Massive Vidarbha Farm widows protest on republic-day as six more farmers suicides reported in last 72 hours

Massive Vidarbha Farm widows protest on republic-day as six more farmers suicides reported in last 72 hours

Nagpur-25th  Jan .2013

Maharashtra Govt. is spending hundreds crore on Agri. exhibitions in vidarbha joining hand with opposition parties at Nagpur ,Yavatmal, Amaravati and Akola but denying relief aid to starving thousands  widows  and families of farmers who committed suicides since 2005 even after all panels recommended Govt. for the same  hence houndereds of farm  widows will join protest at village Maregoan  in Yvatmal district where parliemnt panel headed veteran MP Basudeo Achrya visited last year to look in to causes of agrarian crisis and submitted it’s report to Indian parliament but Govt. failed to address the main cause of distress of 3 million cotton farmers of vidarbha region forcing them to kill themselves as six more farmers suicides reported in last 72 hours taking toll 20 in this year 2013 ,recent victims identified as

1.Dipak Awari  of vanoja-devi village  in yavatmal

2.Baliram Bharsakale of sirsoli village in akola

3.Namdeo Misar of doksarandi village in Bhandra

4.Jivan Kodape of Ramgoan in Amaravati

5.Vinay Kalpande of Masod  in Amaravati

6.Santosh Ganphade of dhindasi village in Chndrapur

Earlier to this last week reported

7.Namdeo Thoke of village benoda in Amaravati district

8.Balaji Thaori of village dahegoan(zari)in Yavatmal district

9.Dinkar Navarkhede of village Sakhari in chandrapur district

10.Ramdas Gohane of village chittegoan in chaadrapur  district

11.Gajanan Raut of village Jawra-bori in chandrapur  district

12.Janrao Nagle of village khed in amaravati  district

13.Puroshottam Pursadkar of margoan in yavatmal

14.Ramraoji shende of village manoli in yavatmal

15.Sanjay mohurle of dorli in yavatmal

Farmers suicides taking  toll to 20 in year 2013 ,Kishore Tiwari of the Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti informed in press release today.

‘Union agriculture ministers Sharad Pawar  is taking meeting after meeting for the drought relief measures for five districts of western maharashtra where as Mahrashtra CM Prathviraj is busy in organizing Agri. Exhibitions spending crore of rupees of public exchanger but state Govt. failed to give food security ,health care facility and educational help to distressed farmers and diseased farm families member who committed suicides  even after National commission for farmers (NCF) headed by Dr.M.S.Swaminathan and Dr.Narendra Jadhav committee recommended the same this shows Govt. apathy towards the crisis which matter of serious concern for civil society’ Tiwari added. 

‘There are more than 10,000 farmer widows and families who lost bread earner since 2005 in vidarbha agrarian crisis  but we are denied relief aid by the administration hence to draw the attention of  administration massive protest has been organized on 26^th JAND and we will pray god to give wisdom to Govt. to save us’ Bebitai bais ,president of vidarbha farmer’s widows association informed.

‘Administration is keeping Govt. in the dark about   Bt.cotton failure in 4.2 million hector as farmers with protective irrigation is also suffered massive cotton failure where as market rate of cotton is now below MSP but there is no intervention by state at ground level hence farmers are off loading raw cotton in throw away prices and killing themselves ,the demand of urgent relief at price front and compensation cotton failure  can only give healing support to stop on going distress and gloom that is forcing farmers to kill themselves. Nonexistent of administration and non sensitive Maharashtra Govt. coupled with hostile opposition is behind this mass genocide of vidarbha farmers ,hence we are urging civil society  to help these 5 milion dying vidarbha farmers, Tiwari added..  

‘Govt. ministers are busy  spending hundred crore on ‘Advantage Vidarbha’ meet to attract investment where as main opposition party BJP National president Nitin Gadkari  is also busy in arranging ‘Agro Vision’  by spending more than advantage vidarbha meet both to be organized in coming February at Nagpur but not single Minister or leader of opposition has even visited crisis driven farmers moreover Nagpur session of Maharashtra legislative house failed to discuss very serious issue of massive crop failure and despair of dying vidarbha that is real agony of tragedy that is adding more fuel   to farm suicide crisis and hence to protest this apathy and to bring attention of central Govt. hundreds of farm widows will go on day long fast on 26th jan 2013 observing republicday as black day at maregoan village in yavatmal district  ” Tiwari added. 

‘This year their  is massive crop failure in 42 lakhs hector in vidarbha but all  districts

Of vidarbha  are not covered in recent relief aid announced by central  Govt. more over apathy of local administration fueled more hardships to 3 million cotton farmers of  vidarbha, there was gloom and despondency due to suicides of debt trapped two more cotton farmers  and moreover the recent e Centre’s announcement on Thursday of Rs778 crore as aid for drought assistance to Maharashtra from the National Disaster Response Fund left out any mention of the drought-induced crop loss faced by five million plus debt-trapped farmers of Vidarbha has left many shocked, Tiwari said.

