1.Candlelight Vigil on Farmers' Suicide
2.Most farmer suicides relate to GM cotton - Times of India
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1.Candlelight Vigil on Farmers' Suicide 7.30 PM November 16, 2006
Jantar Mantar, New Delhi

A tragedy of unprecedented proportions is unfolding across rural India. Pushed into poverty and indebtedness due to increased cost of cultivation and falling market prices, farmers are being driven to commit suicide. More than 1.5 lakh farmers have committed suicide across the country in the last 15 years.

Veteran freedom fighter, Sh. Mohan Dharia, met the Prime Minister and requested that loans of farmers with less than 2 acre land holding should be written off. Citing fiscal prudence, the Prime Minister has turned down this request. Sh. Dharia has proceeded on a fast-unto-death at Pune to highlight the plight of our farmers.

A candlelight vigil is being organized at the Jantar Mantar, 7.30 PM on November 16, 2006 to draw attention to government's indifference to farmers' suicide. This is to request you to participate in this campaign and show solidarity with the farmers of India.

For further information, please contact
Devinder Sharma (98113-01857)
Yudhvir Singh (98681-46405)
Naresh Sirohi (98996-00011)
Bhaskar Goswami (98111-91335)
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2.Most farmer suicides relate to GM cotton
Times of India (30/9/2006)
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=7087

EXTRACT FROM TIMES OF INDIA ARTICLE:

"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."

GM WATCH COMMENT: This report comes in the same week as Indo-Swiss research showing India's organic cotton producers benefit from 40% lower input costs, up to 20% lower production costs, almost comparable labour costs, and higher cotton yields - all of which makes them far less vulnerable to loan sharks.
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=7077

The continuing suicide epidemic is corporate-bureaucratic murder. Monsanto-Mahyco hyped GM cotton to the skies to these vulnerable farmers, using every PR trick in the book, while callous and corrupt local and national politicians joined in the chorus. The tragic consequences are being played out on a daily basis.

All in a day: Six farmers commit suicide The Times of India, 30 Sep 2006 http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2047898.cms

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