From: Indian Society For
Sustainable Agriculture
To:
arkitectindia@yahoogroups.com
Date Sent: April 24, 2008
Subject: [arkitectindia] PRESS
RELEASE - Indian Farmers' Press Conf - on SEZs, GMOs, BIO-FUEL
PRESS RELEASE
issued at the Press Conference in IWPC in Delhi on April 24, 2008
BHARATIYA KRISHAK
SAMAJ
PRESS
RELEASE
April 24, 2008
Farmers
under the banner of Bharatiya Krishak Samaj has decided to launch a
8-day long Kisan Yatra on
April 26, 2008 in protest against the anti-farmer policies of the government and
the deliberate move by the Haryana government to grab fertile farmland from
farmers at a platter for setting up of SEZs. The Yatra will be flagged off from village
Pelpa near Badli in Rohtak district in Haryana at 10.00 am on April 26 by the
president of Bharatiya Krishak Samaj, Dr Krishan Bir Chaudhary.
From
village Pelpa the yatra will pass through tehsilKharkhoda-Sonepat-Karnal-Yamunanagar-Kethal
in Fatehbad-Sirsa-Hansi in Bhiwani-Mahendragarh-Rewari-Faridabad-Jhajjar.
A massive rally of farmers has been planned on May 11 in village Pelpa
to be addressed by farmer leaders - Dr Krishan Bir Chaudhary, president,
Bharatiya Krishak Samaj, Mahabir Gulia, president, Haryana Kisan
Mazdoor Samiti, Satpal
Numberdar, president, Bharatiya Krishak Samaj (Haryana unit) and Captain Satbir
Singh Gulia, organizing secretary, Bharatiya Krishak Samaj Baldev Singh Rana,
president, Bhumi Bachao Samiti, Sonepat.
Bharatiya
Krishak Samaj would launch similar Kisan Yatra in different states of
the country in protest
against anti-farmer policies of the government.
"We are
beginning with Haryana as this is an agriculturally productive state
where the state
government has become aggressive in acquiring farmlands at a platter. Haryana is a small
state with only 20 districts where 93 SEZs have been given in-principle
approval and 67 are before the Board of Approval. If such unbridled grabbing of
farmlands are allowed to go on there would be practically no land for cultivation and
this would cause food security problem. The farmers, who are not getting
remunerative prices for the sale of land, will be reduced to beggars,"
said the President of
Bharatiya Krishak Samaj, Dr Krishan Bir Chaudhary.
The
president of Haryana Kisan Mazdoor Samiti, Mahabir Gulia said : "The
Haryana government is
employing all sorts of foul tactics to acquire farmland from farmers at a cheap price
and selling it to big corporate houses for setting up of SEZs. The Haryana government
is acting as a broker (dalal) in the interests of corporate houses."
The FAO
director-general Jacques Diouf has cautioned of food riots across the
world in the near future
if adequate steps are not taken. The government should read this writing on the wall
and take immediate measures to conserve and protect farmlands said Dr Chaudhary.
"Bharatiya Krishak Samaj believes that even the degraded lands can be brought back
to agriculture,"he said
Dr
Chaudhary informed that so far 547 SEZs across the country have been
given in-principal
approvals. 206 SEZs have been notified and 233 SEZs have been given formal approval.
This would amount to a massive loss of farmlands.
Bharatiya
Krishak Samaj is also concerned over the status of a "almost foreign territory" given to
SEZs where domestic laws including that for labour and taxation are not applicable.
"The only difference between a SEZ and a foreign territory is that the SEZ
cannot mint its own currency. The fiscal benefits given to SEZs amount to a revenue loss
of Rs 1.26 lakh crore to the government in 2006-09. The SEZs have the privilege of
using only 35% of the land acquired for actual business and the rest can be used
for real estate activity," said Dr Chaudhary
Bharatiya
Krishak Samaj also opposes other anti-farmer policies of the government
like the
introduction of futures trading in agro commodities, free entry of corporate houses
and retail chains in agriculture marketing, contract farming by corporates. These
measures have encouraged largescale hoarding of stocks leading to market manipulation
and high prices. The farmers do not gain from price rise as they are paid the lowest
price in the season at the time of harvest, the benefits of subsequent price
rise are cornered by big market players to their advantage.
Bharatiya
Krishak Samaj also opposes the proposed largescale bio-fuel programme
of the government for
cultivation of crops like Jatropha, which is likely to displace food crops out of
cultivation. Bio-fuel crops should not be cultivated on degraded lands also.
Attempts should be made to make degraded lands fit for cultivation of food crops. GM
crops should be immediately banned as they cause health and environmental
hazards. Bt cotton cultivation has caused heavy losses to farmers on account of its
failure in places. The BKS gives this slogan - Modern BIOTECHNOLOGY is BIO-TERRORISM as
it acts as a WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION (WMD) ---- BIO-FUEL PROGRAMME is
BIO-TERRORISM on FOOD SECURITY AND ENVIRONMENT
