Vidarbha farmers to protest reassignment Agriculture and PDS Ministry to Sharad Pawar :”It’s unfortunate decision” –VJAS

Nagpur-May 24th 2009

Vidarbha Jan andolan Samiti (VJAS) activist group working for dying cotton farmers of west vidarbha has termed the reassignment of NCP Chief Sharad Pawar as agriculture and public distribution system(PDS) as unfortunate. Vidarbha cotton farmers are strongly protesting the decision of Indian Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh to give important agriculture and public distribution system(PDS) ministry portfolio to NCP Chief Sharad Pawar whose party has been totally rejected by not only cotton farmers of vidarbha and marathwada but his own sugarcane farmers in Western Maharashtra. Initially it was told that after humiliating defeat Sharad Pawar will not take ministry in new UPA govt. but after his induction in union cabinet farmers and poor were once again threaten as in last UPA five year region Sharad Pawar was too busy in cricket to visit the single farmer’s family who committed suicide even after more than 5230 cotton farmers suicide in West Vidarbha. Sharad Pawar’s keen interest in IPL-BCCI was very much matter of discussion as per report of international daily Asia Times in feb,2009 and

I quote

“The Indian government's lackadaisical approach to agricultural problems is best exemplified in Agriculture Minister Pawar finding time to be president of the Board of Control of Cricket in India. A minister handling one of the three most important portfolios in the union cabinet moonlighting as a busy sports administrator and frequently traveling abroad to see cricket matches might have been cause for scandal in some other countries, but not yet in India. Worse, Pawar's home state is Maharashtra, the epicenter of farmer suicides in India”

India's growing agrarian crisis has also been attributed to farmers being lured to give up traditional farming methods and use expensive genetically modified seeds, such as the controversial Bt cotton seeds, pesticides and fertilizers, with disastrous results.
Successive Indian governments have failed to execute land reforms to enable small farmers to own tilling land. NREG ignores these core issues. More damningly, NREG has not stopped indebted farmers killing themselves. Over 10,000 cotton-growing farmers have committed suicide since 2004 in Vidharba district, Maharashtra, due to individual debt sometimes amounting to $250. Over 100,000 farmers have killed themselves since 1993, a number acknowledged in Parliament by India's agriculture minister, Sharad Pawar.

Rural poverty is the looming dark side of the "India Rising" economic story, and agriculture comprises 18% of India's gross domestic product; 65% of India's population live in villages, and the agriculture sector is facing critical challenges, such as from cheaper imported farm produce as the Indian economy has opened to global competition.

UNQUOTE

As country agrarian crisis is at it’s peak India needs very sensitive and responsible minister looking after the Agriculture Ministry full time more over we need non-corrupt minister to look after PDS portfolio as there was massive scam in wheat import which has discredited UPA govt. performance and become election issue of BJP campaign hence allotment of Agriculture and PDS Ministry to Sharad Pawar is nothing but invitation more farm suicides in India hence in order to save billions of dying farmers of Indian Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh has been urged not to change the portfolio of Sharad Pawar and arrange to give Sport Ministry in charge IPL-BCCI allowing him operate from headquarter of BCCI Mumbai , tiwari added.

Please release this pres note

Thanking you,

Yours faithfully,

For VIDARBHA JAN ANDOLAN SAMITI

KISHORE TIWARI

PRESIDENT

kishortiwari@gmail.com

contact-09422108846

Posted by PLEASE SAVE VIDARBHA FARMER