Respected Dr. Manmohan Singh,

We, the undersigned, are deeply concerned about the on-going agrarian crisis in our country. We have been greatly disturbed as we inform ourselves about the crisis mounting over the past several years, unabated to this day. Over the past months, once again, The Hindu (1) and India Together (2) reported that farmers, deep in debt, have committed suicide. Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti, an independant organization in the Vidarbha region has reported that as of September 27, 2007, more than 800 farmers have taken their lives since January 2007 in Maharashtra alone; we are aware, however, that there are lakhs of farmers who find themselves in a similar, dire situation in the country - the failure of the government to provide a Minimum Support Price (MSP) that is at a minimum equal to the cost of production is driving these people to the brink, and violating their right to a respectable life.

It is appalling that the state government of Maharashtra is underplaying the impact of the agrarian crisis. Less than 5% of the Prime Minister's relief package actually reaches the needy (3). Information we have from the government via the RTI, shows that there are, sometimes, delays of 2 to 3 years between a farmer committing suicide and his family receiving the promised compensation.

It is most distressing, however, that relief packages have failed to address the root causes of problems faced by farmers today - rising input costs, and the lack of a MSP guarantee from the government that equals these costs. The falling MSP has prompted fears that the government is not committed to maintaining the public distribution system (4, 5). We urge you to make an immediate statement to allay such fears.

Furthermore, we urge you to plan relief measures and implement policies that would increase access to food and livelihood security for farmers and the poor. At a minimum, the government should:

1) Provide a guaranteed Minimum Support Price and procurement for all agricultural produce that is always greater than the real cost of production including the labour (own and/or hired). The margin of profit ensured for the farming household in this calculation should ensure a decent and dignified life throughout the year for the family.

2)Speedily establish an agriculture insurance commission and offer low premiums to small farmers as recommended by the Prime Minister's Council on Trade and Industry (6)

3)Provide waiver of bank loans of upto Rs. 25000 (7) and/or grants to pay off other loan liabilities. Additionally, increase the available credit as prescribed by or over the PM's relief package and make available these loans at much lower interest rates than the prevailing bank rates and designed such that at no point, should the total interest exceed the amount of principal. Ensure that all farmers including tenant farmers are covered by institutional credit facilities.

4)Increase financial outlays and provide training to farmers who wish to move away from mono-cropping to multi-crop, sustainable agriculture this will serve to increase food and livelihood security. Such promotion of sustainable farming should also involve strict regulation of seeds, pesticides and fertilizers industries.

5) Set up a committee, with proper representation from farmers, NGOs and people's groups, to carefully analyze the current situation and implementation of Government relief packages, in suicide prone region and make real numbers of farmers' suicides public. Regional advisory councils should be established to give recommendations on the best suited crops and seeds for each season and their operations should be closely monitored. The Relief Package should be designed bottom-upwards in consultation with farmers and community institutions, including panchayats.

6) Strengthen the system of checks and balances in the approving and marketing of seeds including fixing liabilities on the commercial seed suppliers for crop failures due to ineffective seeds; ensure good quality, diverse seeds at the time of sowing and promote indigenous and organic seeds.

7) Explicitly make agriculture a permissible work under the NREGA this will allow farmers, who want to make the shift to low-external input, sustainable farming, to hire the help they need for activities such as mulching, sowing, weeding and composting. Such a move would address aims of the NREGA as stated in section 1.1 of the NREGA, 2005 protecting the environment as well as reducing rural-urban migration.

8) Support farming of traditional millets this will not only provide local access to nutrition, but will also provide a source of fodder for cattle that are part of your relief package. This will also rejuvenate the farming systems approach that used to exist in Indian agriculture.

9) Prohibit the shift of agricultural land to non-agricultural uses, including for setting up of SEZs

While the whole world watches with sympathy for the affected families, the attitude of the Government of India has been disappointing, to say the least. We demand that the Government stem the flow of these suicides immediately through appropriate measures, as outlined above. The government should also work with groups who can provide training and know-how to enable farmers to lower their input costs, and to undertake sustainable farming practices. This will help prevent situations of chronic debt from building up in the future.

Sincerely,

References:
1. http://www.hindu.com/2007/09/22/stories/2007092259490300.htm
2. http://www.indiatogether.org/2007/apr/psa-meanwhile.htm
3. http://bp1.blogger.com/_DRNfQD8cmFA/RqRKNPLfJCI/AAAAAAAAAIc/KhsrTFqLDcU/s1600-h/23_07_2007_007_002.jpg
4. http://indiatogether.com/2007/may/agr-whimport.htm
5. http://www.downtoearth.org.in/editor.asp?foldername=20070731&filename=Editor&sec_id=2&sid=1
6. http://indiaimage.nic.in/pmcouncils/reports/food/esum.htm
7. http://www.indiatogether.org/2006/jul/psa-package.htm

CC: Sharad Pawar,
Union Minister of Agriculture

Sonia Gandhi
Chairperson of UPA Government