The Vidarbha region, which has emerged as the country’s farmer suicide capital, has been reeling under its worst agrarian crisis ever due to truant rainfall leading to massive crop failure in cotton, paddy, pulses and soybean. On an average, three farmers end their lives every 24 hours. The government’s own figures show that more than 9,000 dry land farmers have killed themselves due to crop failure and economic losses due to cotton price.

“The government’s drive to push GM cotton in order to benefit one bio-tech MNC has only cruelly compounded the problems faced by farmers due to vagaries of climate since 2005 pushing many towards ending lives,” lamented Kishore Tiwari of the Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti. “Instead of atoning about the way they are responsible, the Centre has mocked the dead farmers and their bereaved families.”

In fact, the meeting of the high-level committee for central assistance to states affected by natural calamity where the aid was announced was chaired by Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, who is believed to understand the agrarian scene in the state only too well. The meeting in New Delhi was also attended by home minister Sushilkumar Shinde, finance minister P Chidambaram and Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia too.

“One refuses to believe that all these ‘wise’ people didn’t realise it’d be wrong not to mention what is happening in Vidarbha. This is a ploy by the powerful western Maharashtra politicians’ lobby to ensure that the focus of the Centre and state is restricted to their region only,” charged Tiwari -- a charge which sticks when one considers how the local district administrations in Vidarbha have not even sent a report on the crop-loss to the state.

Today it is reported that a team of central government officials led by joint secretary RB Sinha visited the state in November 2012 to assess the drought situation. Curiously, it didn’t visit Vidarbha despite conditions there. It seems their recommendations to the Inter-Ministerial Group constituted under the chairmanship of the agriculture secretary did not reflect any of Vidarbha’s concerns.Many are now linking the total avoidance of any mention of the worst-hit region to these recommendations. Nearly everyone in the bureaucracy too feels stumped at the meagre amount released. “The state needs around Rs5,000 crore and that’s what had been suggested to CM Prithviraj Chavan. We were quite taken aback when he only asked for Rs2,857 crore. With the Centre’s latest announcement of Rs778 crore, one wonders what the logic is,” said a senior water resources ministry bureaucrat, Tiwari added in release

Making contractor as"law-maker" is reason of Nitinji Gadkaris Fall

NOMINATING GOVERNMENT BUSINESS CONTRACTORS LIKE AJAY SANCHETI AS RAJYA SABHA MP, SIDELINING VETERAN DESERVING LEADERS LIKE BALASAHEB APTE, SARDAR AHULUWALIA, RAM NAIK, BANWARILAL PUROHIT, KIRIT SOMAIYYA, ETC. EXPERIENCED LEADERS OF BJP  AND HELPING KNOWN IRRIGATION SCAMESTERs  MITESH BANGDIA – SANDIP BAJORIA TO BECOME MLCs IS ROOT CAUSE OF NITIN GADKARI’s FALL :

BUSINESS PRIORITIES OF NITIN GADKARI 

COST HIM TO LO0SE PRIME POST IN BJP.

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The dramatic turn of events on Tuesday,  when Nitin Gadkari was finally eased out to make way forRajnath Singh to take over as National President of BJP, holds important lessons for Gadkari the BJP as well as the RSS, including its Chief Mohan Bhagwat and De-facto Chief Srikant alias Bhaiyyaji Joshi. Although the RSS has small face saving having implanted another of its ‘front men’ – in the form of Rajnath Singh – as BJP president, the circumstances under which it had to let go of its preferred candidate – Nitin Gadkari – count as a serious virtual loss of face for the Sangh fountainhead. For the past few months, it had the option of managing the transition from Gadkari on its terms. But in the end, it had to yield, in the face of a virtual revolt from the senior BJP leadership – and the manifestly politically motivated income tax raids on Gadkari’s companies. In the end, it had to be dragged kicking and screaming to the transition, not on its terms and not at a time of its choosing.

It is most relevant to note that in all but the crudest calorific sense, from day no. 1 Nitin Gadkari is always termed lightweight whose political worthiness and heft is unfathomable to anyone beyond the closed circle of RSS functionaries who exercise a disproportionately high influence on the political affairs of the BJP, even after neglecting the business & commercial priorities of Mr.Nitin Gadkari.  Long after it became abundantly clear that Gadkari’s continuance as BJP president was hobbling the party from making political capital out of the numerous corruption scandals that wrack the UPA government, the RSS, the soul & mothership that guides the BJP  ideology, recklessly insisted on Gadkari’s re-election – virtually twisting the arms of senior BJP leaders  and forcing them into submission. And it very nearly had its way – until, barely a day before the “re-election”, the income-tax raids on Gadkari’s business empire torpedoed that plan.

