Budget 2014: Distressed
Indian cotton farmers urged FM Arun Jaitley to stop ongoing Farmers’ Genocide
Nagpur-8th July 2014
Main
dry land cotton farmers advocacy group Vidarbha
Janandolan Samti (VJAS) from Maharashtra has drawn attention of Indian finance Arun Jaitley toward the the latest National
Crime Records Bureau report that since 1995 to 2013 more than 300,000 farmland
suicides reveal that every fifth farmer who ended his/her life in the country
is dry land cotton farmer from
Maharashtra whereas with 3,146
distressed farmers ending their lives last year, Maharashtra has topped the
list of farmland suicides in the country hence this is need of the hour to
adopt pro-poor farmers policies to stop innocent cotton farmers genocide which was triggered in last
regime of NDA when quantitative restrictions on import was lifted under the WTO
conditions of free trade treaties Vidarbha
Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS) chief Kishore Tiwari said today.
Globalization-Free
trade besides Unpredictable rains with intermittent dry or wet droughts lead to
crop failures and increasing cost of inputs and cultivation practices,
mono-culture or dependence on a single crop only, poor awareness of agronomics,
and lack of proper farm credit availability lead to an increased hold of private
moneylenders are core issues Indian budget
should address ,said Tiwari, whose NGO
has been documenting the Vidarbha crisis since 1995.
VJAS
recalled FM promise of 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 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.
As
earlier agricultural development policies failed to remove ever-increasing
stress on dying farmers allowing mass genocide of more than 3 lacs farmers
mostly involved in to cash crops subjected free market price speculations and needs protected economy
on price front with reintroduction direct subsidies
for promoting sustainable agriculture hence this appeal, Tiwari urged
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