I agree C'da, this terrible and there are no excuses for any country to have a section of the population to take such measures.
The only positive thing is that papers like the TOI/HT/Outlook are keeping the public aware of the sucides. The State Govt. it seems has taken some steps, maybe as a defensive stance,
"There is a moratorium on loan recoveries. No one is knocking at
farmers' doors demanding old dues. I have asked police department not to support such activities of bank staff," Patil said .
farmers' doors demanding old dues. I have asked police department not to support such activities of bank staff," Patil said .
And I agree lending practices to the poor and specially the farming community needs a thorough rethink for the whole country.
--Ram
On 9/29/06, Chan Mahanta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
All in a day: Six farmers commit suicide
[ 30 Sep, 2006 0254hrs ISTTIMES NEWS NETWORK ]
NAGPUR: Upbeat projections by Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao
Deshmukh and generous financial promises from the Centre aren't
working in Vidarbha. At least six more cotton farmers, crushed by
debt, have committed suicide in the last 24 hours.
The toll in September alone has gone up to 116, the highest in a
month within the last decade, Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti, a pressure
group fighting for the farmers's cause, said on Friday.
Deshmukh had claimed in the presence of Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh and party president Sonia Gandhi last week at the Congress CMs'
conference in Nainital that the situation was improving in the cotton
belt of Vidarbha where 318 farmers had reportedly committed suicide
since July 1.
Earlier, the PM had announced a Rs 3,750 crore special relief
package for six worst-hit districts. Introduction of BT cotton in
Vidarbha has led to a spurt of farmer suicides.
Most suicide cases relate to those farming families which have run
up huge debts because of the high cost in using the expensive
genetically-modified cotton seeds, which have to be bought every year.
Crop failures in this situation, therefore, leave farmers with debts
they are unable to pay and are then hounded by loan sharks.
The latest names on the Vidarbha death roster were those of Prakash
Madavi of Yavatmal, Parasram Rathod of Washim, Ramesh Bhatkar of
Chandur Bazar in Amravati, Gopintah Dongre of Warud in the same
district, Ravindra Chakbandalwar of Chandrapur district and Rama
Baghel of Gondia, according to Samiti president Kishore Tiwari.
Tiwari rejected the government claim that loans were being liberally
distributed to farmers. "In fact on Friday, a large number of farmers
started an agitation in front of Ghonsa branch of Indian Bank in Wani
taluka of Yavatmal district after the bank manager declared that he
had received instructions from superiors to stop loan disbursement.
Amravati divisional commissioner S K Goyal has, however, stressed
that the loan flow this year was doubled as compared to last year.
"Till date, we have given farm loans of Rs 1,500 crore covering eight
lakh farmers in the division, he told TOI recently. "Last year about
Rs 750 crore was distributed among around four lakh farmers," he said.
He also claimed relief measures like cash compensation for crop
losses, aid for medical treatment, funding for mass marriage of
farmers' daughters were made available to take care of major problems
of the distressed farmers.
In addition to this, subsidies were given in schemes aimed at
supplementing income of farmers through poultry, dairy farming and
agri-processing business.
Reacting to the latest deaths, Maharashtra deputy chief minister R R
Patil said the government was in a fix, because all possible measures
to address immediate problems of farmers had been taken care of.
"There is a moratorium on loan recoveries. No one is knocking at
farmers' doors demanding old dues. I have asked police department not
to support such activities of bank staff," Patil said.
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