The India FDI Watch Campaign seeks to prevent Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the retail sector in India. India FDI Watch is a national coalition of labour unions, trade associations, environmentalists, NGOs and academics that have formed to block attempts to allow foreign direct investment in India’s retail markets. FDI in retail will amount to job losses in the thousands as well as thousands more small businesses and kiranas being forced to close. It will continue the race to the bottom in wages and working conditions that Wal-Mart and other multinational mega-retailers have spread across the globe. Multinationals look at India, with its 1.2 billion people, as a vast, untapped market, but we do not want to become the next country to have our cultural traditions, worker's rights, environment, and independence destroyed by Wal-Mart. Contact us for more information.
IndiaFDI Watch - http://indiafdiwatch.org/index.php?id=47
For more information: download the India FDI Watch Brochure.
For more information, download the India FDI Watch Brochure (in Hindi).
Thousands protested to oppose the Bharti-Walmart Joint Venture
On the heels of the announcement of the Bharti-Walmart joint venture, thousands of traders, hawkers, farmers and workers protested across India. Protesters also included a group of American students who demanded that Wal-Mart not be allowed into India. Mass-based organizations called on the Prime Minister and Sonia Gandhi to immediately stop the Bharti-Walmart Joint Venture and not allow Wal-Mart’s backdoor entry into India. There was also a strong united call on all corporations—both foreign and domestic—to "Quit Retail". The protests were timed to commemorate the start of the "Quit India" movement, which started on August 9, 1942, with mass-based sections of society drawing parallels to the East India Company and companies like Wal-Mart, Bharti and Reliance.
Agitations took place in the metro cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata along with other major cities including, Kalicut, Bhopal, Jaipur, Ranchi, Balia, Meerath, Sonipat, Nagpur, Nasik, Pune and Indore.
In Delhi, thousands of traders, hawkers, farmers and workers protested in Chandni Chowk, a historical market, and burned effigies of Wal-Mart, Bharti and Reliance. Dharmendra Kumar, Director of India FDI Watch and national coordinator of the Vyapaar Aur Rozgaar Bachao Andolan conducted the proceedings and told the agitators, "Both Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh have acknowledged the dangers of corporations entering into the retail sector. The Govt. has commissioned a report looking at the impact of the entire supply chain on livelihoods after Sonia Gandhi had written a letter of caution. Sonia Gandhi had also publicly refused to meet with Michael Duke, Wal-Mart Vice-Chairman during his visit in February after public demonstrations were held due to his arrival. However, both Sonia Gandhi and the PMO have remained silent on the Bharti-Wal-Mart deal and though they have publicly cautioned against corporations and commissioned a study, they have taken no subsequent actions. He demanded that the Wal-Mart Bharti joint venture should be immediately revoked and all corporations should be stopped until thorough study has been conducted by an independent special task force comprising of stakeholders."
Shyam Bihari Mishra, President, Bhartiya Udyog Vyapar Mandal refered back to the British Raj, stating, "The East India Company, the most powerful company at the time, came to colonize India’s people and domestic and international trade and now Wal-Mart, the world’s largest company is trying to enter India to do the same. Mr. Mishra said India has a history of resistance, our people threw out the British and sixty years later if millions have their businesses and livelihoods threatened we will do the same now. He announced that family members of traders would boycott corporate stores." Praveen Khandelwal, General Secretary, Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) said "The livelihoods of retail traders are at stake. If big retail giants like Wal-Mart and Reliance come into the country, small traders would be finished." A mass campaign would be launched to strike back and make corporations realise that we will not let them ruin our livelihoods, he said.
Vandana Shiva, Director, Navdanya said "India is a land of retail democracy- hundreds of thousands of weekly haats and bazaars are located across the length and breadth of our country by people’s own self-organizational capacities. In a country with large numbers of people, and high levels of poverty, the existing model of retail democracy is the most appropriate in terms of economic viability and ecological sustainability.".
Shaktiman Ghosh, General Secretary, National Hawkers Federation warned the government "about taking such strong stances against India’s millions of hawkers and small shopkeepers in favor of only a few huge corporations who seek to dominate the Indian retail market."
Mr. Indu Prakash of Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Reform revealed the nexus between judiciary and corporate retail which led to the ceiling of shops of more than one hundred thousands of traders of Delhi and still goes on.
Mr. Bhati of Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh, Delhi, Harbhajan Singh Siddhu, National Secretary, Hind Mazdoor Sabha, Sunil Kansal, Secretary, Rashtriya Vyapar Mandal, Hakim Singh Rawat, General Secretary, Delhi Hawkers Welfare Association, Banwari Lal Sharma, President, Aazadi Bachaon Aandolan, R K Sharma, Secreatry, UTUC-Lenin Sarani and Venkatesh of Lok Raj Sangathan also addressed the protesters in Delhi.