If anyone known to the talks inside BJP circle, can easily identify the root cause behind this ultimate fall of Gadkari, as an accumulated effect of various factors of autocratic style & approach. However, this all goes in the cause of action in the mind of most of workers, functionaries & the seniors in BJP that the approach & the style in which Mr. Gadkari unilaterally SELECTED IRRIGATION CONTRACTORS LIKE AJAY SANCHETI AS RAJYA SABHA MP, SIDELINING & ignoring the claims of VETERAN LEADERS BALASAHEB APTE, SARDAR AHULUWALIA, RAM NAIK, BANWARILAL PUROHIT, KIRIT SOMAIYYA, ETC. EXPERIENCED & DESERVING LEADERS OF BJP  AND ALSO HELPING KNOWN IRRIGATION SCAMESTERS  MITESH BANGDIA – SANDIP BAJORIA, both having proximity to NCP leader Ajit Pawar TO BECOME MLCs IS the ROOT CAUSE OF NITIN GADKARI’s FALL and  ultimately the BUSINESS PRIORITIES OF NITIN GADKARI KNOWN TO EVERYBODY, COST HIM TO LO0SE PRIME POST IN BJP. It was most unfortunate to see the autocratic style & approach adopted by Mr. Gadkari ignoring the basic ideology & culture of BJP and selecting politically useless businessmen for the nominations to the upper house of parliament and the State Legislature, without any logical rational. This all ultimately caused changing the minds of the senior functionaries of the party and also the Sangh Parivar, barring Bhagwat – Joshi – Kulkarni – Pande – Ranades, etc., and now Gadkari has to go most at the eleventh hour un ceremonially.

The critics and the slow - steady runners in the party & the parivar, by clinging onto Gadkari and insisting on foisting him on the BJP, despite the clamour from within the BJP rank-and-file and from the rest of the leadership (including from LK Advani), the RSS had effectively enfeebled and emasculated the BJP, merely in order for it to be  able to impose its ”maternal”’ diktat on its political progeny. That the RSS leadership - Bhagwat – Joshi – Kulkarni – Pande, insisted on such a course for so long, willfully blind to the overall political ramifications of the decision, shows up these leaders of RSS as being either politically illiterate  - or, more likely, as being insensitive to the BJP’s need to define its self-identity on its own terms.

Like an aged, control-freak matriarch who insists that her grown-up son stay at home and carry out his filial duties, forgoing career opportunities in the world outside that he yearns for, the RSS leaders Bhagwat – Joshi – Kulkarni – Pande has virtually misused & tried to clip the BJP ‘s wings and has it wrapped around its little finger.  It has held back the party from realizing its potential and shaping its own destiny, even if it means making mistakes that it can learn from.  For the BJP too, the events of recent months, culminating in the political denouement on Tuesday, show up the merit of breaking free of the maternal apron-strings that bind it to the RSS bosom – and of redefining its relationship with its mother ship. For a party that denounces and mocks the Congress’ inability – or unwillingness – to outgrow the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, the BJP comes across as equally wussy whenever it has to face up to the RSS. For far too long has it allowed these RSS leaders Bhagwat – Joshi – Kulkarni – Pande to dictate and define its patriarchal worldview, which – truth be told – is regressive for the most part and out of synch with  modern, urban young India.

It is most unfortunate that the atmosphere and the impression that created in the political circle that by surrendering too readily to these RSS leaders Bhagwat – Joshi – Kulkarni – Pande at every turn, the BJP only comes across as a “mamma’s boy” who can’t think for himself.  As Tuesday’s events show, the RSS, purported to be controlled by Bhagwat – Joshi – Kulkarni – Pande & can, under compelling circumstances, be forced to yield ground. In fact, the BJP would have embellished its democratic credentials if it had actually gone ahead with an open contest for the presidency, instead of persuading Yashwant Sinha and Mahesh Jethmalani to back off in the interest of party unity, and allowing and giving another chance to these RSS leaders to impose Rajnath Singh on the leadership. In a larger sense, the BJP must realize that just as there comes an optimal time when every young adult must leave his maternal home and find a future for himself and redefine his relationship with his parents in a manner that goes beyond traditional notions of filial piety, the party too must break free of the umbilical cord that binds it to its cloying RSS mother.

In this background, the approach and the style which Nitin Gadkari is used to adopt  clearly give a lesson. Because, when the business interest become paramount, the ideology & the principles vanishes as seen in the present case. If we just have a look on a small comparision of Gadkari’s choice Ajay Sancheti than life time sacrifier like Balasaheb Apte who devoted his entire life for party and the parivar. Similarly, other senior leaders who could have been considered for Rajya Sabha nomination like SARDAR AHULUWALIA, KIRIT SOMAIYYA, RAM NAIK, BANWARILAL PUROHIT, ETC But how these can be compared with contractor Sancheti whose only qualifications was a established government contractor having proximity – links to Gadkari. Perhaps, Gadkari forget the past of the party and parivar. The way in which government contractor Ajay Sancheti surprisingly nominated to Rajya Sabha sidelining senior leaders and useful functionary had raised many questions those days.

