Farmers In India - Maharashtra

Why our farmers, India's backbone, turning their back on life?

Time for serious introspection and action towards giving our fellow brethren a hope, a hand forward and making them understand their right to life.

Its quite old data but still valid as it is alarming to see when one searches the internet for database on death of Indian farmers. The first name that props up is of Maharashtra. Given below is a link to a study done by India's premier institute the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.

http://www.infochangeindia.org/bookandreportsst89.jsp

On one hand where we cannot let this go on as society we as Indians have never bothered to touch these issues as life has started becoming more demanding and all-inclusive of I,Me&Myself.

While the leaders of Maharashtra and even India as a whole have never reached out to this heart-wrenching calamity that strikes in the lives of a small village family on a daily basis.

The so called "Young Indians" of Maharashtra are busy "throwing the gauntlet" while the major issues go under the carpet.

This particular open letter is addressed to MNS chief Raj Thackeray and I copy it from The Sunday Express, Mumbai :

http://www.indianexpress.com/story/273795.html

THINKING ALOUD
An open letter to Raj Thackeray
Sudheendra Kulkarni
Posted online: Sunday, February 17, 2008 at 2247 hrs Print Email
Related Stories
Why Raj Thackeray is wrong-and right

Dear Shri Raj Thackeray,

You will surely be surprised to see me writing an open letter to you. Given our acquaintance, it would have been proper on my part to share my thoughts with you privately. But the issues that you have raised through your recent ill-advised and condemnable campaign against north Indians are of public nature, and hence require a public response.
When a matter becomes contentious, some people find it difficult to see or acknowledge the positive side of the person they criticise. In your case, the national media has painted you as someone who is nothing but a hate-monger. I know that it is not entirely fair. I have carefully read, and re-read, your signed article in Marathi titled Maazi Bhoomika, Maaza Ladha (My Stand, My Struggle) in the Maharashtra Times of February 9, and think that some of your arguments are far too nuanced to be simply categorised as hate speech. For example, should Marathi and Maharashtrian culture survive in Mumbai? Yes, they must, just as Bengali must survive in Kolkata, Tamil in Chennai, and Kannada in Bangalore.
Should people who come from outside show respect for local culture and try to imbibe its good points, while also imparting the good points of their own culture to the new place where they work and live? Most certainly they should.
Let me also point out for the knowledge of people outside Maharashtra that, as a budding political leader, you have been promoting certain constructive activities that are novel, rare and praiseworthy. For example, politicians in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar would certainly be doing great service to Hindi literature and the Hindi publishing industry if they started paying as much attention to these neglected aspects as you have started doing for Marathi language and literature. Have they ever bothered that a best-selling good book in Hindi does not sell, in the entire Hindi-speaking region, half as many copies as a good Marathi book does?
Similarly, which young or veteran politician in these states has set up an academy, as you have done in Pune, to train young social and political activists in dealing with the challenges of navnirman (a new model of development)? How many political parties in India are promoting educational, vocational, and entrepreneurship training opportunities for young people as your newly formed Maharashtra Navnirman Sena has been doing in an embryonic way?
Even at the risk of being misunderstood by my friends in Delhi, I am saying these good things about you because I believe that you are right in some, though not all, of the concerns you have voiced. But I am sorry to say that you have fallen prey to the temptation of gaining quick political mileage by targeting ‘north Indians’ as a whole in a crude attempt, perhaps, to score over the party that you broke away from.
If Abu Azmi, or some other leaders claiming to represent the ‘north Indian voters’ in Mumbai have behaved haughtily, and shown disrespect for the city’s Marathi-speaking people, protest by all means. But why are you yourself showing disrespect to the entire community of north Indians, as is evident from your article and your other reported statements? How can you allow your supporters to take law into their hands and do raada (street mayhem)? Can you justify the politics of violence against a fellow-Indian, as was evident when an innocent employee of HAL was killed in a stone-throwing incident in Nashik following your arrest in Mumbai?
I am all for due honour to be shown to Marathi culture and, indeed, to the specific culture of all the diverse regions in India. Each of them is a wonderful flower in the bouquet of India’s national culture. Linguistic pride and regional ethos do not conflict with nationalism. Rather, they complement and enrich it. But when anyone espouses them in a parochial manner, it evokes a negative reaction all around, and the loser is not only the person espousing it but also the culture being espoused. For instance, how can you say that Biharis in Mumbai have no right to perform Chhath Puja by the sea? Do you know the implications of this for those who celebrate Ganeshotsav in Delhi, Lucknow, Patna and elsewhere? How can you say there can be no functions in Mumbai to celebrate ‘UP Divas’? In that case, can there be Maharashtra Day functions in Delhi? Does Amitabh Bachchan become a UPwallah simply because he has sung ‘Chora Ganga kinarewallah’? What, then, will others say about Lata Mangeshkar, some of whose finest songs are in praise of Marathi and Maharashtra?
Parochialism is a double-edged sword. Never pull it out of its sheath, especially in a multi-lingual city like Mumbai, where most residents are migrants anyway. (Consider the sobering results of a readers’ poll by this paper two days ago: 67 per cent of the respondents said ‘Yes’ when asked ‘Are you a migrant to the city where you live?’) Mumbai, Maharashtra, Marathi-speaking people — and India — will suffer enormously if you continue your parochial campaign, and I am sure you care for all four.
Regards