In Mumbai, thousands of retailers, hawkers, workers and cooperatives participated in a one day trade bandh and a mass public event organized by the Vyapaar Rozgaar Suraksha Kriti Samiti, a joint action committee of trade associations, hawkers groups, trade unions and others. Leaders of Federation of Associations of Maharastra (FAM), Retail and Dispensing Chemists Association (RDCA), India FDI Watch, Mumbai Mahanagar Vyapari Seva Parishad (MMVSP), Mumbai Vyapar Mahasang (MVM), Apna Bazaar, National Hawkers Federation, Center of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and Hind Mazdoor Kisan Panchayat (HMKP) addressed the protesters. Mohan Gurnani, Convener of the Mumbai based Vyapaar Rozgaar Suraksha Kriti Samiti and President of the Federation of Associations of Maharastra (FAM) said "organised retaling would leave 20 crore people without jobs. Let the government first come out with a rehabilitation for these people and then it can open up FDI in retail". Kishore Shah, President of the Mobile & Telecom Retailers and Distributors Association (MTRDA), stated that around 12,000 retail shop-keepers deal in SIM cards and recharge vouchers of Air-Tel in Mumbai, generating business worth crores of rupees every day. Mr. Shah said "We have already informed all our members, distributors and wholesalers against selling any Airtel products". The Mumbai APMC—wholesale— market remained closed, along with thousands of retail shops across the city, including all chemists and druggists shops. Apna Bazaar, Maharastra’s largest cooperative store also downed its shutters and wholesale markets remained closed in Nasik and Pune.
At an evening event at Shanmukananda Hall in Mumbai mass-based groups laid out a future course of action and adopted a charter of demands. They called on the Center to immediately repeal the Wholesale Cash-n-Carry Permission, and all licenses granted under the permission; repeal the APMC Model Act, implement the National Policy on Street Vendors, take measures against predatory pricing and formulate a national policy on retail trade and small scale industries.
In Bangalore thousands protested at the town hall and burned effigies of corporate retailers like Wal-Mart and Reliance. The protest culminated in leaders presenting the Governor with a memorandum calling on the state to repeal the recent passage of the APMC Model Act. A Charter of Demands, same as was passed in Mumbai, was also placed before the District Collector. Smaller protests were organized throughout the state in different districts including Kodagu, Bijapur, Gulbarga and Davangere districts.
In Jaipur fifty American students joined with hawkers demanding that Wal-Mart leave India and demanding implementation of the National Policy on Street Vendors. The American students and hawkers demonstrated in the old city and held signs saying "Americans Oppose Wal-Mart Everywhere". Ms. Cheryl, an American citizen, learning Hindi at Jaipur said that Wal-Mart has a disastrous impact on small shopkeepers and neighbourhood communities in America and called Indians to learn from their experience and not to allow Wal-Mart to operate in India. Ms. Cheryl said that the world is moving from ‘Corporate to Cooperative’ and Indians should not corporatize their cooperatives.
In Kerala the Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Egono Samiti organized protest marches in over 1000 places across the state. In Kalicut over 10,000 traders protested in front of the corporation’s office and submitted a memorandum demanding that corporations keep out of retail and the immediate halt to Wal-Mart’s backdoor entry and the repeal of the Wholesale Cash-N-Carry permission.
In Kolkata the Federation of Trade Organizations (FTO) of West Bengal organized protests in all the 12 districts of the city along with protests across West Bengal, including in front of malls. Tens of thousands traders participated in the protest. In the evening, thousands of hawkers took out a protest march from the city museum.
In Ranchi, Uday Shankar Ojha who led the vegetable vendors before Reliance Fresh in May and has only recently been released from Jail, led thousands of hawkers and vegetable vendors at Albert Ekka Chowk in Ranchi, demanding that Reliance Fresh and all other corporations leave the retail sector and "withdraw their sinister plans to displace millions of livelihoods".
In Bhopal there was a state-level protest meeting in the morning at Gandhi Bhavan and traders sat on a dharna at Roshanara Chowk in the afternoon and burn effigies of Wal-Mart, Bharti and Reliance. A call for Bhopal Bandh was given for 21 August to oust corporate from retail trade.
Similar protests were organized in other cities including Allahabad, Lucknow, Meerut, Bagpat and Sonipat.
Thursday 20 September 2007
Sunday 17 June 2007
Trust Your Cricket Minister ?
