Vidarbha Cotton Farmers’ observed “Maharashtra Day” as “Betrayal Day”: “Jail Bharo”(court arrest) agitation from 31st may for loan waiver

Vidarbha Cotton Farmers’ observed “Maharashtra Day” as “Betrayal Day”: “Jail Bharo”(court arrest) agitation from 31st may for loan waiver

VIDARBHA JAN ANDOLAN SAMITI
11, Trisaran Society, In front of Somalwar School, Khamla, Nagpur – 440 025
Tel No. (0712) 2282457 Mob No. 9422108846 / 9371137653 / 9373121947
(Regd Office : At Post : Pandharkawada-445 302, Tq : Kelapur, Distt : Yavatmal)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ref-loan waiver Crisis-2008 PRESS-NOTE Dated-1st MAY 2008

Vidarbha Cotton Farmers’ observed “Maharashtra Day” as “Betrayal Day”: “Jail Bharo”(court arrest) agitation from 31st may for complete loan waiver.

Nagpur- Dated-1ST May2008


http://kishortiwari.blogspot.com/

Hindered of vidarbha dying farmers today observed “Maharashtra Day” as “Betrayal Day” in agrasen bhavan pandharkawada distt. Yavatmal and announced to start “Jail Bharo”(court arrest) agitation from 31st may in order to press west vidarbha main demand of complete loan waiver ,convenor kishor tiwari of vidarbha jan andolan samiti informed in a press release today..leading farm activist vijay jawandhia,chandrakant wankhede ,sudhakar jadhao, tukaram meshram;mohan mamiddwar , moreshwar watile particeted in the protest rally alongwith hundered of cotton farmers from yavatmal district.speakers in the rally attacked central and state Govt against their hostile approach to tackle vidarbha agrarian crisis which has claimed more than 3000 farm suicides since june 2005.
This rally was organiSed by Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti(VJAS) who has been keeping track of farm suicides in vidarbha region and one of the unsung custodian of agrarian crisis has apposed the condition of 2 hector in laon waiver package and urged o give loan waiver to all farmers with out any limit of land or crop loan limit as this will cover all debt trapped distress farmers and VJAS also demanded that only loan waiver will not address that issue unless and until the fresh five credit cycle is given to all farmers and income base package to farmers hence cost of cotton is as important as debt crisis are hence cotton price is the issue is too important to address the vidarbha agrarian crisis, kishor tiwari added.

Kishor Tiwari in his sppech was very critical about the recent CAG research paper which has brought the fact before the nation that vidarbha farmers are victim of apathy and wrong policies of state coupled with massive corruption in relief work more over the announcement of Indian finance Minister P.chitambram has brought despondency and gloom in vidarbha cotton region as most effected debt trapped 70% farm families are being covered in loan waiver package due to 2 hector limit cap as average land holding on record in rain fed area of west vidarbha is 2.4 hector as per govt. record hence decision to give loan waiver up to 2 hector has benefited the most in the area where land holding is less and land is under irrigation .vidarbha grarian crisis which has reported around 36,600 cotton farmers suicides since 1995 after the free trade era has started .
.

The main demands of cotton farmers raised in the meeting are complete loan waiver to all distressed rain fed farmers along with food security ,health security, rural employment, value addition project and market facility with govt. intervention on price front.

VJAS leaders have also repeated old demands that cotton belt of vidarbha should be decleared “GM free” organic zone as recommended by national commission of farmer (NCF).Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti(VJAS) in letter to Indian prime minister Dr.manmohan singhji asked to provide special budgetary allocation to redress hardship of dying farmers and provide solution to agrarian crisis in light with new national farmer policy .Issue of prevailing distress in the agrarian community is very serious as year 2007 has reported much more farm suicides in other region of Maharashtra too, kishor tiwari of Vidarbha Jan andolan Samiti informed today in press note.

VJAS urged Govt.the issue of providing credit and cost cover to dying cotton farmers are vital due increase in higher subsidies and instability in cost hence price stabilization fund is needed along with complete loan waiver and regulated credit supply from state controlled Banks. the step to reduce the input cost of cultivation the regulator for seed and pesticide is must.
The provision to provide insurance cover to cash crop on village level ,the direct food security ,health care security and rural employment growth in agrarian crisis prone should be given special budgetary allocation in order to stop on going farmers suicides.
VJAS has requested Indian Govt. to start NFSM (National food security mission) and special outlay of RKVY(Rashtriya krishi vikas yojana) along with a comprehensive policy for land rights to landless, marginal farmers and tribals cultivating barren land for vidarbha and the demand to allocate dedicated funds on the lines of AIBP for farm ponds, community tanks and give incentives to farmers/villages who/which harness water but nobody in the administration is serious over the vidarbha agrarian crisis ,tiwari added. .

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please release this pres note

Thanking you,

Yours faithfully,
For VIDARBHA JAN ANDOLAN SAMITI


KISHORE TIWARI
PRESIDENT
kishortiwari@gmail.com
contact-09422108846