MNS' Raj Thackeray has once again put his words out and this link proves it again that he ain't giving up while comparing his "movement" for the Marathi Manus with Gandhiji, Advani & Godhra!

http://www.indianexpress.com/story/276169._.html

Please, please, please stop dividing INDIA/Bharat!

Another story from the archives states that every 8hour there is one suicide in Vidharba!

http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1049554

What is BHARAT desh doing to stop this?

In his Opinion We Don't Talk To The Farmer

http://www.indianexpress.com/sunday/story/276417.html

I quite understand the over all view point and hope some one especially from Maharashtra does some thing extra-ordinary for improving the situation. First by stopping the farmers from thinking about suicide!

Forget just Vidharba the farmer next door district of Mumbai, Thane faces the same fate?

http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1152244

Why doesn't any of the ThreeThackerays ever go and make it an issue of NATIONAL IMPORTANCE? We do have Shiv Sena in India's Parliament. What do they do?

Then we also have Mr. Sharad Pawar - one of the richest ever Politicians in India who is also a sugar baron. What has he done towards this baffling suicidal tendency of the farmer?

If one takes a closer look at majority of People's Representatives from Maharashtra in the Assembly or the Parliament one can see how rich they be.

Here is a peek into how much our Politicians declare their income and assests.

http://kerala-bhattathiry.sulekha.com/blog/post/2004/05/india-s-millionaire-politicians-declare-their-assets/comments.htm

In 2004 Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar had declared his assests as Rs. 18.5 million!!!!!

But his daughter Supriya Sule who is a Member of Parliament now declared her assests at a whopping Rs 41.52 crore!!!!!!!!

Jaw-droppeddddddd!!!!!!!

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1960347.cms

Well it's time WE ALL INDIANS started taking active interest in how our Nation is being ru(i)ned!!!

Wake Up!

Indian economy - Agriculture

www.indiaonestop.com/gnp.htm

FOR third successive year, the Indian economy has registered a highly impressive growth during fiscal 2005-06. Sustained manufacturing activity and impressive performance of the services sector with reasonable support from the recovery in agricultural activity have added greater momentum to this growth process. After recording some slowdown in the third quarter (October-December) of 2005-06, real gross domestic product (GDP) registered a sharp increase in the fourth quarter (January-March) of 2005-06 benefiting from a pick-up in almost all segments of agriculture, industry and services. According to the revised estimates released by the Central Statistical Organization (CSO) in May 2006, real GDP accelerated from 7.5 per cent in 2004-05 to 8.4 per cent during 2005-06. The Indian economy has, thus, recorded an average growth of over 8 per cent in the latest three years (2003-04 to 2005-06).