Graze Cattle on Indian BT Fields - Drop Dead
If you are reading this news item in English, chances are that you are lucky not to be grazing sheep and cattle on Indian BT cotton fields of Andhra Pradesh. However, if you are a non vegetarian, be ready for taking risk assessments for your health if you eat meat from sheep grazed on Indian farms.
Indian sheep have been dying of mysterious reasons, totally unexamined by Indian agricultural and scientific establishment. Maybe Indian agricultural research establishment is composed of only of scientists who are totally vegetarians.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/storypage/storypage.aspx?id=668d24de-52af-419a-b448-f816af6960e5&MatchID1=4469&TeamID1=2&TeamID2=4&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1=1110&PrimaryID=4469&Headline='Bt+cotton+fields+can+kill+farm+animals'
The Andhra Pradesh government has advised farmers not to allow animals to graze on Bt cotton fields after four institutes reported the presence of toxins in them.
Goats and sheep grazing on post-harvest Bt cotton fields were found dead in Warangal and Adilabad districts in 2006 and in the first two months of 2007.
The Andhra Pradesh Forensic Science Laboratory, the Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, the Western Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory and the department of agriculture, NG Ranga Agriculture University found the presence of nitrates and nitrites, and residues of organophosphates in Bt cotton plants.
Dr L Mohan, director, Andhra Pradesh animal husbandry department, said: “The deaths have resulted in huge economic losses for farmers.”
Andhra Pradesh, which had earlier moved the Monopolistic and Restrictive Trade Practices tribunal against the high price of Bt seeds, said no bio-safety studies of Bt cotton seeds had yet been conducted.
MK Sharma, managing director, Mahyco-Monsanto Biotech India Ltd, makers of the genetically modified Bt cotton, said: “Bt cotton is being grown in nine states, and no such complaint has come except from a few villages in Andhra. We conducted safety studies before the trials and all Bt seeds were found to be safe.”
The Andhra government has informed the union ministry of environment and forests about its findings. The ministry has ordered a probe.
Email : chetan@hindustantimes.com
If you are reading this news item in English, chances are that you are lucky not to be grazing sheep and cattle on Indian BT cotton fields of Andhra Pradesh. However, if you are a non vegetarian, be ready for taking risk assessments for your health if you eat meat from sheep grazed on Indian farms.
Indian sheep have been dying of mysterious reasons, totally unexamined by Indian agricultural and scientific establishment. Maybe Indian agricultural research establishment is composed of only of scientists who are totally vegetarians.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/storypage/storypage.aspx?id=668d24de-52af-419a-b448-f816af6960e5&MatchID1=4469&TeamID1=2&TeamID2=4&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1=1110&PrimaryID=4469&Headline='Bt+cotton+fields+can+kill+farm+animals'
The Andhra Pradesh government has advised farmers not to allow animals to graze on Bt cotton fields after four institutes reported the presence of toxins in them.
Goats and sheep grazing on post-harvest Bt cotton fields were found dead in Warangal and Adilabad districts in 2006 and in the first two months of 2007.
The Andhra Pradesh Forensic Science Laboratory, the Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, the Western Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory and the department of agriculture, NG Ranga Agriculture University found the presence of nitrates and nitrites, and residues of organophosphates in Bt cotton plants.
Dr L Mohan, director, Andhra Pradesh animal husbandry department, said: “The deaths have resulted in huge economic losses for farmers.”
Andhra Pradesh, which had earlier moved the Monopolistic and Restrictive Trade Practices tribunal against the high price of Bt seeds, said no bio-safety studies of Bt cotton seeds had yet been conducted.
MK Sharma, managing director, Mahyco-Monsanto Biotech India Ltd, makers of the genetically modified Bt cotton, said: “Bt cotton is being grown in nine states, and no such complaint has come except from a few villages in Andhra. We conducted safety studies before the trials and all Bt seeds were found to be safe.”
The Andhra government has informed the union ministry of environment and forests about its findings. The ministry has ordered a probe.
Email : chetan@hindustantimes.com
Friday 15 June 2007
Weedy Wheat Chapatis for Indians - Power Play by Pawar
India US Wheat Row - Wheat and Weeds - Devinder Sharma
It is a queer case of double standards. Claiming highest quality standards in the world when it comes to agricultural imports, the United States has no qualms in exporting sub-standard wheat to India. In fact, diplomatic pressure is being built upon India to import weed infested wheat.
Failing to reach an agreement after recent bilateral discussions on plant health, a statement from the US Embassy in New Delhi said “… Substantial hurdles still remain, as the US cannot agree to import standards that are impossible to certify and are not in line with international norms.” At the heart of the row are the quarantine norms that do not allow wheat consignments with dangerous weeds beyond the permissible limit.
