<p>A farmer in Gaza Strip has found a Bronze Age stone statue dating back 4,500 years, depicting the face of an ancient goddess of beauty, love and war, local media reports.</p>

<p>The statue, carved out of limestone and 22 centimetres (8.6 inches) long, was discovered by a farmer working on his land in Khan Younis.</p>

<p>“The statue represents the Canaanite goddess Anat,” Jamal Abu Reda, chief of the Hamas-run ministry of tourism and antiquities department, said in a statement, according to the Times of Israel newspaper.</p>

<p>According to local folklore, Anat was one of the best-known Canaanite deities, symbolised as the goddess of love and war.</p>

<p>It was unearthed on what was an important “overland trade route for several civilizations” that lived in what is now the Gaza Strip, Reda said.</p>

<p>“We found it by chance. It was muddy and we washed it with water," farmer Nidal Abu Eid, who came across the head while cultivating his field, told the BBC.</p>

<p>"We realised that it was a precious thing, but we didn't know it was of such great archaeological value," he said.</p>

<p>"We thank God, and we are proud that it stayed in our land, in Palestine, since the Canaanite times," he added.</p>

<p>The statue of Anat was put on display on Tuesday in Qasr al-Basha, a historic building that serves as one of Gaza's few museums, the British media outlet reported.</p>

<p>Unveiling the artefact at a press conference, Reda said the statue was "resistant against time" and had been carefully examined by experts.</p>

<p>"Such discoveries prove that Palestine has civilisation and history, and no-one can deny or falsify this history," he said.</p>

<p>"This is the Palestinian people and their ancient Canaanite civilisation," BBC quoted Reda as saying.</p>

<p>(With inputs from agencies)</p>


A farmer in Gaza Strip has found a Bronze Age stone statue dating back 4,500 years, depicting the face of an ancient goddess of beauty, love and war, local media reports.

A farmer in Gaza Strip has found a Bronze Age stone statue dating back 4,500 years, depicting the face of an ancient goddess of beauty, love and war, local media reports. The statue, carved out of limestone and 22 centimetres (8.6 inches) long, was discovered by a farmer working on his land in Khan Younis. “The statue represents the Canaanite goddess Anat,” Jamal Abu Reda, chief of the Hamas-run ministry of tourism and antiquities department, said in a statement, according to the Times of Israel newspaper. According to local folklore, Anat was one of the best-known Canaanite deities, symbolised as the goddess of love and war. It was unearthed on what was an important “overland trade route for several civilizations” that lived in what is now the Gaza Strip, Reda said. “We found it by chance. It was muddy and we washed it with water," farmer Nidal Abu Eid, who came across the head while cultivating his field, told the BBC. "We realised that it was a precious thing, but we didn't know it was of such great archaeological value," he said. "We thank God, and we are proud that it stayed in our land, in Palestine, since the Canaanite times," he added. The statue of Anat was put on display on Tuesday in Qasr al-Basha, a historic building that serves as one of Gaza's few museums, the British media outlet reported. Unveiling the artefact at a press conference, Reda said the statue was "resistant against time" and had been carefully examined by experts. "Such discoveries prove that Palestine has civilisation and history, and no-one can deny or falsify this history," he said. "This is the Palestinian people and their ancient Canaanite civilisation," BBC quoted Reda as saying. (With inputs from agencies)

Gaza farmer stumbles upon rare Bronze Age statue of goddess of love and war

<p>A farmer in Indian state of Madhya Pradesh was in for a huge shock when he rescued some leopard cubs while assuming them to be ‘kittens’. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>As a good samaritan and doing his bit for society and animals, the farmer at Bajrikheda village of Dhar in Madhya Pradesh brought the cubs to his home to take care of them, a report by Live Hindustan said. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/shameful-rape-remark-in-indias-state-assembly-draws-ire-437628" hreflang="en">'Shameful' rape remark in India's state assembly draws ire</a></strong></p>

<p>The farmer, who had found the animals at his farm land, made concerted efforts to feed and take care of them. Not just this, the farmer also gave them bath and spent time with them without any suspicion of them being leopard cubs. &nbsp;</p>

<p>All went good for a few days until the farmer was shocked on one fine day after the animals started growling. This raised suspicion in the mind of the farmer that are these kittens or cubs of any other animal. &nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-pm-modi-conferred-with-highest-civilian-honour-of-bhutan-heres-what-you-should-know-437675" hreflang="en">Indian PM Modi conferred with highest civilian honour of Bhutan. Here's what you should know</a></strong></p>

<p>So, the farmer discussed the matter with the neighbours first and then went to the forest department, who confirmed the suspicion that these were leopard cubs and not kittens. The animals were finally handed over to the forest officials.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;</em></p>


A farmer in Indian state of Madhya Pradesh was in for a huge shock when he rescued some leopard cubs while assuming them to be ‘kittens’. As a good samaritan and doing his bit for society and animals, the farmer at Bajrikheda village of Dhar in Madhya Pradesh brought the cubs to his home to take care of them, a report by Live Hindustan said.

A farmer in Indian state of Madhya Pradesh was in for a huge shock when he rescued some leopard cubs while assuming them to be ‘kittens’. As a good samaritan and doing his bit for society and animals, the farmer at Bajrikheda village of Dhar in Madhya Pradesh brought the cubs to his home to take care of them, a report by Live Hindustan said. Also Read: 'Shameful' rape remark in India's state assembly draws ire The farmer, who had found the animals at his farm land, made concerted efforts to feed and take care of them. Not just this, the farmer also gave them bath and spent time with them without any suspicion of them being leopard cubs. All went good for a few days until the farmer was shocked on one fine day after the animals started growling. This raised suspicion in the mind of the farmer that are these kittens or cubs of any other animal. Also Read: Indian PM Modi conferred with highest civilian honour of Bhutan. Here's what you should know So, the farmer discussed the matter with the neighbours first and then went to the forest department, who confirmed the suspicion that these were leopard cubs and not kittens. The animals were finally handed over to the forest officials. (With inputs from agencies)

Under presumption of ‘kittens’, Indian farmer rescues leopard cubs

<p>Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait on Saturday said the alleged killing of a man near the Singhu border was "unfortunate", but it will not affect the farmers' protest against the Centre's three farm laws.</p>

<p>"Whatever happened is wrong and unfortunate. Someone killed him and later the police arrested the killer. The matter is subject to investigation. It will not affect our protest," said Tikait.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indias-power-crisis-eases-on-account-of-increased-coal-supply-onset-of-winter-421204">India’s power crisis eases on account of increased coal supply, onset of winter</a></strong></p>

<p>On Friday, a corpse of a man, with hands and legs chopped off, was found hanging on a police barricade at the farmers' protest site near the Singhu border, said Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Hansraj.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/plea-seeks-early-hearing-of-pil-in-indias-supreme-court-on-removing-protesting-farmers-from-delhi-borders-421212">Plea seeks early hearing of PIL in India's Supreme Court on removing protesting farmers from Delhi borders</a></p>

<p>"An FIR has been registered in the case," said the DSP.</p>

<p>The man has been identified as Lakhbir Singh resident of village Cheema Khurd in Tarn Taran district of Punjab. The deceased, about 35-36 years old, who used to work as a labourer, has no criminal record or affiliation with any political party, informed the police.</p>


Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait on Saturday said the alleged killing of a man near the Singhu border was "unfortunate", but it will not affect the farmers' protest against the Centre's three farm laws.

Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait on Saturday said the alleged killing of a man near the Singhu border was "unfortunate", but it will not affect the farmers' protest against the Centre's three farm laws. "Whatever happened is wrong and unfortunate. Someone killed him and later the police arrested the killer. The matter is subject to investigation. It will not affect our protest," said Tikait. Also Read | India’s power crisis eases on account of increased coal supply, onset of winter On Friday, a corpse of a man, with hands and legs chopped off, was found hanging on a police barricade at the farmers' protest site near the Singhu border, said Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Hansraj. Also read | Plea seeks early hearing of PIL in India's Supreme Court on removing protesting farmers from Delhi borders "An FIR has been registered in the case," said the DSP. The man has been identified as Lakhbir Singh resident of village Cheema Khurd in Tarn Taran district of Punjab. The deceased, about 35-36 years old, who used to work as a labourer, has no criminal record or affiliation with any political party, informed the police.

Singhu border killing 'unfortunate', would not affect protest, says India's farmer leader Rakesh Tikait

<p>&nbsp;A day after a man's body with a hand chopped off was found at the farmers&nbsp;protest site at the Singhu border, a plea has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking an urgent hearing of a pending petition which has sought removal of protestors.</p>

<p>The body of Lakhbir Singh, 35, from Punjab's Taran Taran district, was found tied to an overturned police barricade at the site where farmers are protesting three Central farm laws for over 10 months.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/4-para-military-personnel-injured-in-accidental-blast-as-container-of-detonators-slips-while-boarding-train-421202">4 para military personnel injured in accidental blast as container of detonators slips while boarding train</a></strong></p>

<p>His body bore over 10 wounds caused by sharp-edged weapons and the incident is being blamed on a group of Nihangs.</p>

<p>Referring to the incident, a fresh plea has been filed for urgent hearing of the PIL, pending since March this year, saying "The right to freedom of speech and expression cannot supersede the right to life and if this protest is allowed to go in like this, the nation at large will be at a loss."</p>

<p>The interim application has been filed by Swati Goel and Sanjeev Newar in their pending PIL through lawyer Shashank Shekhar Jha.</p>

<p>"After the incident of mutilating and murder of the Dalit man, I have moved an urgent mentioning application before Supreme Court," the lawyer said, adding, "Anti-human activities are happening in the name of protests, including rape of a woman and killing of and mutilating a Dalit man. It cannot be allowed to continue."</p>

<p>Besides seeking the removal of protesting farmers, the plea has also sought the issuance of guidelines by the Centre to the states and Union Territories to stop all kinds of protests and not permit them until the pandemic gets over.</p>

<p>"A protest which in itself is illegal cannot be continued when it is witnessing anti-humanitarian acts," the PIL said, adding the protests have seen many unforeseen and unacceptable things including the tractor rally on Republic Day, rape of a woman and its cover-up at the site and murder of Lakhbir Singh on Dusshera.</p>

<p>The plea said at a time when there is a ban on celebrating festivals, visiting temples, going to school and colleges, allowing such protests will serve no good.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/yamuna-river-in-indias-national-capital-delhi-littered-with-waste-despite-curbs-421206"><strong>Yamuna river in India's national capital Delhi littered with waste despite curbs</strong></a></p>

<p>"Protestors are not only putting their life at risk but of millions of people of India and such a prolonged agitation cannot be allowed especially during ongoing pandemic since prolonged protests on public places are not only a clear violation of Supreme Court rulings but is violating Right of Life of others who are directly or indirectly affected by the said protests," it said.</p>

<p>The plea said the PIL, which was listed first on May 10, could not be heard due to the crash of a server at the apex court on that day and later dates of hearings also, it could not be taken up.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, the top court is also hearing a separate plea of a Noida&nbsp;resident Monicca Agrawaal.<br />
She has sought the removal of blockades saying earlier it took 20 minutes to reach Delhi and now it is taking over two hours and that people of the area are facing hardships due to the protests at the UP Gate on the Delhi border.</p>

<p>On October 4, the top court sought responses from 43 farmers' bodies and their leaders, including Rakesh Tikait, Darshan Pal and Gurnam Singh, leading protests at Delhi borders, on a plea of the Haryana government alleging they have not been participating in talks with its panel to resolve the impasses over road blockade here.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indias-power-crisis-eases-on-account-of-increased-coal-supply-onset-of-winter-421204">&nbsp;India’s power crisis eases on account of increased coal supply, onset of winter</a></strong></p>

<p>Haryana has moved an application seeking to make 43 bodies and individual leaders of various farmers&nbsp;organisations in the PIL filed by Agrawaal.</p>

<p>The farmers are protesting for the last 10 months against the passage of three laws -- Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 and Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020.</p>

<p>Initially, the protests started from Punjab in November last year and later spread mainly to Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.&nbsp;</p>


A day after a man's body with a hand chopped off was found at the farmers protest site at the Singhu border, a plea has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking an urgent hearing of a pending petition which has sought removal of protestors.

