Indian Farm Widows Allowed to Meet Indian President

vidarbha farm widows meets president of India-urged to save vidarbha dying farmer

from
vidarbha jan andolan samiti
vidarbha@gmail.com
contact-09422108846

yavatmal-15th june-2007


sub-vidarbha farm widows meets president of India-urged to save vidarbha dying farmer

lastly hon.ble president of india gave five minuts time to look at the helpless condition of vidarbha farm widows at yavatmal airport when he visited here to attend private function
delegation led by kolzari farm widows kamalbai pawar and his son prakash along with VJAS LEADER KISHOR TIWARI and 10 other widows has given the letter requesting him to save the dying vidarbha farmers
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text of the letter is
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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 No. VJAS/DY.CM//1175/2007 15th June, 2007



To,



Dr. Shri A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

His Highness Hon'ble President of India

Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi – 110 001.

CAMP AT YAVATMAL (State of Maharashtra).



Sub : 1) FARMERS SUICIDES IN WESTERN PART OF THE VIDARBHA REGION OF MAHARASHTRA STATE :-

IDENTIFIED CAUSES OF FARMERS SUICIDE IN THE FAMILIES WITH EXTREME DISTRESS & WITH SERIOUS ILLNESS CATEGORIES AND THE REMEDIES THEREOF.

2) BT COTTON SEEDS KILLING FARMERS IN DRY LAND AREAS : bogus

& duplicate seeds freely sold due to apathy of state govt.



REF: Survey Report dated 15th June, 2006 conducted by the Government of Maharashtra's Vasantrao Naik Sheti Swawlamban Mission at Amravati in connection with the Farmers' plight



Hon'ble His Highness President Sir,



We are submitting this humble representation with kind prayer to exercise extraordinary powers given to Your Honour by the mandate of Article 78(b) of the Constitution of India to seek further immediate information from the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India being Head of Union Council of Ministers of your Government, in light of unpresented & unfortunate situation arising out of hundreds of suicides committed by distressed farmers in the Cotton Cultivating Belt of West Vidarbha Region of State of Maharashtra. You are aware that our India has seen that in Vidarbha Region of Maharashtra State, more than 4000 unfortunate farmers who have committed suicides in the last 4 years due to extreme distress & sorrow state of life, which they are subjected to live in the Independent India under the Presidential Regime of Your Honour.




At the outset, we are very much thankful for giving us an opportunity to appraise you the said grave issue of Farmers Suicides in the Cotton Growing Belt of Western Part of Vidarbha Region in the State of Maharashtra and to explain Your Honour the causes & immediate steps required to be taken by Union of India & State of Maharashtra thereon.



Hon'ble President Sir, Your Honour is well aware that our organization – Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti - is following the issue since last almost 9 years on the basis of the ground study & analysis of each and every case of unfortunate suicides of the farmers in different villages of Western Vidarbha Region of Maharashtra State. You have been receiving our e-mails, letters, memorandums almost daily since Your Honour occupied the Apex Post of Indian Democracy.



We all are aware that though the issue is complex and is the overall effect of various factors governing it, still we have few points to be highlighted for your immediate action in the interest of dying farmers, apart from the various long term measures suggested by various agencies including the High Power Committee appointed by Your Government under the Chairmanship of Hon'ble Dr. M.S. Swaminathan, Former Chairman of National Commission of Farmers & the Father of Green Revolution in the country.



We are highlighting these points on the very basis of the above referred document, which is the Survey Report dated 15 th June, 2006 conducted by the Government of Maharashtra's Vasantrao Naik Sheti Swawlamban Mission at Amravati in connection with the Farmers' plight.



Sir, it is evident from the Survey Document that the farmers ' in extreme distress' as mentioned in the column 9 of the Survey Chart are 4,34,291 and the farmers families suffering from serious illness are 92,456.




The detailed survey was conducted by the said Government Controlled Mission at Amravati under the guidance of Divisional Commissioner at Amravati, in the 8351 Villages of 6 Districts of Vidarbha comprising of Yavatmal, Amravati, Akola, Buldhana, Washim & Wardha in which 17,64,438 families were surveyed by the Mission.



On the basis of the in-depth study and analysis conducted by our organization, out of such a huge numbers of families from those surveyed villages, we would like to draw your immediate attention towards the column No. 8 & 9 pertaining to the farmers in extreme distress and farmers with serious illness as stated above.





THE FACTS & OUR EXPERIENCE :



Hon'ble Sir, in majority of cases of farmers suicides, we came to know that there is no food or medicine available to them and this plight has continued to result the extreme step of suicide by the said farmer and / or its family members.