The American wheat comes laced with 21 obnoxious and alien weeds, which are not known to exist in India. As per the weed risk analysis done by the Ministry of Agriculture, all these weeds are of quarantine importance and carry high risk. More worrying is the presence of two weeds Bromus rigidus and Bromus scealinus -- better known as foxtail wheat, which is similar in appearance to wheat and therefore difficult to identify.
Already, surreptitiously imported along with wheat, several weeds and pests have turned into a national menace. India is spending crores of rupees every year in fighting these alien invasive species.
Earlier too, India had in 1996 rejected wheat imports from America on reasons of inferior quality, and had instead imported one million tonne from Australia. In 2006, when India imported 5.5 million tones of wheat from Australia and some other countries, the US was unable to find a foothold into India’s burgeoning wheat market. Aware that India is likely to turn into a major wheat importer in the years to come, the US has stepped up diplomatic and political efforts to exert pressure.
Not that the Australian wheat is much superior. In 2006, bending backwards to allow the highly contaminated wheat shipments from Australia, Indian Food and Agriculture ministry had turned a blind eye to the presence of 14 weeds, two fungal diseases and one insect pest that the import consignments contained. Of the 14 weeds, 11 species are not found in India.
Interestingly, while the US accepts that its wheat contains 21 weeds, it has expressed its helplessness in cleaning wheat shipments to bring it in tune with the Indian threshold limits. At the Portland port from where much of its wheat is exported, the US grain merchants were unable to clean wheat of the menacing weeds. The US is seeking import norms of 0.3 per cent weed infestation, India is insisting on not more than 100 weeds in a consignment of 200 kg of wheat.
At 0.3 per cent weed infestation, the total number of weed seeds per 200 kg of wheat comes to a massive 12,000.
Although the US is publicly claiming that its “wheat is among the highest quality in the world and is safely shipped to over 110 nations including every importer of significance except India”, the fact remains that much of the American wheat imported by rich and developed countries like Japan is actually for milling purposes. In India, wheat imports are used as grain by farmers and therefore the worry that the weeds will take roots.
Several of the minor weeds that came along with PL-480 wheat shipments into India in past have turned into biological nuisances, often the weed becoming a national menace. Lantana camera was among such weeds, which entered India three decades ago. Today, it has spread wide and wild, and has withstood all control measures. Being poisonous, not even the cattle feed on it. Phalaris minor too came with the wheat consignments from the United States. This weed, already resistant to chemicals in the US and Australia, has established itself as a strong competitor of wheat in India. The weed has also become resistant to chemicals in India and is responsible for reducing wheat yields by an estimated 25 per cent.
It is not the first time that the US is trying to export sub-standard agricultural products. In September 2000, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) sent a delegation to press for opening up the Indian market for what would have turned into the first major import consignment of genetically modified soybeans. If allowed, the soybean imports would have brought along five exotic weeds and at least 11 viral diseases, of which two are economically dangerous. The US did insist that the accompanying pests would not pose any problem for Indian agriculture.
Earlier too, during 1998-99, the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR) had received 359 samples of transgenic soybean from the USA for quarantine. Nearly 143 of these were rejected because of the presence of downy mildew fungus (Peronospora manshurica), which is known to cause serious losses and is not known to occur in India. Bulk imports, however, fail to eliminate the threat of import of nematodes, viruses and several fungi.
For reasons unexplained, the Food and Agriculture ministry appears more eager to allow for sub-standard imports. In 2006, it relaxed most quality norms for Australian wheat by asking the exporting country to provide a certificate saying that the imports are “essentially free from weeds”. At the time of tender, the requirement was “free from weeds”. Over-ruling all objections raised by the plant quarantine directorate to import of exotic weed species, the Food and Agriculture Ministry has relaxed the provisions of Plant Quarantine Order 2003.
After the din dies down, India might relax quality norms for American wheat. Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar has already been quoted as saying: “It is true that talks have been held with the US government. We want that the US should also participate in our wheat import process.” What is however not being perceived is that the US participation cannot be at the cost of softening the quarantine standards.
At a time when international quality parameters are being tightened the world over to ensure that invasive alien species do not use the vehicle of commodity trade to enter into a country, India should not relax the quality norms thereby opening the floodgates to noxious weeds, deadly insect pests and dreaded plant diseases.
What Sharad Pawar needs to understand is that the same wheat that we imported from Australia (or we plan to import from America) if exported back would not be accepted for reasons of the same quality standards that we are being asked to do away with.