A day after a man's body with a hand chopped off was found at the farmers protest site at the Singhu border, a plea has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking an urgent hearing of a pending petition which has sought removal of protestors. The body of Lakhbir Singh, 35, from Punjab's Taran Taran district, was found tied to an overturned police barricade at the site where farmers are protesting three Central farm laws for over 10 months. Also Read | 4 para military personnel injured in accidental blast as container of detonators slips while boarding train His body bore over 10 wounds caused by sharp-edged weapons and the incident is being blamed on a group of Nihangs. Referring to the incident, a fresh plea has been filed for urgent hearing of the PIL, pending since March this year, saying "The right to freedom of speech and expression cannot supersede the right to life and if this protest is allowed to go in like this, the nation at large will be at a loss." The interim application has been filed by Swati Goel and Sanjeev Newar in their pending PIL through lawyer Shashank Shekhar Jha. "After the incident of mutilating and murder of the Dalit man, I have moved an urgent mentioning application before Supreme Court," the lawyer said, adding, "Anti-human activities are happening in the name of protests, including rape of a woman and killing of and mutilating a Dalit man. It cannot be allowed to continue." Besides seeking the removal of protesting farmers, the plea has also sought the issuance of guidelines by the Centre to the states and Union Territories to stop all kinds of protests and not permit them until the pandemic gets over. "A protest which in itself is illegal cannot be continued when it is witnessing anti-humanitarian acts," the PIL said, adding the protests have seen many unforeseen and unacceptable things including the tractor rally on Republic Day, rape of a woman and its cover-up at the site and murder of Lakhbir Singh on Dusshera. The plea said at a time when there is a ban on celebrating festivals, visiting temples, going to school and colleges, allowing such protests will serve no good. Also Read | Yamuna river in India's national capital Delhi littered with waste despite curbs "Protestors are not only putting their life at risk but of millions of people of India and such a prolonged agitation cannot be allowed especially during ongoing pandemic since prolonged protests on public places are not only a clear violation of Supreme Court rulings but is violating Right of Life of others who are directly or indirectly affected by the said protests," it said. The plea said the PIL, which was listed first on May 10, could not be heard due to the crash of a server at the apex court on that day and later dates of hearings also, it could not be taken up. Meanwhile, the top court is also hearing a separate plea of a Noida resident Monicca Agrawaal. She has sought the removal of blockades saying earlier it took 20 minutes to reach Delhi and now it is taking over two hours and that people of the area are facing hardships due to the protests at the UP Gate on the Delhi border. On October 4, the top court sought responses from 43 farmers' bodies and their leaders, including Rakesh Tikait, Darshan Pal and Gurnam Singh, leading protests at Delhi borders, on a plea of the Haryana government alleging they have not been participating in talks with its panel to resolve the impasses over road blockade here. Also Read | India’s power crisis eases on account of increased coal supply, onset of winter Haryana has moved an application seeking to make 43 bodies and individual leaders of various farmers organisations in the PIL filed by Agrawaal. The farmers are protesting for the last 10 months against the passage of three laws -- Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 and Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020. Initially, the protests started from Punjab in November last year and later spread mainly to Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

Plea seeks early hearing of PIL in India's Supreme Court on removing protesting farmers from Delhi borders

Rasool Rezaie gently picks oyster mushrooms at his farm in Afghanistan's capital of Kabul, placing them into a basket - just a handful of the approximately 30 kilograms he supplies to markets every day. Rezaie set up his farm about two years ago, after unsuccessfully attempting to claim asylum, but his current profession remains rooted in his journey and time abroad.

Afghan farmer cultivates second chance at life with mushrooms after failed asylum attempt

However, thousands of protestors and hundreds of vehicles stormed the streets in the demonstration in support of the farmers.

Pro-Khalistan flags at UK protest outside Indian High Commission | WION Dispatch

<p>China has allocated a 330 million yuan ($47 million) disaster relief fund to help farmers and agricultural production in southern provinces, as large parts of the country suffer the worst flooding in decades.</p>

<p>The fund is aimed at helping farmers resume production after the disaster and repairing damaged agricultural facilities, as well as reducing the loss of farm income, the ministry of agriculture and rural affairs said in a statement late Monday.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="/world/after-virus-china-faces-worst-floods-in-30-years-314960" hreflang="en">After virus, China faces worst floods in 30 years</a></p>

<p>It will be distributed in provinces including Jiangsu, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Guangxi and Sichuan.</p>

<p>Many parts of China have been grappling with severe floods this month amid some of the heaviest rainfall on record.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The disaster has led to a resurgence of African swine fever in some areas, hurting pork production, and also disrupted supply chains, including for personal protective equipment amid the coronavirus outbreak.</p>


China has allocated a 330 million yuan ($47 million) disaster relief fund to help farmers and agricultural production in southern provinces, as large parts of the country suffer the worst flooding in decades.

China has allocated a 330 million yuan ($47 million) disaster relief fund to help farmers and agricultural production in southern provinces, as large parts of the country suffer the worst flooding in decades. The fund is aimed at helping farmers resume production after the disaster and repairing damaged agricultural facilities, as well as reducing the loss of farm income, the ministry of agriculture and rural affairs said in a statement late Monday. Also read: After virus, China faces worst floods in 30 years It will be distributed in provinces including Jiangsu, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Guangxi and Sichuan. Many parts of China have been grappling with severe floods this month amid some of the heaviest rainfall on record. The disaster has led to a resurgence of African swine fever in some areas, hurting pork production, and also disrupted supply chains, including for personal protective equipment amid the coronavirus outbreak.

China allocates flood relief fund to farmers, agriculture production

Before volcano Taal started spewing ash and lava, farmer Jack Imperial was about to harvest pineapples at his one-hectare plantation and sell them to tourists who usually drop by at his small store at a local market in Tagaytay city.

Ash-covered pineapples a woe for Filipino farmer struggling to make a living

<p>It is not a new practice for Tamilians to show their love and respect for their icons by building temples in their honour. After temples were built for former Chief Ministers MGR, Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi and a host of popular actors, a Narendra Modi temple have now been built in the Eragudi village in Tamil Nadu’s Trichy district. &nbsp;</p>

<p>The temple in honour of the current Indian Prime Minister was constructed by Shankar, a 50-year-old farmer who has been an admirer of the leader, since his days as Gujarat Chief Minister.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“I used to look up to him right from the time he was Chief Minister of Gujarat. Especially I have admired the manner in which he has developed the infrastructure in the State. The moment we knew that he was chosen as the PM candidate of the BJP, I was excited and have voted for him since then” Shankar told WION.&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="Modi temple" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="64024346-449c-4ed2-93e3-75cfad23c44a" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%281%29_35.jpg" /></p>

<p>Constructing the temple, however, was not an easy task. Shankar says that he had to wait for a period of eight months for his 8ft x 8ft temple to get ready. “Our main source of income is agriculture on our 10-acre plot and I also have to take care of the needs of my children who are in college. So we first build the foundation and waited for over three months, later the pillars were erected, following which the tiles were laid and work was completed.”</p>

<p>Shankar also recalls that their family was very poor and how he lost his parents at a young age, how he had to discontinue his education while he was in his fourth grade." it was only by doing menial jobs that I earned some money to go to Saudi and work. I was rearing camels and sheep there, after working herd there for many years, I came back to our native and bought cultivable some land."</p>

<p>Besides a bust of Modi, the temple also has portraits of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s Kamaraj, MGR, Jayalalithaa, and also that of Home Minister Amit Shah, Mahatma Gandhi and current TN Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami.</p>

<p>When asked if he had benefitted from any schemes of the Modi Government over the last few years, he said that he immensely benefited from the PM-KISAN scheme that provided Rs.6000 every year to farmers who held land up to 2 hectares. “While Congress had announced various schemes for farmers during their rule, much of the benefits didn’t reach us as there was a vicious cycle of middlemen. But now all the benefits are being directly transferred to our account.”</p>

<p>Recalling the trauma that their modest family underwent in 2013 after his daughter couldn’t get admission into a medical college, despite having scored 1105/1200 in her State Board exams, he stated that she had to settle for an Engineering degree by sacrificing her dream of becoming a Doctor. “Later when the NEET(National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) was introduced by the Modi Government, it had ensured a level playing field such that even students from very humble backgrounds can aspire to get a medical seat by merit. &nbsp;My daughter couldn’t become a Doctor, but we hope that our son who is now in his 12th grade will clear NEET and join a medical college.”</p>

<p>Besides the KISAN scheme, Shankar says that their family has also built their first toilet under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. Our family was in such a situation that we had always used firewood for cooking, but the Ujjwala Yojana changed things for the better and now we have access to LPG cylinders and cooking stoves.</p>

<p>On being asked about any specific requests he has for the Prime Minister, he said that if the river interlinking project were to be implemented, in his drought-prone district, lakhs of farmers like him would be able to sustain agriculture.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“I went to Mamallapuram to catch a glimpse of our PM during the Modi-Xi summit there in October and was able to see his motorcade from a distance. But I would consider it my life’s greatest opportunity if I get to meet our PM once, and I would fall on his feet to seek his blessings.”&nbsp;</p>

<p>Shankar says that many people have been flocking to his village every day to see the ‘Namo’ temple, he hopes to someday call top BJP leaders to perform grand rituals at his temple. Either way, he says he would perform the daily offerings at the temple for the rest of his life.</p>


It is not a new practice for Tamilians to show their love and respect for their icons by building temples in their honour. After temples were built for former Chief Ministers MGR, Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi and a host of popular actors, a Narendra Modi temple have now been built in the Eragudi village in Tamil Nadu’s Trichy district.

