The UPA government has launched a big campaign to show how the decision of the government to waive loans to farmers from the banks and financial institutions is a major pro-farmer measure.

One of the regions of India worst affected by the agrarian crisis and in the news for farmers suicides is Vidarbha in Maharashtra. According to records, over 36,000 farmers committed suicide in this region in the past eight years alone. According to a press note issued by the Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS), farmers in Vidarbha have decided to launch an agitation including a hunger strike to highlight the inadequacy of the measures announced by the government.

According to the Finance Minister, only loans of farmers possessing less than two hectares of land to government financial institutions will be waived. The VHAS points out that the calculation of two hectares as a cutoff to decide which farmers would get full loan write off and which would not, is not just. In the Vidarbha region, which is rain fed, the average land holding size is 2.4 hectares, which means that a majority of the farmers would not get the benefit of the debt waiver.

VJAS has demanded that the loan waiver be made available to all farmers, independent of the size of the holding in the rain fed areas like Vidarbha. It is also demanding that a fresh five year cycle of credit be provided, to all farmers.

The farmers are demanding a price stabilising fund, and ensuring of proper purchase price of the cotton that is produced in the region. They are demanding that the cotton belt of Vidarbha should be declared a “GM free” organic zone as recommended by the National Commission of Farmers (NCF). They are demanding steps to reduce the input cost of cultivation through regulating price of seeds and pesticides.

Farmers are also demanding budgetary allocations for insurance cover for crops, as well as food security, health care security and schemes to ensure rural employment growth. VJAS has requested the Finance Minister to start a national food security mission and grant a special outlay of RKVY (Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana) along with a comprehensive policy for land rights to landless, marginal farmers and tribals cultivating barren land for Vidarbha. Farmers are also demanding that the government allocate dedicated funds for farm ponds, community tanks and give incentives to farmers of villages which harness water.