It is a queer case of double standards. Claiming highest quality standards in the world when it comes to agricultural imports, the United States has no qualms in exporting sub-standard wheat to India. In fact, diplomatic pressure is being built upon India to import weed infested wheat.
Failing to reach an agreement after recent bilateral discussions on plant health, a statement from the US Embassy in New Delhi said “… Substantial hurdles still remain, as the US cannot agree to import standards that are impossible to certify and are not in line with international norms.” At the heart of the row are the quarantine norms that do not allow wheat consignments with dangerous weeds beyond the permissible limit.
The American wheat comes laced with 21 obnoxious and alien weeds, which are not known to exist in India. As per the weed risk analysis done by the Ministry of Agriculture, all these weeds are of quarantine importance and carry high risk. More worrying is the presence of two weeds Bromus rigidus and Bromus scealinus -- better known as foxtail wheat, which is similar in appearance to wheat and therefore difficult to identify.
Already, surreptitiously imported along with wheat, several weeds and pests have turned into a national menace. India is spending crores of rupees every year in fighting these alien invasive species.
Earlier too, India had in 1996 rejected wheat imports from America on reasons of inferior quality, and had instead imported one million tonne from Australia. In 2006, when India imported 5.5 million tones of wheat from Australia and some other countries, the US was unable to find a foothold into India’s burgeoning wheat market. Aware that India is likely to turn into a major wheat importer in the years to come, the US has stepped up diplomatic and political efforts to exert pressure.
Not that the Australian wheat is much superior. In 2006, bending backwards to allow the highly contaminated wheat shipments from Australia, Indian Food and Agriculture ministry had turned a blind eye to the presence of 14 weeds, two fungal diseases and one insect pest that the import consignments contained. Of the 14 weeds, 11 species are not found in India.
Interestingly, while the US accepts that its wheat contains 21 weeds, it has expressed its helplessness in cleaning wheat shipments to bring it in tune with the Indian threshold limits. At the Portland port from where much of its wheat is exported, the US grain merchants were unable to clean wheat of the menacing weeds. The US is seeking import norms of 0.3 per cent weed infestation, India is insisting on not more than 100 weeds in a consignment of 200 kg of wheat.
At 0.3 per cent weed infestation, the total number of weed seeds per 200 kg of wheat comes to a massive 12,000.
Although the US is publicly claiming that its “wheat is among the highest quality in the world and is safely shipped to over 110 nations including every importer of significance except India”, the fact remains that much of the American wheat imported by rich and developed countries like Japan is actually for milling purposes. In India, wheat imports are used as grain by farmers and therefore the worry that the weeds will take roots.
Several of the minor weeds that came along with PL-480 wheat shipments into India in past have turned into biological nuisances, often the weed becoming a national menace. Lantana camera was among such weeds, which entered India three decades ago. Today, it has spread wide and wild, and has withstood all control measures. Being poisonous, not even the cattle feed on it. Phalaris minor too came with the wheat consignments from the United States. This weed, already resistant to chemicals in the US and Australia, has established itself as a strong competitor of wheat in India. The weed has also become resistant to chemicals in India and is responsible for reducing wheat yields by an estimated 25 per cent.
It is not the first time that the US is trying to export sub-standard agricultural products. In September 2000, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) sent a delegation to press for opening up the Indian market for what would have turned into the first major import consignment of genetically modified soybeans. If allowed, the soybean imports would have brought along five exotic weeds and at least 11 viral diseases, of which two are economically dangerous. The US did insist that the accompanying pests would not pose any problem for Indian agriculture.
Earlier too, during 1998-99, the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR) had received 359 samples of transgenic soybean from the USA for quarantine. Nearly 143 of these were rejected because of the presence of downy mildew fungus (Peronospora manshurica), which is known to cause serious losses and is not known to occur in India. Bulk imports, however, fail to eliminate the threat of import of nematodes, viruses and several fungi.
For reasons unexplained, the Food and Agriculture ministry appears more eager to allow for sub-standard imports. In 2006, it relaxed most quality norms for Australian wheat by asking the exporting country to provide a certificate saying that the imports are “essentially free from weeds”. At the time of tender, the requirement was “free from weeds”. Over-ruling all objections raised by the plant quarantine directorate to import of exotic weed species, the Food and Agriculture Ministry has relaxed the provisions of Plant Quarantine Order 2003.
After the din dies down, India might relax quality norms for American wheat. Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar has already been quoted as saying: “It is true that talks have been held with the US government. We want that the US should also participate in our wheat import process.” What is however not being perceived is that the US participation cannot be at the cost of softening the quarantine standards.