It is not a new practice for Tamilians to show their love and respect for their icons by building temples in their honour. After temples were built for former Chief Ministers MGR, Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi and a host of popular actors, a Narendra Modi temple have now been built in the Eragudi village in Tamil Nadu’s Trichy district. The temple in honour of the current Indian Prime Minister was constructed by Shankar, a 50-year-old farmer who has been an admirer of the leader, since his days as Gujarat Chief Minister. “I used to look up to him right from the time he was Chief Minister of Gujarat. Especially I have admired the manner in which he has developed the infrastructure in the State. The moment we knew that he was chosen as the PM candidate of the BJP, I was excited and have voted for him since then” Shankar told WION. Constructing the temple, however, was not an easy task. Shankar says that he had to wait for a period of eight months for his 8ft x 8ft temple to get ready. “Our main source of income is agriculture on our 10-acre plot and I also have to take care of the needs of my children who are in college. So we first build the foundation and waited for over three months, later the pillars were erected, following which the tiles were laid and work was completed.” Shankar also recalls that their family was very poor and how he lost his parents at a young age, how he had to discontinue his education while he was in his fourth grade." it was only by doing menial jobs that I earned some money to go to Saudi and work. I was rearing camels and sheep there, after working herd there for many years, I came back to our native and bought cultivable some land." Besides a bust of Modi, the temple also has portraits of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s Kamaraj, MGR, Jayalalithaa, and also that of Home Minister Amit Shah, Mahatma Gandhi and current TN Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami. When asked if he had benefitted from any schemes of the Modi Government over the last few years, he said that he immensely benefited from the PM-KISAN scheme that provided Rs.6000 every year to farmers who held land up to 2 hectares. “While Congress had announced various schemes for farmers during their rule, much of the benefits didn’t reach us as there was a vicious cycle of middlemen. But now all the benefits are being directly transferred to our account.” Recalling the trauma that their modest family underwent in 2013 after his daughter couldn’t get admission into a medical college, despite having scored 1105/1200 in her State Board exams, he stated that she had to settle for an Engineering degree by sacrificing her dream of becoming a Doctor. “Later when the NEET(National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) was introduced by the Modi Government, it had ensured a level playing field such that even students from very humble backgrounds can aspire to get a medical seat by merit. My daughter couldn’t become a Doctor, but we hope that our son who is now in his 12th grade will clear NEET and join a medical college.” Besides the KISAN scheme, Shankar says that their family has also built their first toilet under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. Our family was in such a situation that we had always used firewood for cooking, but the Ujjwala Yojana changed things for the better and now we have access to LPG cylinders and cooking stoves. On being asked about any specific requests he has for the Prime Minister, he said that if the river interlinking project were to be implemented, in his drought-prone district, lakhs of farmers like him would be able to sustain agriculture. “I went to Mamallapuram to catch a glimpse of our PM during the Modi-Xi summit there in October and was able to see his motorcade from a distance. But I would consider it my life’s greatest opportunity if I get to meet our PM once, and I would fall on his feet to seek his blessings.” Shankar says that many people have been flocking to his village every day to see the ‘Namo’ temple, he hopes to someday call top BJP leaders to perform grand rituals at his temple. Either way, he says he would perform the daily offerings at the temple for the rest of his life.

“Wish to meet him once and seek his blessings,” says Tamil Nadu farmer who built temple for PM Modi

<p>The situation in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao has returned to normal on Sunday after hundreds of farmers and the Unnao police clashed at the site for the ambitious Trans-Ganga City on Saturday, with the former claiming that they had not been adequately compensated for the land acquired by the Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Authority (UPSIDA).<br />
<br />
The local administration and the police are on alert and keeping an eye on the farmers residing in the area.<br />
<br />
Also, a heavy force is deployed at the protest site in order to prevent any untoward incident in the future.<br />
<br />
On Saturday, scores of farmers pelted stones at the JCB machine which was deployed to carry out work for the high-tech trans-Ganga city, claiming that they have not received compensation for their land acquired by the UPSIDA&nbsp;in 2012.<br />
<br />
Trans Ganga City is the planned satellite township in the Indian province of Uttar Pradesh in the Unnao district which comes under the Kanpur metropolitan area.<br />
<br />
The area comprises the stretch from the limits of the Unnao Municipality to the Ganga river near Kanpur on NH 25 and Unnao-Shuklaganj Highway.<br />
<br />
The Uttar Pradesh government has also proposed a Skill Development University near the proposed Hi-tech city.</p>


The situation in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao has returned to normal on Sunday after hundreds of farmers and the Unnao police clashed at the site for the ambitious Trans-Ganga City on Saturday, with the former claiming that they had not been adequately compensated for the land acquired by the Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Authority (UPSIDA).

The situation in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao has returned to normal on Sunday after hundreds of farmers and the Unnao police clashed at the site for the ambitious Trans-Ganga City on Saturday, with the former claiming that they had not been adequately compensated for the land acquired by the Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Authority (UPSIDA). The local administration and the police are on alert and keeping an eye on the farmers residing in the area. Also, a heavy force is deployed at the protest site in order to prevent any untoward incident in the future. On Saturday, scores of farmers pelted stones at the JCB machine which was deployed to carry out work for the high-tech trans-Ganga city, claiming that they have not received compensation for their land acquired by the UPSIDA in 2012. Trans Ganga City is the planned satellite township in the Indian province of Uttar Pradesh in the Unnao district which comes under the Kanpur metropolitan area. The area comprises the stretch from the limits of the Unnao Municipality to the Ganga river near Kanpur on NH 25 and Unnao-Shuklaganj Highway. The Uttar Pradesh government has also proposed a Skill Development University near the proposed Hi-tech city.

Uttar Pradesh: Situation eases up after police-farmer clashes

Chinese companies have stopped buying US agricultural products, China's Commerce Ministry said on Tuesday (August 06), a blow to US farmers who have already seen their exports slashed by the more than year-old trade war.

US farmers suffer 'body blow' as China slams door on farm purchases

A farmer, Ganapati Bhat, has invented the answer to the woes of traditional tree-climbers of southern India, who risk their lives to pluck nuts from areca trees.

A farmer invents tree climbing machine to pluck nuts from tall areca trees

<p>The farmers' long march from Nashik to Mumbai will continue after their leaders' late night parleys with Maharashtra government to address their <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/maharashtra-farmers-protest-cops-feared-hurt-vehicles-torched-in-anti-govt-stir-17142">demands remained inconclusive</a>, the march organisers said Thursday.</p>

<p>Farmers have embarked on a 180-km march from Nashik to Mumbai for the second time in the last 12 months to protest against what they termed as the "betrayal" of peasants by the BJP governments at the state and centre.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/farmers-protest-in-last-2-years-255#farmers-protest-tamil-nadu-49354">Farmers protest in </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/farmers-protest-in-last-2-years-255#farmers-protest-tamil-nadu-49354">last</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/farmers-protest-in-last-2-years-255#farmers-protest-tamil-nadu-49354"> 2 years</a></p>

<p>The Kisan Long March-2, expected to take over nine days to complete, is being organised by the CPI(M)-backed All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS).</p>

<p>The march could not be taken out Wednesday as police stopped many farmers from reaching Nashik, the AIKS claimed.</p>

<p>Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan met some AIKS representatives in Nashik Wednesday night.</p>

<p>"We held talks with the minister for over three hours. The government appeared positive to 80 per cent of our demands. The minister said he would speak to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/government-has-accepted-most-demands-of-farmers-cm-devendra-fadnavis-35538">Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis</a> first," AIKS president Ashok Dhawale said.</p>

<p>Dhawale said Mahajan informed AIKS representatives that the assurances would be given in writing. "The AIKS has decided to go ahead with the march beginning Thursday morning till the government does so," he added.</p>

<p>Dhawale said police were also present during the meeting with Mahajan. They (police) are not going to stop the farmers now, he added.</p>

<p>Mahajan could not be reached for his comment.</p>

<p>The AIKS has accused the government of not fulfilling assurances given to farmers last year after they marched between the two cities, seeking farm loan waiver, minimum support price for crops, irrigation facilities and provision of a pension to agriculturists.</p>

<p>The AIKS also said it is opposed to the multi-billion dollar Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project which has seen several farmers along the proposed route approach court against land acquisition.&nbsp;</p>


The farmers' long march from Nashik to Mumbai will continue after their leaders' late night parleys with Maharashtra government to address their demands remained inconclusive, the march organisers said Thursday.

The farmers' long march from Nashik to Mumbai will continue after their leaders' late night parleys with Maharashtra government to address their demands remained inconclusive, the march organisers said Thursday. Farmers have embarked on a 180-km march from Nashik to Mumbai for the second time in the last 12 months to protest against what they termed as the "betrayal" of peasants by the BJP governments at the state and centre. Farmers protest in last 2 years The Kisan Long March-2, expected to take over nine days to complete, is being organised by the CPI(M)-backed All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS). The march could not be taken out Wednesday as police stopped many farmers from reaching Nashik, the AIKS claimed. Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan met some AIKS representatives in Nashik Wednesday night. "We held talks with the minister for over three hours. The government appeared positive to 80 per cent of our demands. The minister said he would speak to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis first," AIKS president Ashok Dhawale said. Dhawale said Mahajan informed AIKS representatives that the assurances would be given in writing. "The AIKS has decided to go ahead with the march beginning Thursday morning till the government does so," he added. Dhawale said police were also present during the meeting with Mahajan. They (police) are not going to stop the farmers now, he added. Mahajan could not be reached for his comment. The AIKS has accused the government of not fulfilling assurances given to farmers last year after they marched between the two cities, seeking farm loan waiver, minimum support price for crops, irrigation facilities and provision of a pension to agriculturists. The AIKS also said it is opposed to the multi-billion dollar Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project which has seen several farmers along the proposed route approach court against land acquisition.

Farmers' march to Mumbai will continue as talks inconclusive

<p>Farmers staged a protest and raised slogans against Congress president Rahul Gandhi in his parliamentary constituency Amethi in Uttar Pradesh.</p>

<p>The farmers protested in Gauriganj town in Amethi district on Wednesday demanding that either their land that was given to Rajiv Gandhi Foundation should be returned or else they are provided employment.</p>

<p>Rahul yesterday visited Amethi for campaigning for the general elections.</p>

<p>One of the protesters, Sanjay Sing told ANI: "We are very upset with Rahul Gandhi. He should go back to Italy. He does not deserve to be here. Rahul has grabbed our land."</p>

<p>They staged the protest near Samrat Cycle factory, which was inaugurated by former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi when he was the Member of Parliament (MP) from Amethi.</p>

<p>In the 1980s, Jain brothers had taken over 65.57 acres of land in the industrial area of Kausar to run a company but after its failure, a land auction took place in 2014.</p>

<p>According to the records, UPSIDC had leased 65.57 acres of land to the company in 1986 but when the company was closed down, the Debts Recovery Tribunal got it auctioned in 2014 at Rs. 20.10 crore to recover the loan.</p>

<p>The land purchased in the auction was paid by the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust for stamp duty of Rs. 1,50,000.</p>

<p>However, later the land auction process was termed invalid by the UPSIDC following which a Gauriganj SDM Court ordered the return of the land of the Samrat Cycle Factory to UPSIDC.</p>

<p>Since then the land is on papers with UPSIDC but is still occupied by the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust.</p>

<p>Earlier, Union Minister Smriti Irani had also accused Rahul of grabbing the land of farmers through the foundation.</p>

<p>The Congress scion has, however, always pitched for farmers` welfare and even promised to waive their loan in his election speeches.&nbsp;</p>


Farmers staged a protest and raised slogans against Congress president Rahul Gandhi in his parliamentary constituency Amethi in Uttar Pradesh. The farmers protested in Gauriganj town in Amethi district on Wednesday demanding that either their land that was given to Rajiv Gandhi Foundation should be returned or else they are provided employment.