Who was this Ajay Sancheti ? Just have a quick look : 

Name - Shri. Ajay Shaktikumar Sancheti - Non Executive Vice Chairman of SMS Group of Companies including Infrastructure Ltd. A Commerce Graduate. He said to be started his career in 1985 with a Coal Mine Construction Project. Businessmen Sancheti claimed to be having excellent managerial and interpersonal skills, of course, for business development. Owing & opening of Indonesian Coal mine was his major breakthrough. Sancheti claims having extensively travelled worldwide and widely known for his public relations. As a government contractor his groups has variety of work experience arising out of execution of Bembla Dam Project in Yeotmal District, Construction of tunnel and Cut n’ cover of Ghodazari canal of Gosikhurd Dam project, Construction of right bank canal of Gosikhrud project in 0-5kms, Construction of Tekepor lift irrigation scheme catering for 6000 hec. Land, Construction of Ambora lift irrigation scheme catering for 10,000 hec. Land, Construction of khatao tunnel of Urmodi dam project, Construction of Pentakli tunnel of Pentakli dam project, Operation, Maintenance and transfer of Electronically Operated Toll Collection System at Vidyasagar Setu, Kolkata, Construction maintenance and Operation of Durg bypass on National Highway No.6, Engagement of a contractor by MCD for toll collection at border points from specified commercial vehicles entering delhi, Waste to generation, Ranjangaon, Nagpur, CEPT Nagpur, Kolhapur, Aurangabad, Installation of centralized treatment facility for Bio-Medical Waste Management at Vikaspuri, Delhi, Consultancy – Pune, Nagpur, Indore, Bhubaneswar, Raipur, Construction of Captive Rail Line Linking between Khaperkheda Thermal Power Station & Saoner Coal Mines for MSEB, Construction of Broad Gauge Railway siding for New Parli Thermal Power Project, Doubling of Railway line between Gevra and Junadih Railway station including civil work, Construction of Broad Gauge Railway Siding at Khaperkheda, Construction of ROB no. 5 & no. 6 in Madurai to Kanyakumari National Highway, Contract for operation and maintenance contract for Nellor Chikaluripet section of NH-5, Short term improvement and routine maintenance of Barwa Adda-Pannagarh Section, Short term improvement and routine maintenance of Kanchipuram Walajpeth-section of NH-4 and so on.

प्रजासत्ताकदिनी शेकडो शेतकरी विधवांचा उपोषण सत्याग्रह- विदर्भाच्या कृषी संकटाकडे लक्ष देण्याची मागणी

प्रजासत्ताकदिनी शेकडो शेतकरी विधवांचा उपोषण सत्याग्रह- विदर्भाच्या कृषी संकटाकडे लक्ष देण्याची मागणी

** महाराष्ट्रात मागीलवर्षी ४२ लाख हेक्टरमध्ये ३५० लाख क्विंटल कापसाचे पीक झाले होते. मात्र सरकारने ४ हजार कोटी रुपये सर्व 

शेतकरयांना बीटी कापसाच्या नापिकीचे नुकसान भरपाई म्हणून दिले होते. यावर्षी कापसाचे उत्पादन जेमतेम २२० लाख क्विंटल होत असताना सरकारने नुकसान भरपाई तर सोडाच कापसाच्या प्रचंड नापिकीची चर्चाही मंत्रिमंडळात केली नाही. नागपूरच्या हिवाळी अधिवेशनात विरोधीपक्ष आत्महत्याग्रस्त शेतकरयांना मदत मिळवून देतील अशी आशा होती, मात्र विरोधी पक्ष नेत्यांनी सरकारशी मांडवणी करून शेतकरयांना आत्महत्या करण्यासाठी मोकळे सोडले असल्याचा आरोप किशोर तिवारी यांनी केला आहे. 

**

तभा वृत्तसेवा

यवतमाळ, २१ जानेवारी

महाराष्ट्राचे मुख्यमंत्री मुंबईच्या मंत्रालयात विदर्भाच्या आमदारांसोबत विदर्भाची चिंता व्यक्त करीत असतानाच गुरुवार, १७ रोजी ४ कर्जबाजारी, नापिकी व दुष्काळाला तोंड देत असलेल्या शेतकरयांनी नैराश्यात जाऊन आत्महत्या केल्या. या वृत्ताने संपूर्ण विदर्भात शेतकरयांच्या आत्महत्येचे हादरे बसू लागले आहेत.

पश्चिम विदर्भात आत्महत्या होत असताना एकाच दिवशी पूर्व विदर्भातील चंद्रपूर जिल्ह्यातील तीन शेतकरयांनी आत्महत्या करून शेतकरयांच्या आत्महत्येचे लोण सर्वत्र पसरल्याचे स्पष्ट झाले आहे. शेतकरयांच्या प्रश्नांबाबत कोणतेही कायमस्वरूपी उपाय करण्यात येत नाहीत. शासन शेतकरी

समस्यांबाबत गंभीर नाही, असा आरोप करून विदर्भातील कृषी संकटाकडे शासनाचे लक्ष वेधण्यासाठी प्रजास्ताकदिनी शेकडो शेतकरी विधवा सत्याग्रह आंदोलन करणार असल्याची माहिती विदर्भ जनआंदोलन समितीचे अध्यक्ष किशोर तिवारी यांनी दिली.