At a time when international quality parameters are being tightened the world over to ensure that invasive alien species do not use the vehicle of commodity trade to enter into a country, India should not relax the quality norms thereby opening the floodgates to noxious weeds, deadly insect pests and dreaded plant diseases.
What Sharad Pawar needs to understand is that the same wheat that we imported from Australia (or we plan to import from America) if exported back would not be accepted for reasons of the same quality standards that we are being asked to do away with.
Tuesday 10 April 2007
Shekhawat Spoils Party
From VJAS Vidarbha Jan andolan Samiti :
Shekhawat spoils party
http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1089699
Ganesh Kanate
Monday, April 09, 2007 02:27 IST
It was supposed to be a cosy function held in the honour of Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar. The Man, A Vision, Beyond Tomorrow, a photo-biography was released to commemorate the NCP leader's 40th year in active politics by Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat at Bhabha Auditorium on Sunday. But instead of singing praises of the veteran leader, Shekhawat seized the opportunity to bring to the minister's notice the ever-increasing farmer suicides in India and Vidarbha.
"Pawar has said he would not share the dais as everybody would only praise him and that would make him feel embarrassed. In that case, I will not only praise him, but also criticise him. Later, he might just repent his decision, as he would not be able to answer my criticism," he said. Having said that, Shekhawat actually went on to indirectly criticise not just the country's agriculture policy, but also described farmers' suicides in Maharashtra as a blot on the country's reputation.
Despite the fact that he did not criticise or hold Pawar directly responsible for the grim reality, Shekhawat did not mince words while pointing out that the suicides were a clear failure of the system that does not guarantee fair market price to its agriculture produce. "There is no system of marketing that will ensure that the farmer gets what he has invested or deserves," said Shekhawat before pointing out that he too was a farmer and therefore, understood the community's woes. "Efforts must be made to put into place a modern marketing system that will directly help the farmers and Pawar will take initiative in this regard," Shekhawat announced.
Stating that the Indian economy was growing, the Vice-President said, "The gap between the haves and the have-nots is widening like never before and this might create unrest. Therefore, it must be ensured that the wealth that is being generated should percolate and the poor get to taste the fruits of a growing economy." In fact, it is the corporate houses operating in the country that enjoy both, direct and indirect benefits of the economic growth, he added.
Another concern was the burden on the country's agronomy. Shekhawat said agronomy was being burdened with 60 per cent of country's labour force. "While population is burgeoning and the overall land-holding of marginal farmers is decreasing below one acre per farmer, it must be ensured that either population stabilises or the dependence on agronomy is immediately reduced." Demanding a rethink on the 26 per cent population below the poverty line, Shekhawat said, "It cannot, and should not, be accepted as it stands."
Governor SM Krishna presided over the function while Union MoS for Civil Aviation Praful Patel and RR Patil were the guests of honour. Former LS Speaker Manohar Joshi, industrialist Anil Ambani and a host of senior politicians were present at the function. Sanju Hinge, who has authored Pawar's photo-biography was felicitated as well.
Shekhawat spoils party
http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1089699
Ganesh Kanate
Monday, April 09, 2007 02:27 IST
It was supposed to be a cosy function held in the honour of Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar. The Man, A Vision, Beyond Tomorrow, a photo-biography was released to commemorate the NCP leader's 40th year in active politics by Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat at Bhabha Auditorium on Sunday. But instead of singing praises of the veteran leader, Shekhawat seized the opportunity to bring to the minister's notice the ever-increasing farmer suicides in India and Vidarbha.
"Pawar has said he would not share the dais as everybody would only praise him and that would make him feel embarrassed. In that case, I will not only praise him, but also criticise him. Later, he might just repent his decision, as he would not be able to answer my criticism," he said. Having said that, Shekhawat actually went on to indirectly criticise not just the country's agriculture policy, but also described farmers' suicides in Maharashtra as a blot on the country's reputation.
Despite the fact that he did not criticise or hold Pawar directly responsible for the grim reality, Shekhawat did not mince words while pointing out that the suicides were a clear failure of the system that does not guarantee fair market price to its agriculture produce. "There is no system of marketing that will ensure that the farmer gets what he has invested or deserves," said Shekhawat before pointing out that he too was a farmer and therefore, understood the community's woes. "Efforts must be made to put into place a modern marketing system that will directly help the farmers and Pawar will take initiative in this regard," Shekhawat announced.
Stating that the Indian economy was growing, the Vice-President said, "The gap between the haves and the have-nots is widening like never before and this might create unrest. Therefore, it must be ensured that the wealth that is being generated should percolate and the poor get to taste the fruits of a growing economy." In fact, it is the corporate houses operating in the country that enjoy both, direct and indirect benefits of the economic growth, he added.