Farmers staged a protest and raised slogans against Congress president Rahul Gandhi in his parliamentary constituency Amethi in Uttar Pradesh. The farmers protested in Gauriganj town in Amethi district on Wednesday demanding that either their land that was given to Rajiv Gandhi Foundation should be returned or else they are provided employment. Rahul yesterday visited Amethi for campaigning for the general elections. One of the protesters, Sanjay Sing told ANI: "We are very upset with Rahul Gandhi. He should go back to Italy. He does not deserve to be here. Rahul has grabbed our land." They staged the protest near Samrat Cycle factory, which was inaugurated by former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi when he was the Member of Parliament (MP) from Amethi. In the 1980s, Jain brothers had taken over 65.57 acres of land in the industrial area of Kausar to run a company but after its failure, a land auction took place in 2014. According to the records, UPSIDC had leased 65.57 acres of land to the company in 1986 but when the company was closed down, the Debts Recovery Tribunal got it auctioned in 2014 at Rs. 20.10 crore to recover the loan. The land purchased in the auction was paid by the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust for stamp duty of Rs. 1,50,000. However, later the land auction process was termed invalid by the UPSIDC following which a Gauriganj SDM Court ordered the return of the land of the Samrat Cycle Factory to UPSIDC. Since then the land is on papers with UPSIDC but is still occupied by the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust. Earlier, Union Minister Smriti Irani had also accused Rahul of grabbing the land of farmers through the foundation. The Congress scion has, however, always pitched for farmers` welfare and even promised to waive their loan in his election speeches.

With Rahul in Amethi, farmers demand back land given to Rajiv Gandhi Foundation

<p>Hindutva leader Pravin Togadia Saturday blamed "wrong policies" of Narendra Modi government for farmers' suicides in the country.</p>

<p>Togadia, who has recently floated Antar-Rashtriya Hindu Parishad (AHP), Saturday took part in a 20-km march from Dehgam to Gandhinagar in support of the farmers.</p>

<p>Several locals and farmers participated in the protest which was organised by the Rashtriya Kissan Parishad (RKP), an AHP wing.</p>

<p>While talking to reporters at Gandhinagar after culmination of the march, Togadia said the BJP should stop considering the farmers as a "vote-bank".</p>

<p>"Government has betrayed and tortured the farmers to the limits. Enough is enough. Farmers are being crushed under a mountain of debt and are committing suicides due to wrong policies of the government. This government should resign if they cannot do justice to the farming community", demanded Togadia.</p>

<p>He accused the prime minister of "betraying" farmers by "not keeping" promises.</p>

<p>"Modi had promised that recommendations made by the Swaminathan Commission for farmers in its report will be implemented in toto. But, as usual, he betrayed farmers on this promise too. The government has also fooled farmers in the name of Minimum Support Price (MSP) declared recently", the former VHP leader said.</p>

<p>Commenting on the problems being faced by the agriculturists in Gujarat, Togadia alleged the BJP government is favouring industries over farmers by supplying them water and electricity.</p>

<p>"Though a canal passes from Dehgam, local farmers do not get water from it. On the other hand, industries are getting water generously. Crop insurance is a scheme to fill the pockets of some insurance companies. If this continues, such protests would take place across the country", he said.</p>

<p>Togadia demanded a total debt waiver for farmers, a separate budget for agriculture, better MSP, and implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendation.<br />
"If the government fails to act now, farmers would teach a lesson to the ruling BJP in the 2019 polls", he said.&nbsp;</p>


Hindutva leader Pravin Togadia Saturday blamed "wrong policies" of Narendra Modi government for farmers' suicides in the country. Togadia, who has recently floated Antar-Rashtriya Hindu Parishad (AHP), Saturday took part in a 20-km march from Dehgam to Gandhinagar in support of the farmers.

Hindutva leader Pravin Togadia Saturday blamed "wrong policies" of Narendra Modi government for farmers' suicides in the country. Togadia, who has recently floated Antar-Rashtriya Hindu Parishad (AHP), Saturday took part in a 20-km march from Dehgam to Gandhinagar in support of the farmers. Several locals and farmers participated in the protest which was organised by the Rashtriya Kissan Parishad (RKP), an AHP wing. While talking to reporters at Gandhinagar after culmination of the march, Togadia said the BJP should stop considering the farmers as a "vote-bank". "Government has betrayed and tortured the farmers to the limits. Enough is enough. Farmers are being crushed under a mountain of debt and are committing suicides due to wrong policies of the government. This government should resign if they cannot do justice to the farming community", demanded Togadia. He accused the prime minister of "betraying" farmers by "not keeping" promises. "Modi had promised that recommendations made by the Swaminathan Commission for farmers in its report will be implemented in toto. But, as usual, he betrayed farmers on this promise too. The government has also fooled farmers in the name of Minimum Support Price (MSP) declared recently", the former VHP leader said. Commenting on the problems being faced by the agriculturists in Gujarat, Togadia alleged the BJP government is favouring industries over farmers by supplying them water and electricity. "Though a canal passes from Dehgam, local farmers do not get water from it. On the other hand, industries are getting water generously. Crop insurance is a scheme to fill the pockets of some insurance companies. If this continues, such protests would take place across the country", he said. Togadia demanded a total debt waiver for farmers, a separate budget for agriculture, better MSP, and implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendation. "If the government fails to act now, farmers would teach a lesson to the ruling BJP in the 2019 polls", he said.

Modi govt responsible for suicides by farmers: Pravin Togadia

<p>Son of a farmer who had died after consuming poison at Mantralaya seeking compensation for his land warned Friday that he too would commit suicide if three Maharashtra ministers who `broke' their promise to the family did not quit.</p>

<p>Having sent a letter to this effect to the chief minister, Narendra Patil, resident of Vikharan in Dhule district, climbed a mobile tower in the village Friday morning and came down only after district officials persuaded him.</p>

<p>On January 22, Dharma Patil (84) consumed poison on the premises of the state secretariat `Mantralaya' in Mumbai, demanding adequate compensation for his land which had been acquired by the government for a solar power project.</p>

<p>Narendra, his son, said Friday that he has written to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and asked him to sack three of his ministers if they did not quit on their own.</p>

<p>If they did not step down, the chief minister himself should resign, Narendra said, warning that he would jump off a mobile tower otherwise.</p>

<p>He indeed climbed a mobile tower in the village this morning, and got down hours later only after district officials assured him that they would look into the family's grievances, Narendra told PTI in the evening.</p>

<p>After Dharma Patil's death, ministers Girish Mahajan and Jaykumar Rawal had assured that action would be taken against those found guilty, Narendra said in his December 6 letter.</p>

<p>Chandrashekhar Bavankule, another minister, too had given an assurance in writing, and yet no justice was done to the family, he alleged.</p>

<p>"In the event of the ministers not resigning...Then you (Fadnavis) should accept moral responsibility and resign," Narendra wrote.</p>

<p>"Immediate action must be taken....Or else, I will have no option but to commit suicide," the letter said.</p>


Son of a farmer who had died after consuming poison at Mantralaya seeking compensation for his land warned Friday that he too would commit suicide if three Maharashtra ministers who `broke' their promise to the family did not quit.

Son of a farmer who had died after consuming poison at Mantralaya seeking compensation for his land warned Friday that he too would commit suicide if three Maharashtra ministers who `broke' their promise to the family did not quit. Having sent a letter to this effect to the chief minister, Narendra Patil, resident of Vikharan in Dhule district, climbed a mobile tower in the village Friday morning and came down only after district officials persuaded him. On January 22, Dharma Patil (84) consumed poison on the premises of the state secretariat `Mantralaya' in Mumbai, demanding adequate compensation for his land which had been acquired by the government for a solar power project. Narendra, his son, said Friday that he has written to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and asked him to sack three of his ministers if they did not quit on their own. If they did not step down, the chief minister himself should resign, Narendra said, warning that he would jump off a mobile tower otherwise. He indeed climbed a mobile tower in the village this morning, and got down hours later only after district officials assured him that they would look into the family's grievances, Narendra told PTI in the evening. After Dharma Patil's death, ministers Girish Mahajan and Jaykumar Rawal had assured that action would be taken against those found guilty, Narendra said in his December 6 letter. Chandrashekhar Bavankule, another minister, too had given an assurance in writing, and yet no justice was done to the family, he alleged. "In the event of the ministers not resigning...Then you (Fadnavis) should accept moral responsibility and resign," Narendra wrote. "Immediate action must be taken....Or else, I will have no option but to commit suicide," the letter said.

Deceased farmer's son demands sacking of ministers for`breaking promise', climbs mobile tower

<p>With a large number of farmers marching to Bhubaneswar to stage a demonstration here Monday, the Odisha government stopped them Sunday midway at various places, triggering criticism from the opposition Congress and BJP.</p>

<p>The farmers, who are on 'padayatra' demanding "price, prestige and pension", were stopped by the police at various places to foil their protest, alleged Naba Nirman Krushak Sangathan (NNKS) convenor Akshya Kumar.</p>

<p>As the farmers marched to the state capital from Cuttack and Khurda, the administration clamped prohibitory orders under section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code at Hansapal and Tamando to stall the protest, said a leader of the NNKS, which is spearheading the agitation.</p>

<p>He alleged the farmers have been held up at various places like Keonjhar, Balugaon, Jatasinghpur and Jajpur since October 29.</p>

<p>Accusing the state government of trying to suppress the farmers' voice, Kumar and other NNKS leaders said the action is being taken also against the people for criticising the government.</p>

<p>Bhubaneswar Deputy Commissioner of Police Anup Kumar Sahu said necessary arrangements have been made to prevent any untoward incident during farmers' demonstration in the state capital.</p>

<p>Around 25 platoons of police, each having around 30 personnel, have been deployed to prevent law and order problems, he said, adding special attention is being given to ensure smooth traffic movement, especially on the national highways near the capital city.</p>

<p>While senior Congress leader and former MP Pradip Majhi led a 'padyatra' from Khurda, NNKS convener Akshya Kumar and former Kendrapara MP Baijayant Panda joined the peasants' march from Cuttack.</p>

<p>The state government has shown little concern for the farmers despite their repeated demands, Majhi said, adding if the government fails to fulfil their demands by tomorrow, the state capital will be put under seize.</p>

<p>The NNKS has been demanding minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 5,000 per quintal for paddy and a monthly pension of Rs 5,000 for the youths and Rs 1,500 for the elderly, said Kumar.</p>

<p>Panda slammed the state government for trying to "throttle" the voice of farmers.</p>

<p>Thousands of farmers from across the state are staging a peaceful agitation but the way the administration is trying to obstruct them is not justified, he said.</p>

<p>The BJP also hit out at the Odisha government for failing to address the grievances of the farmers in the state.</p>

<p>BJP state unit vice-president Samir Mohanty said his party supports the farmers' peaceful agitation.</p>

<p>The Union government has taken several measures to double the farmers' income in the country, but due to wrong policies of the Odisha government, the farmers have been deprived of the benefits of the Centre's various schemes, Mohanty claimed.</p>

<p>Dismissing the allegations, BJD spokesperson Sameer Dash claimed that the farmers across the country are facing problems.</p>


With a large number of farmers marching to Bhubaneswar to stage a demonstration here Monday, the Odisha government stopped them Sunday midway at various places, triggering criticism from the opposition Congress and BJP.