Growth Rates of Real GDP
(Base Year : 1999-2000)

(Per cent)

Sector	2000-01 to 2002-03 (Average	2003-04	2004-05	2005-06	2004-05				2005-06
					Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4
Agriculture	-0.2	10.0	0.7	3.9	3.5	-0.2	-1.2	1.5	3.4	4.0	2.9	5.5
Allied Activities	(23.5)	(22.2)	(20.8)	(19.9)	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1.1 Agriculture	-0.5	10.7	0.7	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Industry	5.2	6.6	7.4	7.6	6.6	8.0	8.1	6.8	9.5	6.3	7.0	7.9
	(19.7)	(19.5)	(19.5)	(19.3)	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2.1 Mining and Quarrying	4.4	5.3	5.8	0.9	8.2	6.0	5.7	3.7	3.1	-2.6	0.0	3.0
2.2 Manufacturing	5.7	7.1	8.1	9.0	6.6	8.3	9.2	8.1	10.7	8.1	8.3	8.9
2.3 Electricity, Gas and Water Supply	2.8	4.8	4.3	5.3	4.9	7.9	3.1	1.4	7.4	2.6	5.0	6.1
Services	6.6	8.5	10.2	10.3	10.0	8.2	10.6	11.6	10.1	10.3	9.7	11.0
	(56.8)	(58.3)	(59.7)	(60.7)	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
3.1 Trade, Hotels, Restaurants, Transport, Storage and Communication	8.5	12.0	9.7	11.0	10.2	12.9	10.6	11.5	10.6	11.2	11.7	11.0
3.2 Financing, Insurance, Real Estate and Business Services	6.5	4.5	9.2	9.7	8.8	7.5	9.7	10.7	8.8	10.5	8.9	10.5
3.3 Community, Social and Personal Services	4.1	5.4	9.2	7.8	10.7	4.8	8.5	12.7	7.3	8.0	8.4	7.6
3.4 Construction	5.9	10.9	12.5	12.1	8.9	6.8	20.8	13.5	12.4	12.3	11.5	12.0
Real GDP at Factor Cost	4.6	8.5	7.5	8.4	7.9	6.7	7.0	8.6	8.5	8.4	7.5	9.3

Agriculture
The kharif crops coverage up to July 10, 2006 increased by around 11.9 per cent over a year ago. For all crops taken together, around 27 per cent of the normal area has been sown so far. Total foodgrains production during 2005-06 was placed at around 208 million tonne, an increase of 5 per cent over the previous year, mainly on the back of higher output of rice. The increase in the production of non-foodgrains crops was led mainly by sugarcane and cotton.

Progress of Area under Khariff Crops - 2006-07
(Million Hectares)

Crop	Normal	Area Coverage (As on July 10)
		2005	2006	Variation 2006 over 2005
Rice	39.9	5.4	6.1	0.7
Coarse Cereals	22.9	6.8	7.3	0.5
Of which
Bajra	9.3	2.4	2.1	-0.3
Jowar	4.6	1.1	1.2	0.1
Maize	6.0	2.7	3.5	0.8
Total Pulses	10.6	2.0	2.7	0.7
Total Kharif Oilseeds	15.1	3.3	3.4	0.1
Of which
Groundnut	5.5	1.2	1.6	0.4
Soyabean	6.3	1.3	1.1	-0.2
Sesamum	1.6	0.3	0.3	0.0
Sunflower	0.5	0.2	0.4	0.2
Sugarcane	4.3	4.3	4.5	0.2
Cotton	8.3	2.5	3.3	0.8
All Crops	101.1	24.3	27.2	2.9

Source: Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India

Agricultural Production
(Million Tonne)