एकाच दिवसात दिनकर नवरखेडे रा. साखरी जि. चंद्रपूर), रामदास गोहणे (रा. चितेगाव, जि. चंद्रपूर), गजानन राऊत (रा. ज्वारबोरी जि. चंद्रपूर), जानराव नागले (रा. खेड जि. अमरावती) या चार शेतकरयांनी आत्महत्या केल्या असून सरकारने शेतकरयांना मदतीपासून वंचित ठेवल्यामुळे या आत्महत्या होत 

असल्याचा आरोप विदर्भ जनआंदोलन समितीचे नेते किशोर तिवारी यांनी केला आहे. यापूर्वी मकरसंक्रांतीच्या दिवशी रामराव शेंडे. (रा. मानोली जि. यवतमाळ), संजय महल्ले (रा. डोर्ली जि. यवतमाळ), पुरुषोत्तम परसुटकर (रा. मारेगाव जि. यवतमाळ) या तीन शेतकरयांनी आत्महत्या केल्या. यावर्षी केवळ एका महिन्याच्या आत आत्महत्या करणारया शेतकरयांचा आकडा १४ वर पोहोचल्याची माहिती विदर्भ जनआंदोलन समितीचे संतोष नैताम यांनी दिली आहे.

यावर्षी विदर्भातील २२ लाख हेक्टरमधील संपूर्ण कापसाचे पीक अध्र्यावर आले असून खर्च मात्र दुपटीने वाढला आहे. सोयाबीन व धान उत्पादकांनासुद्धा प्रचंड नापिकीचा फटका बसला आहे. यामध्येच सक्तीने कर्जाची वसुली, १२ तासांचे विजेचे भारनियमन त्यातच शिक्षण व आरोग्यावर येत असलेला प्रचंड खर्च, वाढलेली महागाई यामुळे परिस्थिती २००६ पेक्षाही गंभीर असून शेतकरयांच्या आत्महत्या प्रचंड प्रमाणात वाढण्याची भीती आहे. सरकार मात्र या भीषण कृषी संकटावर लक्ष देण्यास तयार नाही, अशा परिस्थितीमध्ये कृषी संकटावर लक्ष वेधण्यासाठी येत्या २६ जानेवारी प्रजासत्ताकदिनी शेकडो शेतकरी 

विधवा सांसदीय समितीनेे भेट दिलेल्या मारेगाव या आत्महत्याग्रस्त खेड्यात उपोषण सत्याग्रह करतील, अशी घोषणा विदर्भ जनआंदोलन समितीसह  

शेतकरी नेते प्रेम चव्हाण यांनी केली आहे.

यावर्षी कापसाचा उत्पादनखर्च मागील वर्षीपेक्षा दुप्पटीने वाढला असून मात्र उत्पादन ५० टक्क्यावर आले आहे. त्यातच कापसाचा बाजारभाव मागील वर्षीपेक्षा कमी असल्यामुळे महाराष्ट्रातील पाच लाख कापूस उत्पादक शेतकरयांना कमीत कमी १० हजार कोटींचे आर्थिक नुकसान सहन करावे लागत आहे. मागील पाच वर्षांत कापसाच्या नापिकीचे प्रमाण कोरडवाहू शेतकरयांपुरते मयादित होते. परंतु यावर्षी सिचन सुविधा असणारया व सर्व प्रकारची काळजी घेणारया पुरोगामी शेतकरयांनाही कापसाच्या नापिकीचा प्रचंड फटका बसला आहे. 

कापसाचे नवीन तंत्रज्ञान बदललेल्या पर्यावरणाच्या परिस्थितीमध्ये शेतकरयांना उपयुक्त आहे की नाही यावर सरकारने गंभीरपणे विचार करण्याची वेळ आली आहे, मात्र राज्यकत्र्यांना या विषयावर साधी चर्चाही करण्यास वेळ नसल्याचे किशोर तिवारी यांनी म्हटले आहे.

महाराष्ट्रात मागीलवर्षी ४२ लाख हेक्टरमध्ये ३५० लाख क्विंटल कापसाचे पीक झाले होते. मात्र सरकारने ४ हजार कोटी रुपये सर्व 

शेतकरयांना बीटी कापसाच्या नापिकीचे नुकसान भरपाई म्हणून दिले होते. यावर्षी कापसाचे उत्पादन जेमतेम २२० लाख क्विंटल होत असताना सरकारने नुकसान भरपाई तर सोडाच कापसाच्या प्रचंड नापिकीची चर्चाही मंत्रिमंडळात केली नाही. नागपूरच्या हिवाळी अधिवेशनात विरोधीपक्ष आत्महत्याग्रस्त शेतकरयांना मदत मिळवून देतील अशी आशा होती, मात्र विरोधी पक्ष नेत्यांनी सरकारशी मांडवणी करून शेतकरयांना आत्महत्या करण्यासाठी मोकळे सोडले असल्याचा आरोप किशोर तिवारी यांनी केला आहे.