With a large number of farmers marching to Bhubaneswar to stage a demonstration here Monday, the Odisha government stopped them Sunday midway at various places, triggering criticism from the opposition Congress and BJP. The farmers, who are on 'padayatra' demanding "price, prestige and pension", were stopped by the police at various places to foil their protest, alleged Naba Nirman Krushak Sangathan (NNKS) convenor Akshya Kumar. As the farmers marched to the state capital from Cuttack and Khurda, the administration clamped prohibitory orders under section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code at Hansapal and Tamando to stall the protest, said a leader of the NNKS, which is spearheading the agitation. He alleged the farmers have been held up at various places like Keonjhar, Balugaon, Jatasinghpur and Jajpur since October 29. Accusing the state government of trying to suppress the farmers' voice, Kumar and other NNKS leaders said the action is being taken also against the people for criticising the government. Bhubaneswar Deputy Commissioner of Police Anup Kumar Sahu said necessary arrangements have been made to prevent any untoward incident during farmers' demonstration in the state capital. Around 25 platoons of police, each having around 30 personnel, have been deployed to prevent law and order problems, he said, adding special attention is being given to ensure smooth traffic movement, especially on the national highways near the capital city. While senior Congress leader and former MP Pradip Majhi led a 'padyatra' from Khurda, NNKS convener Akshya Kumar and former Kendrapara MP Baijayant Panda joined the peasants' march from Cuttack. The state government has shown little concern for the farmers despite their repeated demands, Majhi said, adding if the government fails to fulfil their demands by tomorrow, the state capital will be put under seize. The NNKS has been demanding minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 5,000 per quintal for paddy and a monthly pension of Rs 5,000 for the youths and Rs 1,500 for the elderly, said Kumar. Panda slammed the state government for trying to "throttle" the voice of farmers. Thousands of farmers from across the state are staging a peaceful agitation but the way the administration is trying to obstruct them is not justified, he said. The BJP also hit out at the Odisha government for failing to address the grievances of the farmers in the state. BJP state unit vice-president Samir Mohanty said his party supports the farmers' peaceful agitation. The Union government has taken several measures to double the farmers' income in the country, but due to wrong policies of the Odisha government, the farmers have been deprived of the benefits of the Centre's various schemes, Mohanty claimed. Dismissing the allegations, BJD spokesperson Sameer Dash claimed that the farmers across the country are facing problems.

Odisha government stops farmers marching to Bhubaneswar, draws flak

<p>A farmer in North East Scotland called the police on Saturday night to rescue him from a tiger who was found in his cowshed.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The farmer discovered the tiger in his shed when he went to check his cow.</p>

<p>On reaching there he was stunned to find the big cat and&nbsp;immediately sent the photographs of the animal to the control room.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Following which several units of the police along with dog handler were sent to the location to catch the tiger.</p>

<p>The officials tried figuring it out if the tiger had eaten any cattle in the cowshed.&nbsp;</p>

<p>After an operation of about 45 minutes, the police negated the claims that they had made earlier.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Initially, the police took over the operation only after confirming that it was a real tiger.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The entire hue and cry ended after they discovered that it was a mere soft toy.&nbsp;</p>

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The soft toy was spotted by a farmer his cowshed

A farmer in North East Scotland called the police on Saturday night to rescue him from a tiger who was found in his cowshed. The farmer discovered the tiger in his shed when he went to check his cow. On reaching there he was stunned to find the big cat and immediately sent the photographs of the animal to the control room. Following which several units of the police along with dog handler were sent to the location to catch the tiger. The officials tried figuring it out if the tiger had eaten any cattle in the cowshed. After an operation of about 45 minutes, the police negated the claims that they had made earlier. Initially, the police took over the operation only after confirming that it was a real tiger. The entire hue and cry ended after they discovered that it was a mere soft toy. ×

Scotland Police conduct 45-minute rescue operation for toy tiger

<p>Farmer&#39;s death is one of the most discussed topics in India. Along with farmer&#39;s suicide, deaths due to pesticide poisoning and accidental intake of harmful pesticides or insecticides is also one of the major problems that Indian farmers are facing.</p>

<p>&ldquo;The death of farmers in Maharashtra due to pesticide poisoning is because of the gross negligence in pesticide management in the country. The Ministry of Agriculture at the Centre and agricultural departments of the states are solely responsible for the unsafe use of pesticides in the country. Deaths and illnesses due to pesticides can be avoided if we can urgently fix some of the crucial gaps in our regulations and improve its enforcement,&rdquo; said Chandra Bhushan, deputy director general, CSE.</p>

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<p>To tackle farmer&#39;s suicide, the government is coming up with various dysfunctional schemes but&nbsp;problems related to pesticide poisoning is completely neglected. Farmer&#39;s suicide is a highly politicised issue in India, but on the other hand, pesticide poisoning is the least reported cause for farm fatalities.&nbsp;Over 35 farmers have reportedly died and hundreds have become ill due to&nbsp;pesticide&nbsp;poisoning in several districts of Vidharba region in Maharashtra, since July this year.</p>

<p>Every year, there are about 10,000&nbsp;cases of pesticide poisoning in India. In 2015, about 7,000 people died because of accidental intake of insecticides/pesticides.&nbsp;The incident highlights the urgent need to fix several long-standing gaps in&nbsp;pesticide&nbsp;management&nbsp;in the country</p>

<p>Most of the&nbsp;incidents have been reported from the districts of Yavatmal, Nagpur, Akola and Amravati, where farm workers died due to inhalation of toxic pesticides while spraying it on the fields. Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said, &quot;India&rsquo;s terrible management of pesticides has started taking a deadly toll&quot;.</p>

<p title="'This is the darkest period of our life'"><strong>Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/this-is-the-darkest-period-of-our-life-22533">This is the darkest period of life</a></strong></p>

<p title="'This is the darkest period of our life'">On the basis of acute toxicity of active ingredients, pesticides are categorised as extremely hazardous (class Ia), highly hazardous (class Ib), moderately hazardous (class II), slightly hazardous (class III) and unlikely to present acute hazard in normal use (class U).</p>

<p title="'This is the darkest period of our life'">Pesticides such as Monocrotophos, Oxydemeton-methyl, Acephate and Profenophos are believed to be responsible for the tragic deaths and illness.&nbsp;In Maharashtra, pesticides such as Monocrotophos, Oxydemeton-methyl, Acephate and Profenophos are believed to be responsible for the deaths and illness.</p>

<p>Class I pesticides have been excessively used in India over the last many years. Many of the class I&nbsp;banned in several countries, but India&nbsp;still allows its usage. For example, Monocrotophos is banned in 60 countries.&nbsp;Carbofuran is banned in 49 countries, Phosphamidon is banned in 49 countries.</p>

<p>There are 18 class I pesticides that are allowed to be used in India. In 2015-16, of the 7,717 tonnes of pesticides (technical grade) used in the country, 2,254 tonnes were the class I pesticides (about 30 per cent of total pesticides).</p>

<p>The International Code of Conduct on Pesticide Management, jointly released by FAO and WHO, &ldquo;pesticides whose handling and application require the use of personal protective equipment that is uncomfortable, expensive or not readily available should be avoided, especially in the case of small-scale users and farm workers in hot climates&rdquo;.</p>

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<p>In Maharashtra, the difficulty level for the farmers is comparatively more than farmers of other states because it is a cotton&nbsp;belt. When the cotton crop grows above 6 ft then it becomes really difficult for a farmer to save himself from chemical contact as he has to spray above his height.</p>

<p>There are various precautionary steps that have to be&nbsp;followed to avoid such fatalities. But, it is very difficult for a daily wage farm worker and small-scale farmer&nbsp;to use all essential equipment and tools such as&nbsp;hand gloves, face mask, a cap and&nbsp;gumboots are required while spraying pesticide because they can not afford to buy it.</p>

<p>In the absence of proper and appropriate tools, farmers are getting immensely affected because they don&#39;t know the exact &quot;dos and don&#39;ts&quot; which are taken as read and has to be followed while spraying the chemical. For example, the sprays must be done before sunrise or late in the evening as there is a lesser possibility of strong winds, and also with the rise in temperature, the chemical becomes more toxic.</p>

<p>&ldquo;While India urgently needs to address pesticide mismanagement from several aspects, the most urgent step needed is to ban the use of class I pesticides. The recommendations of the Anupam Verma Committee is inadequate and the government actions so far are not in line with the urgency and scale of the problem,&rdquo; said Amit Khurana, senior programme manager for food safety and toxins, CSE.</p>

<p>All class I pesticides are supposed to be used under proper supervision and guidelines but due to illiteracy and ignorance farmers are suffering from the pesticide poisoning. Regardless of what the &lsquo;Lethal Dose 50&rsquo; (LD50) level that is present on the packaging of any pesticide containers, the fact remains that the active ingredients of any pesticide are nothing but poison, hence, it has to be handled carefully.</p>

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<h5>Why is the government of India not putting a complete ban on usage of Class I category of pesticides?</h5>
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<p>There is a major problem with the way pesticides are approved for use in India. There is even a bigger problem of enforcement. Use of unapproved pesticides&nbsp;and&nbsp;unsafe application of the pesticide&nbsp;by farmers continues to be a big problem.</p>

<p>&ldquo;Till we reform our pesticides regulations and regulatory institutions, pesticide poisoning and accidental deaths would continue. A Pesticide Management Bill was introduced in the Parliament in 2008 but it was allowed to lapse. We need a new Pesticide Management Bill to address the issues related to the unsafe use of pesticides,&rdquo; said Chandra Bhushan.</p>

<p>The data and facts suggest that India needs to ban the use of class I pesticides and there is an urgent need to develop a proper channel to train and educate farmers about the correct usage of pesticides and insecticides. If some casualty happens then, the first aid must be given on time. Block level hospitals need to be well equipped to tackle such cases. The enforcement should focus on each blocks and districts of various states.</p>

<p>With a&nbsp;proper system of pesticides management in India, the government will be able to put an end to the unfortunate deaths caused by pesticide poisoning.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/how-beneficial-is-loan-waiver-scheme-22674">How beneficial is loan waiver scheme? </a></p>


India needs a proper pesticide management to stop the unsafe use of toxic pesticides and improve enforcement