Another concern was the burden on the country's agronomy. Shekhawat said agronomy was being burdened with 60 per cent of country's labour force. "While population is burgeoning and the overall land-holding of marginal farmers is decreasing below one acre per farmer, it must be ensured that either population stabilises or the dependence on agronomy is immediately reduced." Demanding a rethink on the 26 per cent population below the poverty line, Shekhawat said, "It cannot, and should not, be accepted as it stands."
Governor SM Krishna presided over the function while Union MoS for Civil Aviation Praful Patel and RR Patil were the guests of honour. Former LS Speaker Manohar Joshi, industrialist Anil Ambani and a host of senior politicians were present at the function. Sanju Hinge, who has authored Pawar's photo-biography was felicitated as well.
Friday 23 March 2007
FarmLand Evictions - Krishi Mantri - SEZ Debate
Government Machinery and Land Evictions - SEZ Debate
The Indian Cricket Minister has weighed in, on the debate of farmland farmer evictions, with some very important "comments and umpiring decisions".
The Indian Cricket Minister, who also wears the hats of Indian Agriculture Minister and guess what, the Food Minister as well, has gone on record to state that he is not in favour of the use of bureaucracy and government machinery, on behalf of industrialists, by the various state governments.
He expressed these views in relation to the sorry, messy, spectacle and bloodshed, enacted by the Left coalition parties government, in West Bengal, that sent in 5,000 police men, in riot gear to get one cordoned off small village called Nandigram, to be forcibly evicted vacated, from a group of farmers and sharecroppers. That this was all done, by a carefully nurtured protege of Shri Jyoti Basu, and that this was all done in the 250 years anniversary of the Battle of Plassey in Bengal, that paved the way for British colonial expansion in the whole of India, is a matter of historical irony, for the students of Indian history.
We have discussed this issue elsewhere.
Here however, we would like to discuss, the public statement of the Cricket Minister, who has expressed his disapproval of the use of bureaucracy and government machinery, in farmland evictions for the benfit of industry and for the benefit of industrialists.
The sarcastic politics watchers amongst us, know that for the so called students of Chairiman Mao, power flows from the barrel of the gun.
Now the real question is, in what capacity has he expressed the views that he has publicly expressed, about government machinery and its use in farmland evictions and of legislative changes.
Is it as a Cabinet Minister of the Man Mohan Singh Congress government ?
Is it as a Cricket Minister ?
Is it as Indian Agriculture Minister ?
Is it as Indian Food Minister ?
Is it as a veteran Indian political heavyweight from Western Maharashtra sugar belt who rose to power on the back of Western Maharashtra sugar cooperatives ?
Asking this question is crucially important, because the sheer ideological confusion, that characterizes the debates on farmland acquisitions and the rationale for Special Export Zones, in a democratic country like India is often missed in the sound and fury of the industry versus agriculture, poverty versus development debate in India.
It bears attention that the reasonable and logical sounding words, of this tough talking Western Maharashtra minister, who is exceptionally silent on one of the biggest agrarian crisis in modern India, in his own home ground of Maharashtra, is feeling the need to sell the idea that, industrialist are free to go and directly deal with Indian farmers and buy up land that is un irrigated, as long as they do not ask the politically immature governments like that of Shri Jyoti Basu's protege, to send in a pack of riot battle gear uniformed policemen, to do the dirty job for them.
As per the Cricket Minister, the Central and state governments should only play the role of facilitators in Indian Farm Exit Policy and not take on an overtly active role. He has added his suggestions about non irrigated land and the willingness of Indian farmers in state policy regarding land acquisitions. But this is cosmetic.
Are WTO, ASSOCHAM and FICCI listening ?
The Indian Agriculture Minister is effectively saying that he will ensure, that the central Congress Government, adopts a laid back attitude, does not step in on the side of farmers, unwilling to be evicted ....
From this it is clear, that the only objection the Cricket Minister has to farmland evictions, is that it should be done in such a way that it does not become a media story and instead takes, place, drip by drip, in the rural farmlands of India, maybe somewhat like the cotton farmer suicides in Vidarbha.
Shocking that this deliberate excercise in Indian Farm Exit Policy, and forcible demographics modifications on Indian farms, is being choregraphed by the Indian Agriculture Minister. How can Vidarbha farmers expect to find a real solution to their problems when such an Agriculture Minister is seated in the Krishi Bhawan in New Delhi ?