Vidarbha report six farmers suicides in last 48 hours-Farm widows to protest “Republic-Day” as Black day

Vidarbha report six farmers suicides in last 48 hours-Farm widows to protest “Republic-Day”  as Black day

Nagpur-19^th JAN 2013

Vidarbha farm suicide has been restarted due very crop losses and mounting debt resulting despair and distress which has forced six more farmers to kill themselves in last 48 hours as per reports ,the recent victims are

1.Namdeo Thoke of village benoda in Amaravati district

2.Balaji Thaori of village dahegoan(zari)in Yavatmal district

3.Dinkar Navarkhede of village Sakhari in chandrapur district

4.Ramdas Gohane of village chittegoan in chaadrapur  district

5.Gajanan Raut of village Jawra-bori in chandrapur  district

6.Janrao Nagle of village khed in amaravati  district

Earlier on 14^th jan. when nation is celebrating Makar Sankranti festival

7.Puroshottam Pursadkar of margoan in yavatmal

8.Ramraoji shende of village manoli in yavatmal

9.sanjay mohurle of dorli in yavatmal killed theselves

taking toll to 16 in year 2013 ,Kishore Tiwari of the Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti informed in press release today.

‘Administration is keeping Govt. in the dark about   Bt.cotton failure in 4.2 million hector as farmers with protective irrigation is also suffered massive cotton failure where as market rate of cotton is now below MSP but there is no intervention by state at ground level hence farmers are off loading raw cotton in throw away prices and killing themselves ,the demand of urgent relief at price front and compensation cotton failure  can only give healing support to stop on going distress and gloom that is forcing farmers to kill themselves. Nonexistent of administration and non sensitive Maharashtra Govt. coupled with hostile opposition is behind this mass genocide of vidarbha farmers ,hence we are urging civil society  to help these 5 milion dying vidarbha farmers, Tiwari added..   

‘Govt. ministers are busy  spending hundred crore on ‘Advantage Vidarbha’ meet to attract investment where as main opposition party BJP National president Nitin Gadkari  is also busy in arranging ‘Agro Vision’  by spending more than advantage vidarbha meet both to be organized in coming February at Nagpur but not single Minister or leader of opposition has even visited crisis driven farmers moreover Nagpur session of Maharashtra legislative house failed to discuss very serious issue of massive crop failure and despair of dying vidarbha that is real agony of tragedy that is adding more fuel   to farm suicide crisis and hence to protest this apathy and to bring attention of central Govt. hundreds of farm widows will go on day long fast on 26^th jan 2013 observing republicday as black day at maregoan village in yavatmal district  ” Tiwari added.  

‘This year their  is massive crop failure in 42 lakhs hector in vidarbha but all  districts

Of vidarbha  are not covered in recent relief aid announced by central  Govt. more over apathy of local administration fueled more hardships to 3 million cotton farmers of  vidarbha, there was gloom and despondency due to suicides of debt trapped two more cotton farmers  and moreover the recent e Centre’s announcement on Thursday of Rs778 crore as aid for drought assistance to Maharashtra from the National Disaster Response Fund left out any mention of the drought-induced crop loss faced by five million plus debt-trapped farmers of Vidarbha has left many shocked, Tiwari said.

The Vidarbha region, which has emerged as the country’s farmer suicide capital, has been reeling under its worst agrarian crisis ever due to truant rainfall leading to massive crop failure in cotton, paddy, pulses and soybean. On an average, three farmers end their lives every 24 hours. The government’s own figures show that more than 9,000 dry land farmers have killed themselves due to crop failure and economic losses due to cotton price.

“The government’s drive to push GM cotton in order to benefit one bio-tech MNC has only cruelly compounded the problems faced by farmers due to vagaries of climate since 2005 pushing many towards ending lives,” lamented Kishore Tiwari of the Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti. “Instead of atoning about the way they are responsible, the Centre has mocked the dead farmers and their bereaved families.”

In fact, the meeting of the high-level committee for central assistance to states affected by natural calamity where the aid was announced was chaired by Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, who is believed to understand the agrarian scene in the state only too well. The meeting in New Delhi was also attended by home minister Sushilkumar Shinde, finance minister P Chidambaram and Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia too.

“One refuses to believe that all these ‘wise’ people didn’t realise it’d be wrong not to mention what is happening in Vidarbha. This is a ploy by the powerful western Maharashtra politicians’ lobby to ensure that the focus of the Centre and state is restricted to their region only,” charged Tiwari -- a charge which sticks when one considers how the local district administrations in Vidarbha have not even sent a report on the crop-loss to the state.

Today it is reported that a team of central government officials led by joint secretary RB Sinha visited the state in November 2012 to assess the drought situation. Curiously, it didn’t visit Vidarbha despite conditions there. It seems their recommendations to the Inter-Ministerial Group constituted under the chairmanship of the agriculture secretary did not reflect any of Vidarbha’s concerns.Many are now linking the total avoidance of any mention of the worst-hit region to these recommendations. Nearly everyone in the bureaucracy too feels stumped at the meagre amount released. “The state needs around Rs5,000 crore and that’s what had been suggested to CM Prithviraj Chavan. We were quite taken aback when he only asked for Rs2,857 crore. With the Centre’s latest announcement of Rs778 crore, one wonders what the logic is,” said a senior water resources ministry bureaucrat, Tiwari added in release.