Farmer's death is one of the most discussed topics in India. Along with farmer's suicide, deaths due to pesticide poisoning and accidental intake of harmful pesticides or insecticides is also one of the major problems that Indian farmers are facing. “The death of farmers in Maharashtra due to pesticide poisoning is because of the gross negligence in pesticide management in the country. The Ministry of Agriculture at the Centre and agricultural departments of the states are solely responsible for the unsafe use of pesticides in the country. Deaths and illnesses due to pesticides can be avoided if we can urgently fix some of the crucial gaps in our regulations and improve its enforcement,” said Chandra Bhushan, deputy director general, CSE. Farmer's suicide is a highly politicised issue in India, but on the other hand, pesticide poisoning is the least reported cause for farm fatalities. × To tackle farmer's suicide, the government is coming up with various dysfunctional schemes but problems related to pesticide poisoning is completely neglected. Farmer's suicide is a highly politicised issue in India, but on the other hand, pesticide poisoning is the least reported cause for farm fatalities. Over 35 farmers have reportedly died and hundreds have become ill due to pesticide poisoning in several districts of Vidharba region in Maharashtra, since July this year. Every year, there are about 10,000 cases of pesticide poisoning in India. In 2015, about 7,000 people died because of accidental intake of insecticides/pesticides. The incident highlights the urgent need to fix several long-standing gaps in pesticide management in the country Most of the incidents have been reported from the districts of Yavatmal, Nagpur, Akola and Amravati, where farm workers died due to inhalation of toxic pesticides while spraying it on the fields. Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said, "India’s terrible management of pesticides has started taking a deadly toll". Also read: This is the darkest period of life On the basis of acute toxicity of active ingredients, pesticides are categorised as extremely hazardous (class Ia), highly hazardous (class Ib), moderately hazardous (class II), slightly hazardous (class III) and unlikely to present acute hazard in normal use (class U). Pesticides such as Monocrotophos, Oxydemeton-methyl, Acephate and Profenophos are believed to be responsible for the tragic deaths and illness. In Maharashtra, pesticides such as Monocrotophos, Oxydemeton-methyl, Acephate and Profenophos are believed to be responsible for the deaths and illness. Class I pesticides have been excessively used in India over the last many years. Many of the class I banned in several countries, but India still allows its usage. For example, Monocrotophos is banned in 60 countries. Carbofuran is banned in 49 countries, Phosphamidon is banned in 49 countries. There are 18 class I pesticides that are allowed to be used in India. In 2015-16, of the 7,717 tonnes of pesticides (technical grade) used in the country, 2,254 tonnes were the class I pesticides (about 30 per cent of total pesticides). The International Code of Conduct on Pesticide Management, jointly released by FAO and WHO, “pesticides whose handling and application require the use of personal protective equipment that is uncomfortable, expensive or not readily available should be avoided, especially in the case of small-scale users and farm workers in hot climates”. All class I pesticides are supposed to be used under proper supervision and guidelines but due to illiteracy and ignorance farmers are suffering from the pesticide poisoning. × In Maharashtra, the difficulty level for the farmers is comparatively more than farmers of other states because it is a cotton belt. When the cotton crop grows above 6 ft then it becomes really difficult for a farmer to save himself from chemical contact as he has to spray above his height. There are various precautionary steps that have to be followed to avoid such fatalities. But, it is very difficult for a daily wage farm worker and small-scale farmer to use all essential equipment and tools such as hand gloves, face mask, a cap and gumboots are required while spraying pesticide because they can not afford to buy it. In the absence of proper and appropriate tools, farmers are getting immensely affected because they don't know the exact "dos and don'ts" which are taken as read and has to be followed while spraying the chemical. For example, the sprays must be done before sunrise or late in the evening as there is a lesser possibility of strong winds, and also with the rise in temperature, the chemical becomes more toxic. “While India urgently needs to address pesticide mismanagement from several aspects, the most urgent step needed is to ban the use of class I pesticides. The recommendations of the Anupam Verma Committee is inadequate and the government actions so far are not in line with the urgency and scale of the problem,” said Amit Khurana, senior programme manager for food safety and toxins, CSE. All class I pesticides are supposed to be used under proper supervision and guidelines but due to illiteracy and ignorance farmers are suffering from the pesticide poisoning. Regardless of what the ‘Lethal Dose 50’ (LD50) level that is present on the packaging of any pesticide containers, the fact remains that the active ingredients of any pesticide are nothing but poison, hence, it has to be handled carefully. Why is the government of India not putting a complete ban on usage of Class I category of pesticides? × There is a major problem with the way pesticides are approved for use in India. There is even a bigger problem of enforcement. Use of unapproved pesticides and unsafe application of the pesticide by farmers continues to be a big problem. “Till we reform our pesticides regulations and regulatory institutions, pesticide poisoning and accidental deaths would continue. A Pesticide Management Bill was introduced in the Parliament in 2008 but it was allowed to lapse. We need a new Pesticide Management Bill to address the issues related to the unsafe use of pesticides,” said Chandra Bhushan. The data and facts suggest that India needs to ban the use of class I pesticides and there is an urgent need to develop a proper channel to train and educate farmers about the correct usage of pesticides and insecticides. If some casualty happens then, the first aid must be given on time. Block level hospitals need to be well equipped to tackle such cases. The enforcement should focus on each blocks and districts of various states. With a proper system of pesticides management in India, the government will be able to put an end to the unfortunate deaths caused by pesticide poisoning. Also read: How beneficial is loan waiver scheme?

Farmer deaths due to pesticide use: An issue less reported

<p>The Maharashtra government rolled out the first phase of its loan waiver scheme on&nbsp;June 18. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis directed a sum of Rs 4000 crore for the first set of farmers. The first phase is expected to benefit more than 8 lakh farmers. The government also added that about 80 per cent of the farmers will get their loan waiver amount by mid-November.</p>

<p>Chief minister Fadnavis had announced the loan waiver scheme in June. Claiming it to be &ldquo;biggest in history&rdquo; the state government then allotted Rs 34,000&nbsp;crore towards it. However, according to a recent report in Mint, the government is not sure about the real estimate of the fund to be extended for the loan waiver scheme as several amendments have been introduced since its announcement.</p>

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<h5>The state was hard hit by severe drought since 2012, adversely impacting the cultivators.</h5>
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<p>The Maharashtra government was forced to introduce the farm loan waiving scheme after days of protest by farmers. The state was hard hit by severe drought since 2012, adversely impacting the cultivators. The farmers will be getting the loan amount from the state government after four months of wait. The government, in order to curb manual interventions, has devised an online application process. This will transfer the money directly to their bank accounts.</p>

<p>Over one lakh farmers are not entitled to receive funds from the scheme. The conditions laid down by the government restrict them from receiving compensation for their losses.&nbsp;Ajit Nawle, convener of the coordination committee of agitating farmers has said that these farmers&rsquo; will demand a case of cheating, murder and abetment of suicide to be filed against the government for the loss of farmer&#39;s life.</p>

<p>A report in Financial Express stated that many farmers in the first phase of the scheme have received certificates without the loan waiver amount in it. Citing a local news channel the report mentioned Dhondiba Laxman Patil and Santan Dumin Fernandes, farmers from Mugali village, Chandgad district, Kolhapur have received certificates without the amount.</p>

<p>The state government assented to the farmer&#39;s demands of waiving off the loan after several days of protest. The government implemented the first phase of the scheme after five months.&nbsp;Within two days&nbsp;of its implementation, it has received a set back from the very section of the society that it was launched for.</p>

<p>A similar farm loan waiving scheme was carried out by the Uttar Pradesh government. As part of his election promise to waive off farmers&rsquo; loan, the state government led by chief minister Yogi Adityanath had announced &ldquo;Krishi Rin Mochan Yojana&rdquo; in April. The state government had allotted Rs 36000 crores for the same. The scheme aimed at waiving crop loan of small and marginal farmers up to Rs 100,000. The election promise had raised big hopes among the farmers of Uttar Pradesh and was launched in September.However, the implementation of the scheme had left many farmers shocked and infuriated. They felt cheated after receiving amounts as low as Rs 10, 12 and even 1 paisa, 10 paisa, 12 paisa.</p>

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<p>Shambhu Nath, a farmer in Barabanki spent Rs 218 only to receive a loan waiver of Rs 12. In an interview to a Hindi daily, Adityanath said, &ldquo;farmers of UP are so self-reliant that they paid the loan all by themselves&rdquo;. Shambhu Nath had taken a loan of Rs 28,812. Out of which he returned Rs 28, 800 by selling his bull. Therefore he was entitled to receive only the outstanding amount which amounted to Rs 12.</p>

<p>A report stated that over 4,814 farmers got loan waivers amounting between Rs 1-100. About 17,260 farmers received loan amounting Rs 1000 or less than it. Clearing off the farmers&rsquo; outstanding loan amounting to 1 Rs, 10 Rs or few paisa will certainly not benefit any of these farmers.&nbsp;However, it will add up to the figures of beneficiaries from the Yogi government&rsquo;s flagship mission of waiving off farmer&rsquo;s loan.</p>

<p>The agricultural growth rate of our country has been on a constant decline and farmers suicide on a rise. Since independence over 3 lakh&nbsp;farmers have ended their life. Natural calamities, drought and floods strike our country every year. Loan waiver is certainly not the only solution to farmers&rsquo; distress. Waiving off the loan is a short-term sustenance for their miseries. The government needs to address the root problem. They need to minimise the ever-growing devastation to agriculture and farmers of our country.&nbsp;</p>


Inhuman treatment received by farmers in the name of loan write-offs

The Maharashtra government rolled out the first phase of its loan waiver scheme on June 18. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis directed a sum of Rs 4000 crore for the first set of farmers. The first phase is expected to benefit more than 8 lakh farmers. The government also added that about 80 per cent of the farmers will get their loan waiver amount by mid-November. Chief minister Fadnavis had announced the loan waiver scheme in June. Claiming it to be “biggest in history” the state government then allotted Rs 34,000 crore towards it. However, according to a recent report in Mint, the government is not sure about the real estimate of the fund to be extended for the loan waiver scheme as several amendments have been introduced since its announcement. The state was hard hit by severe drought since 2012, adversely impacting the cultivators. × The Maharashtra government was forced to introduce the farm loan waiving scheme after days of protest by farmers. The state was hard hit by severe drought since 2012, adversely impacting the cultivators. The farmers will be getting the loan amount from the state government after four months of wait. The government, in order to curb manual interventions, has devised an online application process. This will transfer the money directly to their bank accounts. Over one lakh farmers are not entitled to receive funds from the scheme. The conditions laid down by the government restrict them from receiving compensation for their losses. Ajit Nawle, convener of the coordination committee of agitating farmers has said that these farmers’ will demand a case of cheating, murder and abetment of suicide to be filed against the government for the loss of farmer's life. A report in Financial Express stated that many farmers in the first phase of the scheme have received certificates without the loan waiver amount in it. Citing a local news channel the report mentioned Dhondiba Laxman Patil and Santan Dumin Fernandes, farmers from Mugali village, Chandgad district, Kolhapur have received certificates without the amount. The state government assented to the farmer's demands of waiving off the loan after several days of protest. The government implemented the first phase of the scheme after five months. Within two days of its implementation, it has received a set back from the very section of the society that it was launched for. A similar farm loan waiving scheme was carried out by the Uttar Pradesh government. As part of his election promise to waive off farmers’ loan, the state government led by chief minister Yogi Adityanath had announced “Krishi Rin Mochan Yojana” in April. The state government had allotted Rs 36000 crores for the same. The scheme aimed at waiving crop loan of small and marginal farmers up to Rs 100,000. The election promise had raised big hopes among the farmers of Uttar Pradesh and was launched in September.However, the implementation of the scheme had left many farmers shocked and infuriated. They felt cheated after receiving amounts as low as Rs 10, 12 and even 1 paisa, 10 paisa, 12 paisa. The agricultural growth rate of our country has been on a constant decline and farmers suicide on a rise. × Shambhu Nath, a farmer in Barabanki spent Rs 218 only to receive a loan waiver of Rs 12. In an interview to a Hindi daily, Adityanath said, “farmers of UP are so self-reliant that they paid the loan all by themselves”. Shambhu Nath had taken a loan of Rs 28,812. Out of which he returned Rs 28, 800 by selling his bull. Therefore he was entitled to receive only the outstanding amount which amounted to Rs 12. A report stated that over 4,814 farmers got loan waivers amounting between Rs 1-100. About 17,260 farmers received loan amounting Rs 1000 or less than it. Clearing off the farmers’ outstanding loan amounting to 1 Rs, 10 Rs or few paisa will certainly not benefit any of these farmers. However, it will add up to the figures of beneficiaries from the Yogi government’s flagship mission of waiving off farmer’s loan. The agricultural growth rate of our country has been on a constant decline and farmers suicide on a rise. Since independence over 3 lakh farmers have ended their life. Natural calamities, drought and floods strike our country every year. Loan waiver is certainly not the only solution to farmers’ distress. Waiving off the loan is a short-term sustenance for their miseries. The government needs to address the root problem. They need to minimise the ever-growing devastation to agriculture and farmers of our country.

