Karnataka - Gulbarga   

`Policy reversal only solution to prevent suicide by farmers'

Special Correspondent

Package announced is a temporary relief, says Kisan Sabha

GULBARGA: Central Committee member of the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) Maruti Manpade on Friday said the package announced to prevent suicide by farmers was only a temporary relief and the only permanent solution would be the reversal of the liberalisation policies introduced in 1991 in the agriculture sector.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr. Manpade, who is also president of the Karnataka Pranta Raitha Sangha and a member of the State Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), said the Central Kisan Council meeting of the AIKS held in New Delhi earlier this month had discussed the economic situation in the country post-United Progressive Alliance Government (UPA) at the Centre and also the neglect of the agriculture sector.

Although AIKS welcomed the visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to areas in Maharashtra where a large number of farmers had committed suicide following rising debts burden and falling prices, Mr. Manpade said the reversal of the "EXIM" policy in the agriculture sector would provide relief to farmers.

Despite the growing instability in the agriculture sector due to the indiscriminate import of foodgrains, pulses and sugar, the UPA Government had decided to import wheat, sugar and pulses without considering their impact on the Indian market and farmers, he said.

He said the import of foodgrains and pulses would further reduce the prices of agriculture produces which had the potential to trigger a crisis in the agriculture sector.

Mr. Manpade said there was no need for such large-scale import of foodgrains and pulses as there was only a slight fall in production. The shortfall was mainly due to diversification of agriculture activities, he said.

The meeting also discussed the implications of the Indo-U.S. agreement on agriculture research reached during the recent visit of the U.S. President George W. Bush.

It felt that the agreement would not help India and would only benefit American companies by transferring technology development and research results, he said.

Mr. Manpade said the AIKS discussed the Seeds Bill 2004 pending before Parliament and reiterated that the UPA Government withdraw the Bill and reintroduce it with changes to control the sale of spurious seeds. A provision should also be made to prevent multinational seed companies from claiming ownership of new varieties of seeds produced indigenously.

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