Crop	2003-04		2004-05		2005-06$
	Target	Achievement	Target	Achievement	Target	Achievement
Rice	87.0	88.5	93.5	83.1	87.8	91.0
Wheat	72.1	72.2	79.5	68.6	75.5	69.5
Coarse Cereals	37.8	37.6	36.8	33.5	36.5	34.7
Pulses	15.2	14.9	15.3	13.1	15.2	13.1
Total Foodgrains	212.1	213.2	225.1	198.4	215.0	208.3
Kharif	112.0	117.0	113.8	103.3	109.9	109.7
Rabi	100.0	96.2	111.3	95.1	105.1	98.6
Total Oilseeds	25.1	25.2	26.2	24.4	26.6	27.7
Kharif	17.0	16.7	16.3	14.2	16.2	16.8
Rabi	8.1	8.5	9.9	10.2	10.4	10.9
Sugarcane	236.2	233.9	270.0	237.1	237.5	278.4
Cotton #	13.8	13.7	15.0	16.4	16.5	19.6
Jute and Mesta ##	11.2	11.2	11.8	10.3	11.3	10.7

$ : Fourth Advance Estimates (July 15,2006)
# : Million bales of 170 kgs each; ## : Million bales of 180 kgs each

Source: Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India

Politicians - Will They ever think of Farmers?

A majority of Indian population does live around the hand-to-mouth survival line; handful of our political representatives live much healthier and comfortable lives, all thanks to the people's money.

In this era where everything has cause celebre none of our politicians ever raise the issue of death by hunger in the Indian parliament. It's ghastly to see how much leftovers are in any given party in the cities while at the same time one of our fellow countryman/woman/child goes to sleep without a proper meal.

While the rich are getting more richer and the poor have got nothing to think of. The lack of a clear pan-Indian agriculture policy is lacking ever since we got our Independence. And there is particularly no such lobby as the "Farmer's Lobby" though we have had farmers becoming Prime Ministers!! Ironical but true.

Considering the fact that India is majorly an agrarian economy nothing but false promises are doled out to them, every five year. The representation of India should be looked into with more seriousness and it's time it changed. A clear cut system of educated only being able to contest elections should be made mandatory. It's not that the uneducated are ruling the country today but the fact remains that a background of understanding the issues presented on paper needs to be looked into, grasped, pros and cons debated and then a resolution should be passed.

If one takes a closer look at the salaries of our MLAs, MPs & Ministers and not to forget the perks it would indeed be no surprise that many of them have actually never touched their salary cheques! 'Coz these are the high-flying, Cartier donning Politicians who prefer to fly out of the country on people's monies and never bother to tell why! Who hardly make a visit to their constituency because there they do not get to have the luxuries like air-cons, 5-star hotels and airports! But no one is even thinking to take these luxuries to their own constituency 'coz they hardly have any concrete plans for their voters. Employment is a dream which engulfs a few lives every time, one can see them closely at a majority of the army or police headquarters in all the states whenever there is a call for filling up thousands of vacancies. Recent example of Jaipur inadvertently crops up. For getting a decent job one has to struggle so hard that it becomes a mele and a few people lose their lives before they even get any closer to getting their jobs.

Why never has an opportunity in the agriculture sector come across in our nation where people from cities have quit and gone back to villages because there was so much was in farming. We have had successful brands like Amul & many state-run milk dairies (which have again dwindled all of their respect due to mismanagement by babus) and many wonderful agriculture colleges and institutions which have never brought any change/dynamism to the national agriculture policy. India has a wonderful landscape and every possible climatic condition any country would ask for but still what is our produce? We still bring millions of tonnes of wheat from abroad!!!

The politicians should have a mandatory schedule of minimum of 200 days of work yearly and only then they should be paid. Attendance should also be confirmed and their journeys to their constituency made compulsory. They should also be given periodical "lectures" and they should be available on public platforms more often for their plans and agendas for growth and development.

The major issues that entail in the growth of agriculture are:

1) Water shortage

2) Power Supply

3) Subsidy & Finance

4) Food Parks & Market Policy

5) Insurance against disasters

6) IPR & Patents

7) A variable market rate for the growth



It is so simple so yet complex that never has the parliament discussed and brought forward a policy for the public to participate and change how the Indian Agriculture sector can become the most powerful and healthy sector in the economy. It can address so many issues at one time and make rural India a real utopia!