Maybe the Germans and European women, are better friends of Vidarbha farmers than such an Agriculture Minister who is having full control over Krishi Bhawan, unchecked by anyone in the media.
It is shockingly tragic, that such a minister, is in charge of such an unprecedented Indian Agrarian Crisis, at this juncture in Indian history, as agriculture and kisans face the butchers knife.
And he is bowling top spinners, and advising West Bengal Communists, to refrain from using government machinery for land evictions and acquiring land for Special Export Zones.
Can the Indian farmers read the top spinners of their Agriculture Minister or will they all be bowled out ?
The Indian Cricket Minister has weighed in, on the debate of farmland farmer evictions, with some very important "comments and umpiring decisions".
The Indian Cricket Minister, who also wears the hats of Indian Agriculture Minister and guess what, the Food Minister as well, has gone on record to state that he is not in favour of the use of bureaucracy and government machinery, on behalf of industrialists, by the various state governments.
He expressed these views in relation to the sorry, messy, spectacle and bloodshed, enacted by the Left coalition parties government, in West Bengal, that sent in 5,000 police men, in riot gear to get one cordoned off small village called Nandigram, to be forcibly evicted vacated, from a group of farmers and sharecroppers. That this was all done, by a carefully nurtured protege of Shri Jyoti Basu, and that this was all done in the 250 years anniversary of the Battle of Plassey in Bengal, that paved the way for British colonial expansion in the whole of India, is a matter of historical irony, for the students of Indian history.
We have discussed this issue elsewhere.
Here however, we would like to discuss, the public statement of the Cricket Minister, who has expressed his disapproval of the use of bureaucracy and government machinery, in farmland evictions for the benfit of industry and for the benefit of industrialists.
The sarcastic politics watchers amongst us, know that for the so called students of Chairiman Mao, power flows from the barrel of the gun.
Now the real question is, in what capacity has he expressed the views that he has publicly expressed, about government machinery and its use in farmland evictions and of legislative changes.
Is it as a Cabinet Minister of the Man Mohan Singh Congress government ?
Is it as a Cricket Minister ?
Is it as Indian Agriculture Minister ?
Is it as Indian Food Minister ?
Is it as a veteran Indian political heavyweight from Western Maharashtra sugar belt who rose to power on the back of Western Maharashtra sugar cooperatives ?
Asking this question is crucially important, because the sheer ideological confusion, that characterizes the debates on farmland acquisitions and the rationale for Special Export Zones, in a democratic country like India is often missed in the sound and fury of the industry versus agriculture, poverty versus development debate in India.
It bears attention that the reasonable and logical sounding words, of this tough talking Western Maharashtra minister, who is exceptionally silent on one of the biggest agrarian crisis in modern India, in his own home ground of Maharashtra, is feeling the need to sell the idea that, industrialist are free to go and directly deal with Indian farmers and buy up land that is un irrigated, as long as they do not ask the politically immature governments like that of Shri Jyoti Basu's protege, to send in a pack of riot battle gear uniformed policemen, to do the dirty job for them.
As per the Cricket Minister, the Central and state governments should only play the role of facilitators in Indian Farm Exit Policy and not take on an overtly active role. He has added his suggestions about non irrigated land and the willingness of Indian farmers in state policy regarding land acquisitions. But this is cosmetic.
Are WTO, ASSOCHAM and FICCI listening ?
The Indian Agriculture Minister is effectively saying that he will ensure, that the central Congress Government, adopts a laid back attitude, does not step in on the side of farmers, unwilling to be evicted ....
From this it is clear, that the only objection the Cricket Minister has to farmland evictions, is that it should be done in such a way that it does not become a media story and instead takes, place, drip by drip, in the rural farmlands of India, maybe somewhat like the cotton farmer suicides in Vidarbha.
Shocking that this deliberate excercise in Indian Farm Exit Policy, and forcible demographics modifications on Indian farms, is being choregraphed by the Indian Agriculture Minister. How can Vidarbha farmers expect to find a real solution to their problems when such an Agriculture Minister is seated in the Krishi Bhawan in New Delhi ?
Maybe the Germans and European women, are better friends of Vidarbha farmers than such an Agriculture Minister who is having full control over Krishi Bhawan, unchecked by anyone in the media.
It is shockingly tragic, that such a minister, is in charge of such an unprecedented Indian Agrarian Crisis, at this juncture in Indian history, as agriculture and kisans face the butchers knife.
And he is bowling top spinners, and advising West Bengal Communists, to refrain from using government machinery for land evictions and acquiring land for Special Export Zones.
Can the Indian farmers read the top spinners of their Agriculture Minister or will they all be bowled out ?
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