Poll verdict in west Vidarbha
region shows suicide-prone debt-ridden cotton farmers reject Cong-led UPA
Bhopal, May 19 (Pervez Bari): The prevailing unrest and anger over apathy of
UPA Govt. towards farm suicides of cotton growing farmers of Vidarbha region
of western Indian state of Maharashtra has been reflected very badly against
all UPA allies as they lost all seats in west Vidarbha (Washim-Yavatmal, Akola,
Buldhana, Amaravati) in the just concluded Lok Sabha elections.
While all seats in east Vidarbha (Nagpur, Wardha, Ramtek, Bhandara, Gondia)
region barring Chandrapur parliamentary seat, as it has two assembly segments
of Yavatmal, has gone to UPA.
The Nagpur-based Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti, (VJAS), president Kishore Tiwari
while reacting over the election results in a statement said:"this shows that
relief packages are not giving any relief to the dying Vidarbha cotton farmers
and they are still very unhappy with the present policies of the UPA and
Maharashtra governments. Hence, VJAS has urged the UPA chief Mrs. Sonia Gandhi
to look into the hardships of west Vidarbha cotton farmers in order to save
the Maharashtra state Govt.", he said.
“the results has made the Maharashtra Govt. claim that west Vidarbha cotton
farmers are happy ridiculous as their performance has not been improved in
suicide belt of Vidarbha. Moreover, it has shown its effect in adjoining
Hingoli, Parbhani, Jalgaon, Dhule and Beed parliamentary seats where most of
the farmers are cotton growers”, Tiwari added.
In last five years more than 5340 cotton growing farmers have committed
suicide due to debt and crop failures and now it’s clear that the relief
announced for providing economic protection to them from international
recession and restoring rural socio-economic system with proper food security,
employment and health care was an exercise in futility. It’s time for UPA to
address the core issues of poverty and hunger of west Vidarbha of cotton
growing farmers, Tiwari demanded. (pervezbari@eth.net)
Congress victory due to
lack of alternative: Popular Front
Bhopal, May16 (Pervez Bari): The Popular Front of India chairman E. M. Abdul
Rahiman stated that the Lok Sabha election results are the reflection of the
hope that people have vested on Congress in the absence of a political
alternative. The failure of other national and regional parties in gaining the
confidence of the people paved the way for the Congress victory.
Abdul Rahiman in a statement said the election results are also a heavy blow
to the communal fascist politics of Bharatiya Janata Party, (BJP). The fall of
BJP in its bastions of power is an indication that people are returning to
anti-communal stand all over the country. The marginal gain of the BJP in some
parts of the country is due to the infightings among the so called secular
parties.
A Press release issued by O M A Salam, Secretary Popular Front of India, from
Calicut said the Left parties that are often and again vocal against
imperialism and capitalism are in fact serving the interests of global
capitalist forces. They also try to prevent the empowerment of minority
communities. It is the response of the marginalized and exploited minorities,
especially Muslims, which is responsible for the debacle of CPM in its
traditional strong holds like Kerala and West Bengal.
The parties like Bahujan Samaj Party, (BSP), Samajwadi Party, (SP), and
Rashtriya Janata Dal, (RJD), which were formed in the interests of Dalits,
Backwards and Minorities, have not attended to the developmental needs of
these exploited classes. Instead, they served the personal interests of a few
leaders elites. Muslims and other backward classes have taught a lesson to the
treacherous power games being played by these parties, the release said.
The election verdict conveys the message that an alternative which is capable
of ensuring empowerment and development of exploited classes, castes and
communities must emerge at the national level. A positive change to the
current political scenario is possible only by building a new national
political movement which is determined to fight imperialism and capitalism and
to establish equal representation and justice to all citizens and classes
without discriminating among them, the release pointed out.
Abdul Rahiman also pointed out that Popular Front has already sown the seeds
of such positive political movement, the release added. (pervezbari@eth.net)
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