Healthcare, sanitation, nutrition, education and above all dignity of labour is what will change the shape of our rural areas. In my small research over the media and in physicality, I have come to know that the Reliance Industries' multi-pronged approach towards the rural sector especially the farming sector has become a unique model which can be replicated by other such farm-fresh chains that would create loads of opportunities to the farmers directly. The numbers of brokers have been cut down and thats a great sign of our times. The direct from farmer to the consumer formula has brought Reliance Fresh quite a good start and in the times to come they are planning to make trading in farm goods more attractive.

I wonder why none of the so called top-of-the-line hospitals open in rural India where there is such a huge scarcity of healthcare. I understand at that end of the day its business, but where did the noble-factor of such professions disappear? Why do we only have to remove kidneys from poor people and sell it to rich? Why can't a Dr.Amit Kumar make an example of setting up a state of the art hospital in a small village in Kashmir, Maharashtra, Bihar or Tamilnadu?

Having personally followed a few stories of rags-to-riches politicians I understand their predicament too. They only help who come begging for help. They are so tied up in their own doings that either they are forever away from their constituency or they are always in their palatial houses (which they have recently built-after getting the MLA seat).

They who never had a four-wheeler now boast of the savvy SUVs and sedans which are unique in the town as there are no roads for a smooth drive. Alas! Suddenly they feel that power situation in the town is worsening with every summer as their ac's cannot work much on generators!!

I have already petitioned before that there should be electoral reforms and one constituency voters can re-call their elected representative if they feel that he/she has not been taking care of their welfare. It would be a true democracy and it shall make our political actors more responsible towards their duties.

Till then I suggest that voting should be made mandatory for all those people carrying Voter Id cards from now on. And those who skip it for anything should be asked to give in writing that they were indisposed else their names should be struck off from the electoral rolls and they shall not be given any benefit under any Govt. run welfare schemes including Income Tax.

Maybe some day some one would wake up and take a giant leap in bridging the gap which has been widening every minute as we key in here.

Why Raj Thackeray is NOT just ARRESTED yet?

Wonderful Days Ahead for Indians...

Law of the Land has again taken a beating at the Hands of Government of Maharashtra.

Had any one else be it a Sanjay Nirupam, Abu Asim Azmi, Kripashankar Singh or any other person who would be in Raj Thackeray's shoes today he would be cooling his heels inside a prison.

But what does a Raj Thackeray have which deters the Government of Maharashtra to arrest him?

A handful of "political clout" in terms of man-power or following I guess he wouldnt be have more than a lac or two across Maharashtra including Mumbai.

We have seen political bungling at its worse during the last week in Mumbai.

How can a person who abuses a "religious prayer" be let off without being reprimanded for his anti-Hindu statements? He has run down a sacred ritual as it doesnt matter. In my opinion he is going to be in big time trouble if he ever leaves Mumbai and travels to North India ever! But I guess he is what he is a "a frog in a well."

Targetting Amitabh Bachchan (because it's the easiest way to get into the headlines/media) who has personally been responsible to get Raj a lot of media coverage. Bachchan was there when Raj wanted to showcase his hobbies to the world at a public event. Bachchan we hear also was Raj's pin up star! And look what how he has made a "tamasha" !

The way a handful people go bashing up cabbies, samosa vendors and to get into media boarding a train and slapping anybody who isnt a Maharashtrian and that too on a central suburban local train rather the western side where that would have had reactions, is not a good sign. This as I have already feared can turn UGLY if any one of the 40 Lakh North-Indian reacted.

The Government doesnt have a backbone and its showing. The CM has been in a big dilemma with what to do. The Home Minister of Maharashtra also in his usual stacatto and blink style stated that "No One Is Above The Law"! Wow! How ?

MNS's Parker (who thinks he is one helluva Maratha leader) blames the incidents on Media's repetitive showcasing of the bashing of North Indian taxi drivers.

Today the Mumbai Taxi Union's office was ransacked by a few MNS activists and a taxi driver was bashed. Union in anger called for a strike and after the Home Minister gave his assurance that they would be protected the strike was called off.

