Maharashtra Cotton Farmers Burn Effigies of PM and Commerce Minister to Protest Export Ban

Maharashtra Cotton Farmers Burn Effigies of PM and Commerce Minister to Protest Export Ban

Nagpur –April 16 , 2012

Hundred of farm widows and cotton farmers today burn effigies of Indian Prime Minister and Indian trade and textile minister Anand Sharma Massive to protest against recent decision of that India will not allow additional cotton exports at Pandharkawada in Yavatmal district of

Maharashtra where hundreds of cotton farmers and farm widows joined hunger strike demanding lifting of all restrictions on cotton export as there is no demand in domestic market and farmers are not getting fair price of raw cotton and are at heavy economic losses due anti farmers policies of UPA Govt. ,Kishore Tiwari of Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti VJAS informed in a press release today.

"Indian trade and textile minister Anand Sharma is acting as agent of Indian textile mills owners and supporting his stand of imposing ban on fresh cotton which is directly affecting million cotton farmers who are facing crop failure in more than 12 million hector and is damaging cotton traders exporters creditability in global market ,This is bias and political motivated decision with motive to protect the int

erest of handful spinning and weaving mills and garments traders hence farmers protest and hunger strike has been organized "Kishore Tiwari added.

Cotton farmers main demand is that DGFT should start fresh registrations of export as India is the

world’s second-largest producer and output is expected to hit a record high of 34 million bales

in 2

011/12 hence our PM who is man free trade and globalization should intervene to protect the interest

of cotton farme

rs and stop protecting fe

w corporates which are forcing traders to off load their cotton bales stock holding in cheaper rate which unfair and unjust "Tiwari said today

Earlier Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti VJAS in its plea to the Prime Minister of India has requested that India even when it was a net cotton deficit country has allowed cotton exports under Open General License (OGL), it is ironical that when India is currently a cotton surplus country, restrictive policies are in place. Currently, DGFT has put cotton export on hold which has lost creditability of Indian cotton trade in international market has severely impacted cotton economy of agrarian crisis hit Maharashtra where Govt. has already declared relief package of Rs.2000 crore hence Prime Minister of India should look in to very serious issue of 5 million dying cotton farmers of vidarbha

“When cotton arrival as per CCI data is only 260 lakhs bales as against 298 lakhs bales of last year and as per lowered estimate till 100 lakhs bales arrival is awaited hence such restrictions will put more than 7 million cotton growers ,traders and exporters huge economic losses and will damage Indian cotton trade to larger extend hence protecting handful garments industries DGFT all unfair trade practices should curbed and there is urgent need to review the functioning of commerce ministry where some Babus are detecting their terms to ruin agrarian economy of cotton growing region of India henc ewe demand urgent intervention ”Tiwari added.

‘If UPA Govt. has problem with growth of cotton export they want to protect textile cartel then they should buy cotton@ international rates with his agencies like NAFED and CCI. ,protecting the innocent dying cotton farmers’ who are forced to sale cotton at throw price to local dealers who are subjected to market forces and volatile export policies of UPA Govt. most of the time managed by handful people hence PM should intervene ’Tiwari urged.

“when Indian domestic demand is just 20 million bales as against national production of 33 million bales there is no reason put restrictions when interest of domestic textile mills are fully protected .the decision to ban Indian cotton export is another example rampant corruption going on in UPA Govt. there is big names involved in the sudden export ban will expose the all misdeeds of commerce ministry hence for the first time farmers suicide issue has given focus of wrong policies of state ,we will see that the truth is prevailed” Tiwari added.

==========================================================