How beneficial is loan waiver scheme?

<p>The Maharashtra government is all set to roll out its loan waiver scheme on Wednesday. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis will be providing loan waivers to the first set of farmers on October 18. The scheme was announced in June by the state government after days of protest by farmers. The state was hard hit by severe drought since 2012, adversely impacting the cultivators.</p>

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<h5>The government, in order to curb manual manipulations, has devised an online application process. The money will be transferred to their bank accounts after strict regulation.</h5>
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<p>Claiming it to be &ldquo;biggest in history&rdquo; the state government had allotted Rs 34,022 crore for the scheme. However, recent reports say that the chief minister is not sure about the real estimate diverted for the scheme as several amendments were introduced after its announcement.</p>

<p>The farmers will be getting the loan amount from the state government after five months of wait.The government, in order to curb manual manipulations, has devised an online application process. The money will be transferred to their bank accounts after strict regulation.</p>

<p>A similar farm loan waiver scheme was carried out by the Uttar Pradesh government recently. As part of his election promise to waive off farmers&rsquo; loan, the Uttar Pradesh government led by chief minister Yogi Adityanath had announced &ldquo;Krishi Rin Mochan Yojana&rdquo; in April.The state government had diverted Rs 36000 crores for the same.</p>

<p>The scheme aimed at waiving crop loan of small and marginal farmers up to Rs 100,000. The election promise had raised big hopes among the farmers of Uttar Pradesh and was launched in September.&nbsp;However, the implementation of the scheme has left many farmers shocked and infuriated. They feel cheated after receiving amounts as low as Rs 10, 12 or even 1 paisa, 10 paisa, 12 paisa.</p>

<p>Shambhi Nath, a farmer in Barabanki (UP) spent Rs 218 only to receive a loan waiver of Rs 12. In an interview to a Hindi daily, Adityanath said, &ldquo;Farmers of Uttar Pradesh are so self-reliant that they paid the loan all by themselves&rdquo;.</p>

<p>Shambhu Nath had taken a loan of Rs 28,812. Out of which he returned Rs 28, 800 by selling his bull. Therefore he received only the outstanding amount which figured out to Rs 12. A report stated that over 4,814 farmers got loan waivers amounting between Rs 1- 100. About 17,260 farmers received loan amounting Rs 1000 or less than it.</p>

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<h5>The ever-increasing farmers&rsquo; plight cannot be tackled just by introducing loan waivers scheme.</h5>
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<p>Clearing off the farmers&rsquo; outstanding loan amounting to 1 Rs, 10 Rs or few paisa will certainly not benefit any of these farmers.&nbsp;However, it will add up to the figures of beneficiaries from the Yogi government&rsquo;s flagship mission of waiving off farmer&rsquo;s loan.</p>

<p>The ever-increasing farmers&rsquo; plight cannot be tackled just by introducing loan waivers scheme. For a country which suffers from floods and droughts every year,&nbsp;writing off the loan amount is not the ultimate solution.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A well-organised plan is required to be implemented by the collective efforts of Central and State government to improve the root cause of the plight.&nbsp;</p>


The government of India needs to come up with a well-organised loan waivers scheme

The Maharashtra government is all set to roll out its loan waiver scheme on Wednesday. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis will be providing loan waivers to the first set of farmers on October 18. The scheme was announced in June by the state government after days of protest by farmers. The state was hard hit by severe drought since 2012, adversely impacting the cultivators. The government, in order to curb manual manipulations, has devised an online application process. The money will be transferred to their bank accounts after strict regulation. × Claiming it to be “biggest in history” the state government had allotted Rs 34,022 crore for the scheme. However, recent reports say that the chief minister is not sure about the real estimate diverted for the scheme as several amendments were introduced after its announcement. The farmers will be getting the loan amount from the state government after five months of wait.The government, in order to curb manual manipulations, has devised an online application process. The money will be transferred to their bank accounts after strict regulation. A similar farm loan waiver scheme was carried out by the Uttar Pradesh government recently. As part of his election promise to waive off farmers’ loan, the Uttar Pradesh government led by chief minister Yogi Adityanath had announced “Krishi Rin Mochan Yojana” in April.The state government had diverted Rs 36000 crores for the same. The scheme aimed at waiving crop loan of small and marginal farmers up to Rs 100,000. The election promise had raised big hopes among the farmers of Uttar Pradesh and was launched in September. However, the implementation of the scheme has left many farmers shocked and infuriated. They feel cheated after receiving amounts as low as Rs 10, 12 or even 1 paisa, 10 paisa, 12 paisa. Shambhi Nath, a farmer in Barabanki (UP) spent Rs 218 only to receive a loan waiver of Rs 12. In an interview to a Hindi daily, Adityanath said, “Farmers of Uttar Pradesh are so self-reliant that they paid the loan all by themselves”. Shambhu Nath had taken a loan of Rs 28,812. Out of which he returned Rs 28, 800 by selling his bull. Therefore he received only the outstanding amount which figured out to Rs 12. A report stated that over 4,814 farmers got loan waivers amounting between Rs 1- 100. About 17,260 farmers received loan amounting Rs 1000 or less than it. The ever-increasing farmers’ plight cannot be tackled just by introducing loan waivers scheme. × Clearing off the farmers’ outstanding loan amounting to 1 Rs, 10 Rs or few paisa will certainly not benefit any of these farmers. However, it will add up to the figures of beneficiaries from the Yogi government’s flagship mission of waiving off farmer’s loan. The ever-increasing farmers’ plight cannot be tackled just by introducing loan waivers scheme. For a country which suffers from floods and droughts every year, writing off the loan amount is not the ultimate solution. A well-organised plan is required to be implemented by the collective efforts of Central and State government to improve the root cause of the plight.

The inhuman treatment is given to the farmers in the name of loan write-offs

<p>What would Vishal do today, if he were alive? Perhaps the teenager would fly kites, or play with his friends. Maybe he&rsquo;d work with his father on the family&rsquo;s two-acre field or pick up an odd job for a daily wage as he occasionally did. He wanted new clothes, his parents remember. That&rsquo;s all he had asked for.</p>

<p>But Vishal Khule died last November, just 10 days after Diwali, by consuming a bottle of weedicide that his father had bought a few days earlier to spray on their crops. He was wearing a wrinkled white shirt and blue pants that day, the police report says. Vishal was not yet 16 years old.</p>

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<p>In Akola&rsquo;s Dadham village: Vishal&#39;s father, Vishwanath Khule and his distraught mother Sheela (on the right); elder brother Vaibhav and their neighbour Jankiram Khule, Vishal&rsquo;s &lsquo;kaka&rsquo; (on the left) (Others)</p>
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<p>&ldquo;He collapsed here,&rdquo; said his father, Vishwanath Khule, pointing to a spot beneath the window of the two-room shanty where the family lives. &ldquo;His mother was in the adjoining kitchen, making chapatis. I was out there,&rdquo; he added, gesturing toward the front yard. When her son collapsed with a thump, Sheela Khule rushed out to find Vishal lying on the floor, &ldquo;a white fluid oozing out of his mouth.&rdquo; The can of weedicide lay by his side, empty. Vishal died before reaching the hospital.</p>

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<p>&ldquo;This is the darkest period of our life,&rdquo; Vishwanath said.</p>

<p>Dadham, with a population of 1,500, is among the poorest villages in this region. It is about 25 kilometres from Akola, a major city in western Vidarbha, Maharashtra&rsquo;s cotton- and soybean-growing belt, which has been in the news since the mid-1990s for a continuing spell of farmers&rsquo; suicides. The region is reeling under successive years of drought and an agrarian crisis that has only gone from bad to worse.</p>

<p>While the unabated spell of farmers&rsquo; suicides in rural Vidarbha and Marathwada, Maharashtra&rsquo;s eastern and central regions, has been reported on and acknowledged by the government, a related tragedy has gone all but unnoticed: suicides by the young children of debt-ridden farmers. (Farmers&rsquo; children have taken their own lives in the past, but newspaper reports indicate that the incidence has spiked in the past two years.)</p>

<p>While there is no specific data on suicides by children (under 18; or by youth under 20), in India as a result of agrarian distress, several studies and reports &ndash; from the 2005 door-to-door study commissioned by the Maharashtra government to subsequent studies on farm distress and suicides by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences and the Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research &ndash; have pointed to the impact of debt and distress on children in peasant households. Many adolescent children of farmers inherit their parents&rsquo; debts and are forced to take on adult responsibilities, dropping out of school, tilling the fields, succumbing to depression, and for girls, being married off early so the family has one less mouth to feed.</p>

<p>Over the past decade, this writer has documented several such suicides, particularly in households where a suicide has already occurred. Sometimes farmers&rsquo; children commit suicide because they fear that if they don&rsquo;t, their parents will, a phenomenon is known as &lsquo;altruistic suicide&rsquo;. In one particularly poignant case in 2005, 19-year-old Neeta Bhopat hanged herself in Aasra village in Maharashtra.</p>

<p>In a neatly written suicide note in Marathi, she said: &ldquo;If I don&rsquo;t commit suicide, my father will [take his own life]; my family can&rsquo;t even earn a thousand rupees a month. I have two younger sisters. My parents can&rsquo;t bear the burden of our marriages when we don&rsquo;t have enough to eat. So I am taking my life.&rdquo; Nobody should be held responsible for her decision, she wrote. Committing suicide was the only way she could relieve her parents of some of their tension.</p>

<p><strong>Scarcity and struggle</strong></p>

<p>With a few months to go before the next kharif (monsoon) crops sprout, Dadham is still coming to terms with Vishal Khule&rsquo;s suicide. Severe water scarcity is already testing the villagers this summer. The entire vicinity is arid. Local newspaper reports suggest that the groundwater table has fallen alarmingly. Dadham has to wait for tankers to supply water every alternate day, or people must trek several kilometres to fetch drinking water. And as if this is not difficult enough, no work is available in the village.</p>

<p>&ldquo;This is the worst year&rdquo; of a three-season drought, said Akola district collector G. Sreekanth in his office earlier this year. &ldquo;We began preparing for the coming summer in September last [year],&rdquo; he added, even before the 2015 monsoon had officially ended.</p>