Four more Vidarbha farmers end lives-Deccan Herald

Four more Vidarbha farmers end lives

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/306291/four-more-vidarbha-farmers-end.html#

Mumbai, Jan 18, 2013, DHNS :

*The scourge of farmer suicides in Vidarbha continues unabated with four deaths in the region’s interior areas reported in the last twenty-four hours. 

**“It is useless to pin blame on just one political party. All of them have turned a Nelson’s eye to the agrarian crisis enveloping the entire region. If the Congress is busy splurging money on holding ‘Advantage Vidarbha’,to attract investment, then the (principal opposition) BJP’s leader Nitin Gadkari is busy arranging ‘Agro Vision’. Ultimately none of them seem to understand the plight of the pepole.

According to Kishore Tiwari of Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti, deaths from the mainly paddy growing eastern parts are reported for the first time. 

“This is really disturbing as the region is predominantly paddy growing area, and there were hardly any news of suicides emanating from this part,” Tiwari told Deccan Herald. 

As the crisis spilled over to areas where farmers were thought to be safer from the debt burden, farming organisations are preparing to protest against government’s inept response to the situation. 

They are planning a dharna with the widows of farmers who have ended their lives on Republic Day.  Tiwari said out of the four who took their lives, three farmers are from Chandrapur and one from Amravati. 

Even as the news of fresh suicides trickled in, legislators cutting across party line on Thursday voiced their unhappiness over the chief minister’s “apathy and indifference towards the plight of farmers in the killing fields of Maharashtra.”

On Makar Sankranti, three suicides were reported from Vidarbha’s white gold belt, as the number of cases touched 14 from the beginning of this year. Tiwari believes all political parties are indifferent to the crises. 
“It is useless to pin blame on just one political party. All of them have turned a Nelson’s eye to the agrarian crisis enveloping the entire region. If the Congress is busy splurging money on holding ‘Advantage Vidarbha’,to attract investment, then the (principal opposition) BJP’s leader Nitin Gadkari is busy arranging ‘Agro Vision’. Ultimately none of them seem to understand the plight of the people,” he said.

Four more Distressed Vidarbha Farmer killed themselves in a day when Maharashtra CM was reviewing “Vidarbha Crisis” with legislators at Mantralaya

Four more Distressed Vidarbha Farmer killed themselves in a day when Maharashtra CM was reviewing “Vidarbha Crisis” with legislators at Mantralaya

Nagpur-18^th JAN 2013

Vidarbha has  been  shocked today with news that four more distressed and debt trapped farmers killed themselves on 17^th Jan.2013 yesterday in which three farmers chandrapur alone and one farmer from Amaravati  when all parties legislators were protesting CM apathy towards Vidarbha regarding serious issue crop failure ,forceful debt recovery ,more than 12 hours of power load cut and complete collapse health and food security coupled massive unemployment and sky touching inflation .Recent victims farmers who killed themselves on 17^th Jan. Yesterday are

1.Dinkar Navarkhede of village Sakhari in Chandrapur

2.Ramdas Gohane of village chittegoan in Chaadrapur

3.Gajanan Raut of village Jawra-bori in Chandrapur 

4.Janrao Nagle of village khed in Amaravati 

Earlier on 14^th jan when nation is celebrating Makar Sankranti festival but for villagers of Maregoan in Maregoan taluka ,Dorali and Manoli in Ghatanji taluka of Yavatmal district of  vidarbha known as farm suicide capital of India capital were busy in funeral rituals of  these recent victims identified as Puroshottam Pursadkar of maregoan,ramrao shende of manoli and Sanjay Mohurele of village dorli all in Yavatmal district taking toll to 14 in year 2013 ,Kishore Tiwari of the Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti informed in press release today.

‘Govt. ministers are busy  spending hundred crore on ‘Advantage Vidarbha’ meet to attract investment where as main opposition party BJP National president Nitin Gadkari  is also busy in arranging ‘Agro Vision’  by spending more than advantage vidarbha meet both to be organized in coming February at Nagpur but not single Minister or leader of opposition has even visited crisis driven farmers moreover Nagpur session of Maharashtra legislative house failed to discuss very serious issue of massive crop failure and despair of dying vidarbha that is real agony of tragedy that is adding more fuel   to farm suicide crisis” Tiwari added.  

‘This year their  is massive crop failure in 42 lakhs hector in vidarbha but all  districts

Of vidarbha  are not covered in recent relief aid announced by central  Govt. more over apathy of local administration fueled more hardships to 3 million cotton farmers of  vidarbha, there was gloom and despondency due to suicides of debt trapped two more cotton farmers  and moreover the recent e Centre’s announcement on Thursday of Rs778 crore as aid for drought assistance to Maharashtra from the National Disaster Response Fund left out any mention of the drought-induced crop loss faced by five million plus debt-trapped farmers of Vidarbha has left many shocked, Tiwari said.

The Vidarbha region, which has emerged as the country’s farmer suicide capital, has been reeling under its worst agrarian crisis ever due to truant rainfall leading to massive crop failure in cotton, paddy, pulses and soybean. On an average, three farmers end their lives every 24 hours. The government’s own figures show that more than 9,000 dry land farmers have killed themselves due to crop failure and economic losses due to cotton price.