Now, it is imperative on the part of the Union of India and State of Maharashtra that this known factors / points are to be attended to immediately so that these two class of farmers families i.e. the Farmers in Extreme Distress and Farmers Suffering from Serious Illness need to be attended immediately to remediate the plight of such farmers on the verge of committing suicides.





1) Farmers in Extreme Distress –



Identified Families : 4,34,291.



CAUSES IDENTIFIED :



After visiting the families of the farmers which committed suicides, we came to know that there was no food even sufficient for 2 days in the houses of such farmers. These unfortunate facts of non-availability of Food or money to buy food grain and / or the medicine, resulted in the ultimate sad and unfortunate incident of suicide by the said farmers who were unable to face the agony and distress of such unfortunate plight of indirect hunger and ultimate starvation of the family members including small children and old parents.





REMEDY SUGGESTED :





The Union of India through State of Maharashtra is providing food grain at the subsidized rate to the BPL families amongst the farm / landless labours. In order to stop the indirect hunger and starvation of these 4,34,291 Identified 'Families in Extreme Distress', most of them are small farmers of which the economic condition is not above the landless labourers (Col No. 9 of the Survey Chart), State of Maharashtra to provide 25 Kg of Food grain per month at the subsidized price @ Rs. 3 – 5 per kg under the PDS and/or any other special scheme to be announced at least for a period of 18 months now onwards. This will immediately result in providing direct food help to the 4,34,291 Identified Families in Extreme Distress and the indirect starvation of such families can be stopped so that the ultimate effect which is leading to the unfortunate suicide of the farmer family can be stopped, once the hunger and the indirect starvation of such families is attended to.



Farmers families suffering from Serious Illness –



Identified Families : 92,456.





CAUSES IDENTIFIED :



After visiting the families of the farmers which committed suicides, we also came to know that there was no medicine in the houses of such farmers where the family members are seriously ill or suffering from such diseases. The non-availability of medicine or money to buy food grain and / or the medicine, resulted in the ultimate sad and unfortunate incident of suicide by the said farmers who were unable to face the agony and distress of such unfortunate plight of indirect sufferings due to illness, hunger and ultimate starvation of the family members including small children and old parents.








REMEDY SUGGESTED :



The State is providing medical / health services to BPL families at the subsidized rate amongst the farm / landless labourers. In order to stop the indirect plight due to serious illness coupled with hunger and starvation of these 92,456 Identified Farmers Families with Serious Illness, most of them are small farmers of which the economic condition is not above the landless labourers (Col No. 8 of the Survey Chart), State of Maharashtra to provide Special BPL / Health Cards to such families so that they get the subsidized health care in Government run hospitals at par with the landless labourers or BPL families. This will immediately help in providing direct health care to the 92,456 Identified Families with Serious Illness and in Extreme Distress and which can help to stop the unfortunate suicide of the farmer families with serious illness.





Other IMPORTANT causes identified





1. UNCONTROLLED & UNRESTRICTED Sale OF BOGUS & DUPLICATE SEEDS :- It has been observed that Bogus & duplicate seeds being sold to poor and illiterate farmers due to Non implementation by the Govt. of Maharashtra of the Seed Control Order, 1983 issued under Sec. 3 of Essential Commodities Act, 1955 to arrest and control the big wig seed trades and manufacturers. This massive corruption in sale of duplicate & bogus seeds has resulted in cheating of the farmer and increasing of debt due to improper farm yield because of poor and bogus quality of seeds being sold freely due to apathy of State Government. This has indirectly resulted the unfortunate suicide of the farmers who lost their crops due to poor quality of seeds being provided to them in lack of proper administrative control by the agriculture department quality & input of the seeds which otherwise could have been possible due to the stringent provisions contended in the seed control order, 1983 of Essential Commodities Act, 1955 if implemented in its true spirit & meaning. This failure on a part of State of Maharashtra to control the quality & input of seeds is one of the prime cause for the overall cheating and exploitation of the poor and illiterate farmers residing in the villages.







IMMEDIATE REMEDY



For immediate control of quality & input of seeds, it is high time that the State of Maharashtra be ordered by Union of India to implement the provisions of Seed Control Order 1983 and to instruct to issue delegation of power to its inspecting officer for control of quality & input seeds as required under sec. 12 of the Seed Control Order of Essential Commodities Act, 1955 which is the prime tool for the control of quality & input of seeds.





