वडे या शेतकर्याने घरीच विषारी द्रव्य घेऊन आपली जीवनयात्रा संपविली अन् जाताजाता आपल्या अर्धांगिनीवर मुलांचे भविष्य सोडून दिले. ‘आता तूच मुलांचे शिक्षण पूर्ण कर’, असे शेवटचे शब्द भ्रमणध्वनीवर उच्चारले आणि प्राण त्यागला.