MNS top rung leaders (3 of them) were arrested today and MNS activists in Kandivali East came out on streets and got the shops to shut down. While Kandivali East has a lot North Indian population.

Till 8pm tonite Raj Thackeray hasnt been arrested while the majority of North Indian leaders have openly asked for his arrest. Imagine poor Raj now cannot go and take a dip in the Ganges coz he might get arrested there! Raj is enjoying the cool weather in his Pune Prabhat Road abode.

A political will is what is needed to order for his arrest but at the same time the so called GREAT MARATHA leaders are in suspicion and scare of the obvious; what if after the arrest Raj Thackeray comes out as a Hero of the Marathi-Manus casue?

NCP President Sharad Pawar also side steps the question while Home Minister of India wants stern action against the mischief mongers.

President Smt. Pratibha Patil is also anxious about the well-being of the north Indians in Mumbai.

But VilasRao is contemplating to do or not to do!

Shiv Sena's Balasaheb Thackeray is a little late to react; actually the erstwhile Tiger was reading the sentiments of the whole Maharashtra and all the Marathi-Manus all across the world before speaking out. Oops he didnt speak! He wrote in his favourite self-owned newsprint "Saamna" but when one reads it, its nothing but a letter to Amitabh Bachchan via his newspaper! He does state "ignore Raj"! Well isnt that what Mr. Bachchan has been doing?

I was amused at how there was nothing on what was going on on the streets of Mumbai ! And people want to own this money-minting-melting pot of culture Bombay aka Mumbai.

The state of India is no different if its Bihar or Bombay! The people are same. The goons come and kill your neighbour or an unknown person but you dont stand up to save him/her. Interesting but sad similarities.

While Raj Thackeray evades coming on camera but he does make statements selectively. He says his "party activists" were instigated. He also says he would have a press conference in two or three days.

The TV news channels have been wondering the whole day and followed Raj till Pune only to be disappointed. The Advocate General's report submitted to the Government of Maharashtra states (as per TV channels) that there is enough evidence to nail Raj! Some news channels openly discussed that under section 153 of the Indian Penal Code Raj is likely to be arrested. Alas.

Well we hope that this sets a chain reaction and tomorrow's newspapers and channels show us Raj's Pune trip as he is such a popular leader.

One of the channels' correspondent was of the view that the Maharashtra Government doesnt want to arrest Raj as they have a nice deviation for their most important opposition in Maharashtra the Shiv Sena. One didnt know as it wasnt reported on National News anywhere that while Raj was making allegations against North Indians, Uddhav Thackeray of the Shiv Sena was busy addressing rallies in rural Maharashtra where the most horrific of India's rural stories are unfolding. The thousands of farmers of Maharashtra are taking to suicide beacause of the lack of sensitivity from the Government and Uddhav is going to take the Congress-NCP Maharashtra Govt. on this issue and when there is hardly any headlines regarding that as Raj has taken most of it the Congress-NCP combine is more than glad.

While the Police Chief of Maharashtra stated that there was no issue of a backlash after Raj's arrest and as they were well equiped to tackle any incidents as and when they occured the Govt's will is missing as they are still searching for "evidences".

Across the North Indian states there have been numerous cases filed against Raj Thackeray and one PIL (Public Interest Litigation) has been filed today in the highest court of Law - The Supreme Court of India. Imagine an individual can manage to get enough evidence to file a PIL while the whole Govt. machinery could not!

These are difficult times for Indian Judiciary and once again in the days to come it will be at loggerheards with the Legislature.

I personally would be filing a PIL soon for inclusion of a statue in the Indian Penal Code where it should be mandatory for any Indian to help the other person who is in a situation which could hurt him or offer help to victims else he himself/herself would be treated as a person who has not abided the law.

This I feel will weaken the chances of people fleeing from the crime scene or being cowards as they call it, due to our archaic police system. This would empower them with a weapon that can help, stop crime and above all be just human.

Lets see what is in store for all of us tomorrow.

I would keep my posts on even though there's hardly any comments here.