The Hindu : National : Farmers plan to launch `Bija Satyagraha'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jan 11, 2005

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National

Farmers plan to launch `Bija Satyagraha'

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JAN. 10. Several farm organisations have decided to launch a "Bija Satyagraha" — non-cooperation with the Patent Ordinance, water monopolies created through privatisation and market monopoly being created by attempts to dismantle mandis by amending the Agriculture Marketing Produce Committee Acts.

"Across the country farmers will not recognise Seed Patent and will not participate in agriculture which robs them of livelihood and their seed sovereignty," the Director of `Navdanya', Vandana Shiva, said at a press conference here today.

Earlier, activists from all over the country participated in a daylong seminar on the issue.

After two weeks of satyagraha, the farmers' organisations would serve notices to the Government against corporate agriculture and formulate agriculture policies from the grassroots.

The alternate policy process would counter the World Trade Organisation and World Bank driven corporate policies.

"The farmers' policies would be presented to Parliament in its Budget session to prevent the imposition of anti-farmer pro-MNCs policies by the Government. These policies are killing farmers. In 2004, as many as 16,000 farmers committed suicide. Indian farmers resolve to stop this genocide through MNC-free, chemical-free, debt-free, patent-free agriculture," Dr. Shiva said.

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