2. High cost of BT cotton seeds :- It has also been observed that the farmers are not being given proper advice and training by the Government of Maharashtra in Department of Agriculture since last several years. The costly and improper BT cotton seeds which are not suitable for dry land farming is being freely propagated and sold at a very high cost of Rs. 2000/- to Rs. 3600/- Per Kg of BT cotton seeds, cost of which is virtually killing the farmers due to high input cost and low yield.





REMEDIES SUGGESTED :



There must be the blanket ban on BT cotton seeds in the dry land farming areas. This has to be done immediately in order to save the farmers from undue exploitation and cheating. There must be ban on sale and mis leading advertisement of BT cotton seeds in the dry land areas of Maharashtra where such seeds are not useful for cultivation of cotton due to the high cost of input as compared to the yield. The so called upgrade technology is killing the farmers. So immediate steps may please be initiated by the Union of India in this regard to stop free trials and sales of GM and BT seeds to protect the farmer community at large.




PRAYER



Hon'ble Sir, in view of above, it is humbly prayed that Your Honour will arrange to call for the information from the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India as per the Provisions of Article 78(b) of Constitution of India and give suitable directions to provide food and health care to the families of the farmers in distress and to implement the provisions of the Seeds Control Order, 1983 in its true spirit & meaning and also arrange to stop free sale & trials of BT Cotton Seeds in dry land areas of the nation, so that the unfortunate incident of farmers suicides can be stopped to some extent.



Hon'ble Sir, we hope to get justice in the interest of farmers at large.



Thanking you,



Yours faithfully,

For VIDARBHA JAN ANDOLAN SAMITI







KISHORE TIWARI

PRESIDENT



CC submitted to :

Hon'ble Governor, Govt. of Maharashtra, Raj Bhavan, Mumbai.



Hon'ble Prime Minister of India, PMO, North Block, Raj Path, New Delhi



Hon'ble Union Minister for Agriculture & Food – Civil Supply,

Govt. of India, Krishi Bhavan, New Delhi.



Copy to :

1. Hon'ble Chief Minister, Govt. of Maharashtra Mantralaya Mumbai-32.

2. Hon'ble Chief Secretary, Govt. of Maharashtra Mantralaya Mumbai-32.

3. Hon'ble Principal Secretary, Govt. of Maharashtra,

Deptt.of Relief & Rehabilitation, Mantralaya Mumbai-32.

4. Hon'ble Addl. Divisional Commissioner & Head of VNSSM at Amravati,

5. Hon'ble Collector, Yavatmal Distt. Yavatmal (MS)

6. Hon'ble Addl. Collector Yavatmal Distt. Yavatmal (MS)

Mangala Shivaji Betwar - Letter to ManMohan Singh

(THIS IS TRANSLATION OF LETTER OF ONE OF WIDOWS HAS WRITTEN TO INDIAN PRIME MINISTER FOR HELP)
To,
Dr. Man Mohan Singh,
Indian Prime Minister, Government of India
New Delhi-1100011

REF : YOUR HEALING TOUCH TO VIDARBHA FARM WIDOWS IS MISSING
SUB : PLEASE ARRANGE TO SAVE VIDARBHA FARM WIDOWS

Respected sir,

1. My husband Shivaji Betwar of Kelapur in Yavatmal district, Maharashtra, had killed himself by hanging to tree in August of last year after your announcement of package and you specially asked District Collector to give healing touch to farm widows of west Vidarbha.
Please see this photo below :

He was a cotton farmer, and he was forced to commit suicide as local bankers Bank of Maharashtra, Pahapal branch had failed to give him crop loan even though he was not defaulter.
2. Then since after the his sad death, I was told by local administration that as per promise made by you, the relief aid will be given to me as I have two small kids one age 4 and other age 7. After the death of my husband, nobody is there to look after me here at my in laws place. Nobody is there to look after our land too.
3. To day local Tahsildar has told me that Yavatmal District Collector has rejected my case as there was no crop loan, against by husband's name when he committed suicide. It was matter of surprise that when local bank has not given us loan and credit crunch has been reason of distress to commit suicide, I am being refused the compensation.
4. In order to avoid my kid's starvation, I went back to my mother's place in Andhra Pradesh mandal Besa in Adilabad district. But it was very difficult for them to feed my family as my brother is farm labor and I was forced to return back to dead husband's place in Maharashtra.
PRAYER :
Dear Prime Minister, it has been very difficult to live in these pathetic condition where as babus in local administration have not giving any help to me, I am writing to you that after your Vidarbha visit more than 1000 Farm Widows compensation claims have been rejected, in order to show the effect of your package, that suicides have declined, and we are innocent victims of your administrative politics.
You are kindly requested to save my small kids and help me.
Yours sincerely,
MANGALA SHIVAJI BETWAR