Protest march against suicides by farmers, SEZs

Madhur Tankha

Activists demand creation of a Zero Hunger Act

NEW DELHI: Members of Youth for Justice, Kisan Log Abhiyan and MCKS Food
for Hungry Foundation jointly staged a march at Jantar Mantar here on
Sunday protesting against the continuing farmers' suicides.

Wearing masks, the protesters holding banners like "The Constitution
Guarantees Me Right to Life Yet Death Haunts Me All The Time" shouted
slogans against the United Progressive Alliance Government's policies
that were leading to lack of livelihood for farmers across the country.
They called for a Zero Hunger Act.

Claiming that the Haryana Government had sent notices to farmers of
Rewari to hand over their agricultural land for Special Economic Zones,
Kisan Lok Abhiyan State president Dinesh Joshi said: "We don't mind
giving barren land, but parting with fertile agricultural land for big
multi-national companies is quite unreasonable."

Stating that he had received a notice from the State Government to
vacate his agricultural land, Lal Singh Yadav of Haryana said he grows
"bajra" and mustard in his 10 acre agricultural land but will now be
left with no option but to hand over his ancestral land to the
administration. "At least farmers should have the right to decide
whether they want to sell their land nor not. And the price paid to us
by the administration is pittance."

Sharing their concerns, a number of Delhi University students under the
Youth for Justice banner marched with the farmers. Stating that they
interacted with farmers of Vidarbha, Youth for Justice representative
Kapil Mishra said the youth and the farmers had come on a common
platform to awaken the Government so that it comes out with a
farmer-friendly budget.

Demanding separate packages and waving off loans for farmers in all the
affected districts, Mr. Mishra said organic farming should be encouraged.

"Since 1997, over 25,000 farmers across the country have taken their own
lives. The worst affected places are Warangal, Amravati, Vidarbha,
Karimnagar and Nizamabad. Even though we are boasting of 8 per cent
economic growth, the grim fact is that our farmers are committing
suicide. This means our policy-makers need to change their approach
towards running the economy," said Mr. Mishra.

Besides travelling to Vidarbha next week in March for a first hand
experience with the situation prevailing in the rural areas, Youth for
Justice members will visit Capital's Connaught Place and Ansal Plaza
every Sunday to distribute pamphlets to make Generation X aware of the
farmers' plight.

http://www.hindu.com/2007/02/26/stories/2007022620640300.htm