“The government’s drive to push GM cotton in order to benefit one bio-tech MNC has only cruelly compounded the problems faced by farmers due to vagaries of climate since 2005 pushing many towards ending lives,” lamented Kishore Tiwari of the Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti. “Instead of atoning about the way they are responsible, the Centre has mocked the dead farmers and their bereaved families.”

In fact, the meeting of the high-level committee for central assistance to states affected by natural calamity where the aid was announced was chaired by Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, who is believed to understand the agrarian scene in the state only too well. The meeting in New Delhi was also attended by home minister Sushilkumar Shinde, finance minister P Chidambaram and Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia too.

“One refuses to believe that all these ‘wise’ people didn’t realise it’d be wrong not to mention what is happening in Vidarbha. This is a ploy by the powerful western Maharashtra politicians’ lobby to ensure that the focus of the Centre and state is restricted to their region only,” charged Tiwari -- a charge which sticks when one considers how the local district administrations in Vidarbha have not even sent a report on the crop-loss to the state.

Today it is reported that a team of central government officials led by joint secretary RB Sinha visited the state in November 2012 to assess the drought situation. Curiously, it didn’t visit Vidarbha despite conditions there. It seems their recommendations to the Inter-Ministerial Group constituted under the chairmanship of the agriculture secretary did not reflect any of Vidarbha’s concerns.Many are now linking the total avoidance of any mention of the worst-hit region to these recommendations. Nearly everyone in the bureaucracy too feels stumped at the meagre amount released. “The state needs around Rs5,000 crore and that’s what had been suggested to CM Prithviraj Chavan. We were quite taken aback when he only asked for Rs2,857 crore. With the Centre’s latest announcement of Rs778 crore, one wonders what the logic is,” said a senior water resources ministry bureaucrat, Tiwari added in release.

A Parsi couple's healing touch to Vidarbha's farmers-

A Parsi couple's healing touch to Vidarbha's farmers-IANS

MAHARASHTRA ,Features,Human Interest/Society, Wed, 16 Jan 2013

IANS

inShare

Nagpur, Jan 16 (IANS) As debt-ridden farmers continue to kill themselves in Maharashtra's Vidarbha region due to "government apathy", a Parsi couple from Mumbai has provided a healing touch to around 25 widows and their children in bringing their broken lives back on track.

Cyrus Guzder, 76, and wife Lyla, 70, have spent over Rs.10 lakh so far on providing educational support to the children, helping widows set up small enterprises and enabling them to live a dignified life.

"This is our small and humble gesture to do whatever we can to mitigate the sufferings of the farming community here," Guzder, reluctant to speak about his philanthropy, told IANS.

He discussed the problems of the farming community with NGO Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS) led by Kishore Tiwari, local officials and other activists to ascertain how more help could be extended to the widows and their children.

"We have seen that many families are facing virtual starvation. They live in miserable conditions, lacking basic food and health security, education and employment opportunities. As per figures, over 10,000 farmers have ended their lives in Vidarbha alone," Guzder said.

Tiwari alleged that central and state relief packages amounting to around Rs.50,000 crore over the years have barely reached the beneficiaries.

"The money is siphoned off by the politician-bureaucrat-contractor nexus and the farmers continue to suffer and commit suicide," Tiwari said.

Guzder, who lived and worked in Nigeria for 33 years, has a strong love for Vidarbha as he completed his early education in Nagpur. In fact, he continues to regularly travel between Mumbai and Nagpur to care for his ailing 95-year-old mother.

"Guzder and Lyla's zeal to return his roots and repay his debt to society is indeed commendable. We salute them," Tiwari said.

Meanwhile, the Guzders visited the hut of Poornima Kopulwar, 32, whose husband committed suicide in 2010 and she struggled to feed her two minor children.

Last June, she suffered a hip fracture while working in the fields. The Guzders promptly came forward to foot her Rs.50,000 medical bills and other expenses.

Gita Rathode, 27, lives in the Both-Bodan village of Yavatmal which shot into the limelight after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited it a few years ago - to little avail.

Again, the Guzders stepped in and helped her set up a small stationery shop last month. Now, Gita earns around Rs.6,000 a month and has become independent.

When the dwelling of Gita Chincholkar in Kopamandvi village collapsed, she was on the verge of suicide, but the Guzders donated Rs.80,000. Her home was reconstructed and her family lives there in full security.

Other major beneficiaries include Archana Raut who got Rs.40,000 for her son and daughter's education in a technical school, Anju Bhusari who got Rs.45,000 to dig a tubewell in Pada village and her neighbour Nirmala Shende, who got Rs.25,000 for agricultural purposes.

"When the authorities have failed us, it is Guzder and Madame who have saved us from certain death," said Chandrakala Meshram of Saikheda village, whose two daughters were given Rs.40,000 for their education.

Moved by the sentiments of the villagers, the Guzders have promised to return to Vidarbha and and instructed VJAS to identify more widows and families in dire need of financial support.

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at q.najmi@ians.in)