Good Friday - Murdered by Monsanto? (14/4/2006) | |
Murdered by Monsanto? Last night 5 more cotton farmers committed suicide in Maharashtra's cotton growing region of Vidarbha, taking the total to 443 farmers in the growing season since June 2005. The majority grew Bt cotton which was promoted to poor farmers in India using false and misleading claims as well as unethical practices. (see EVERY TRICK IN THE BOOK - THE MARKETING OF BT COTTON IN INDIA) Just how disastrous Bt cotton proved for Vidarbha's desperate farmers was revealed by a recent study in Maharashtra which showed the incomes of Bt cotton farmers were 68% lower than the incomes of non-Bt cotton growers. Meanwhile, a statutory body investigating charges of monopoly practices filed against Mahyco-Monsanto has found the company guilty of illegal practices and found that the monopolistic and exorbitant rates charged by the company for their Bt cotton varieties was a significant factor in farmer distress. Here are the names of the more than 200 farmers in Vidharba who have taken their lives since the beginning of January 2006. As many again suffered a similar fate in the period from June 2005. As already noted, the vast majority of the victims cultivated Bt cotton. List of Vidarbha Farmer suicides since JANUARY 2006 Name of Farmers Sahebrao Bhimrao Wankhede Nandkumar Watane Chabutai Shrikrushna Nikhade Madhukar Shriram Shikare Ramkrushna Sheku Meshram Mangesh Ambadas Sable Bhimrao natthuji Bophade Lonkaran Tukundrao Dongre Suresh Pandharinath Nagre Pandit Raibhan Umbarkar Dayal Raghoji Badkal Manohar Sampat Pawde Rama Namaji Kshirsagar Baldeo Atmaram Warkhade Gajanan Aknath Jawjal Ramesh Devidas Jadhav Kamalabai Chavhan Devicharan Jagnnath Gaikwad Ramrao Pancham Patil Ashok Yashavant Gujjar Vijay Bhaurao Tekam Kisan Ganapat Akde Sunanda Babarao Engole Yamuna Ramdas Ade Subhash Shankarrao Shevtkar Babulal Savalya Bhilawekar Mahadeo Nakathe Rambhau Marotrao Shahade Ramdas Saduji Patil Sakharam Kashiram Kukare Anandrao laxman Motghare Dadarao Bhoyar Shrirang Surybhan Meshram Sheshrao lalji Rathod Hemanth Vishwath Bhasme Manoj manohar Waghamare sudam Gopalrao Kandalkar Sahebrao Mohod Babarao Natthuji Sable Vilas Narayan Dhale Raju Vasantrao Nakhate Panjabrao Khute Ajabrao Atmaram Gavande Baliram Govindrao Kutemare Pravin Raut Bhavsing Mithya jadhav Nanaji Sitaram Batte Yamunabai umale Laxman Dattuji Adhav Dnyneshwar Laxman Bhendare Raju Vishwash Vidhate Tulshiram Pandurang Marotkar Pralhad Laxman Kirtane Ramdas rajaram Gillari Bablu Girdhari Brahmankar nilesh Vishwasrao Nagmothe Gulsing Ramdhan Rathod Namdev Amarsing Rathod Bala Arjun Wasekar Sudhakar Mahadeo Chaudhari Nagorao Dupare Ashok Jadhav Bhumanna Iranna Annamwar Mohan Harising Rathod Govind Narayan Landge Ganesh Jayram Nikame Pochu Bira Chittawar Ambadas Jagan Mundale Kamalabai Mansing Solanki Dilip Bhimrao Bambal
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