<p>Like many districts in the Marathwada, Vidarbha and western regions of Maharashtra last year, Akola district received only 60 per cent of its average annual rainfall of 692 mm. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s around 500 mm rains,&rdquo; said Sreekanth, &ldquo;which may not sound all that bad, but we got 400 mm of that in two days, on August 4 and 5.&rdquo; This meant the fields flooded and rainwater could not percolate into the ground.</p>

<p>Such a downpour and a long gap between rainy days is a new and alarming feature of the changing monsoon pattern, according to studies by the Indian Meteorological Department and Pune&rsquo;s Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology and other research institutions studying climatic aberrations. After August 5 last year, Akola didn&rsquo;t see another drop of rain for 41 days, a devastatingly long dry spell. &ldquo;Every crop failed: soybeans, cotton and tur,&rdquo; the collector added.</p>

<p>With no crops to sell, and domestic expenses and other exigencies to meet, the Khule family borrowed from moneylenders. According to their bank records, they also have unpaid bank loans of about Rs. 50,000 over the last five years.</p>

<p>The Khules, who belong to the close-knit tribal Andh clan, are marginal peasant farmers. They have long been living hand-to-mouth, and Vishal Khule&rsquo;s death has only made life more precarious. His mother barely speaks, recounts their neighbour, Jankinath Khule, who recently retired from the government service as a naib tehsildar (a minor-rank revenue official). Vishal&rsquo;s two sisters, both married, are taking turns to return to the home to be with their mother, he said. Vishal&rsquo;s elder brother, 18-year-old Vaibhav, has dropped out of school after Class 10 and has taken to working odd jobs.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/04-imgp0671-jh-this_is_the_darkest_period_of_life-20171017064657.jpg" />
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<p>When her son collapsed with a thump, Sheela Khule rushed out of the kitchen to find Vishal lying on the floor (Others)</p>
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<p>According to Jankinath Khule, a village elder, Vishal&rsquo;s suicide was the culmination of his growing frustration with poverty, combined with a feeling of helplessness.</p>

<p>&ldquo;He would often talk with me about the village poverty and the difference between him and his schoolmates,&rdquo; said Khule, who Vishal affectionately called Khule kaka (uncle). &ldquo;[Vishal] spoke of his parents&rsquo; troubles, and was resigned to the fact that this situation would never end.&rdquo;</p>

<p>During the Diwali holidays in recent years, Vishal and Vaibhav would help their father in the fields. In 2015, the kharif crops &ndash; mainly soybean &ndash; had failed. Though the lentils they grew fetched a good price, inadequate rainfall had affected the yields. Vishal&rsquo;s father planted green gram in winter, thanks to the state government&rsquo;s distribution of free seeds to struggling farmers. But the relief measure did not work, villagers said, as there was no water or moisture in the soil to nurture the crop.</p>

<p>With no work in the fields, Vishwanath Khule said, the brothers went to Akola over the school break with friends to find a job that would pay a daily wage&nbsp;but came back empty-handed. Vishal was upset that he could not afford a pair of new clothes for himself, says Khule kaka, or help his father with the cash crunch.</p>

<p>Vishal&rsquo;s was not the only suicide of its kind. Last October, Latur district, about 400 kilometres from Akola, reported a suicide by the 17-year-old daughter of a farmer, a student in junior college.</p>

<p>In her note, Swati Pitale explained in some detail why she was committing suicide. She could no longer suffer the plight of her father, she wrote in Marathi and didn&rsquo;t want to be a burden on him. She would soon be of marriageable age&nbsp;and didn&rsquo;t want her father to incur additional expenses on her wedding. In the note, she made a plea to the banks and moneylenders her father owed. She asked them not to harass her father, for, she said, he would surely repay his debts once her elder sister was married.</p>

<p>Swati had stopped attending college for a while, as her monthly bus pass had run out and her parents did not have the money to renew it. Her mother borrowed Rs. 260 for the pass from a neighbour, but Swati had missed crucial classes and wasn&rsquo;t able to take the exam.</p>

<p>According to reports in the local newspapers, when Swati consumed pesticide in her family&rsquo;s fields in the village of Kingaon, her father had left home for Karnataka, in search of work.</p>

<p>Back in Dadham, Vaibhav looks nervous. He says he must work to keep the firewood burning. At 18, he is now his father&rsquo;s last hope &ndash; and perhaps his only support.</p>

<p>This <a href="https://ruralindiaonline.org/articles/this-is-the-darkest-period-of-our-life/#" rel="nofollow" target="blank">article</a> was originally published on 07/ 05/2016 on the <a href="https://ruralindiaonline.org/" rel="nofollow" target="blank">People&#39;s Archive of Rural India</a>.</p>

<p>Photo Credit: Jaideep Hardikar</p>


In the already distressed regions of Vidarbha and Marathwada, another tragedy has gone all but unnoticed: suicides by the children of debt-ridden farmers

What would Vishal do today, if he were alive? Perhaps the teenager would fly kites, or play with his friends. Maybe he’d work with his father on the family’s two-acre field or pick up an odd job for a daily wage as he occasionally did. He wanted new clothes, his parents remember. That’s all he had asked for. But Vishal Khule died last November, just 10 days after Diwali, by consuming a bottle of weedicide that his father had bought a few days earlier to spray on their crops. He was wearing a wrinkled white shirt and blue pants that day, the police report says. Vishal was not yet 16 years old. In Akola’s Dadham village: Vishal's father, Vishwanath Khule and his distraught mother Sheela (on the right); elder brother Vaibhav and their neighbour Jankiram Khule, Vishal’s ‘kaka’ (on the left) (Others) × “He collapsed here,” said his father, Vishwanath Khule, pointing to a spot beneath the window of the two-room shanty where the family lives. “His mother was in the adjoining kitchen, making chapatis. I was out there,” he added, gesturing toward the front yard. When her son collapsed with a thump, Sheela Khule rushed out to find Vishal lying on the floor, “a white fluid oozing out of his mouth.” The can of weedicide lay by his side, empty. Vishal died before reaching the hospital. Part of the two-room home where Vishal consumed a bottle of weedicide (Others) × “This is the darkest period of our life,” Vishwanath said. Dadham, with a population of 1,500, is among the poorest villages in this region. It is about 25 kilometres from Akola, a major city in western Vidarbha, Maharashtra’s cotton- and soybean-growing belt, which has been in the news since the mid-1990s for a continuing spell of farmers’ suicides. The region is reeling under successive years of drought and an agrarian crisis that has only gone from bad to worse. While the unabated spell of farmers’ suicides in rural Vidarbha and Marathwada, Maharashtra’s eastern and central regions, has been reported on and acknowledged by the government, a related tragedy has gone all but unnoticed: suicides by the young children of debt-ridden farmers. (Farmers’ children have taken their own lives in the past, but newspaper reports indicate that the incidence has spiked in the past two years.) While there is no specific data on suicides by children (under 18; or by youth under 20), in India as a result of agrarian distress, several studies and reports – from the 2005 door-to-door study commissioned by the Maharashtra government to subsequent studies on farm distress and suicides by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences and the Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research – have pointed to the impact of debt and distress on children in peasant households. Many adolescent children of farmers inherit their parents’ debts and are forced to take on adult responsibilities, dropping out of school, tilling the fields, succumbing to depression, and for girls, being married off early so the family has one less mouth to feed. Over the past decade, this writer has documented several such suicides, particularly in households where a suicide has already occurred. Sometimes farmers’ children commit suicide because they fear that if they don’t, their parents will, a phenomenon is known as ‘altruistic suicide’. In one particularly poignant case in 2005, 19-year-old Neeta Bhopat hanged herself in Aasra village in Maharashtra. In a neatly written suicide note in Marathi, she said: “If I don’t commit suicide, my father will [take his own life]; my family can’t even earn a thousand rupees a month. I have two younger sisters. My parents can’t bear the burden of our marriages when we don’t have enough to eat. So I am taking my life.” Nobody should be held responsible for her decision, she wrote. Committing suicide was the only way she could relieve her parents of some of their tension. Scarcity and struggle With a few months to go before the next kharif (monsoon) crops sprout, Dadham is still coming to terms with Vishal Khule’s suicide. Severe water scarcity is already testing the villagers this summer. The entire vicinity is arid. Local newspaper reports suggest that the groundwater table has fallen alarmingly. Dadham has to wait for tankers to supply water every alternate day, or people must trek several kilometres to fetch drinking water. And as if this is not difficult enough, no work is available in the village. “This is the worst year” of a three-season drought, said Akola district collector G. Sreekanth in his office earlier this year. “We began preparing for the coming summer in September last [year],” he added, even before the 2015 monsoon had officially ended. Like many districts in the Marathwada, Vidarbha and western regions of Maharashtra last year, Akola district received only 60 per cent of its average annual rainfall of 692 mm. “That’s around 500 mm rains,” said Sreekanth, “which may not sound all that bad, but we got 400 mm of that in two days, on August 4 and 5.” This meant the fields flooded and rainwater could not percolate into the ground. Such a downpour and a long gap between rainy days is a new and alarming feature of the changing monsoon pattern, according to studies by the Indian Meteorological Department and Pune’s Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology and other research institutions studying climatic aberrations. After August 5 last year, Akola didn’t see another drop of rain for 41 days, a devastatingly long dry spell. “Every crop failed: soybeans, cotton and tur,” the collector added. With no crops to sell, and domestic expenses and other exigencies to meet, the Khule family borrowed from moneylenders. According to their bank records, they also have unpaid bank loans of about Rs. 50,000 over the last five years. The Khules, who belong to the close-knit tribal Andh clan, are marginal peasant farmers. They have long been living hand-to-mouth, and Vishal Khule’s death has only made life more precarious. His mother barely speaks, recounts their neighbour, Jankinath Khule, who recently retired from the government service as a naib tehsildar (a minor-rank revenue official). Vishal’s two sisters, both married, are taking turns to return to the home to be with their mother, he said. Vishal’s elder brother, 18-year-old Vaibhav, has dropped out of school after Class 10 and has taken to working odd jobs. When her son collapsed with a thump, Sheela Khule rushed out of the kitchen to find Vishal lying on the floor (Others) × According to Jankinath Khule, a village elder, Vishal’s suicide was the culmination of his growing frustration with poverty, combined with a feeling of helplessness. “He would often talk with me about the village poverty and the difference between him and his schoolmates,” said Khule, who Vishal affectionately called Khule kaka (uncle). “[Vishal] spoke of his parents’ troubles, and was resigned to the fact that this situation would never end.” During the Diwali holidays in recent years, Vishal and Vaibhav would help their father in the fields. In 2015, the kharif crops – mainly soybean – had failed. Though the lentils they grew fetched a good price, inadequate rainfall had affected the yields. Vishal’s father planted green gram in winter, thanks to the state government’s distribution of free seeds to struggling farmers. But the relief measure did not work, villagers said, as there was no water or moisture in the soil to nurture the crop. With no work in the fields, Vishwanath Khule said, the brothers went to Akola over the school break with friends to find a job that would pay a daily wage but came back empty-handed. Vishal was upset that he could not afford a pair of new clothes for himself, says Khule kaka, or help his father with the cash crunch. Vishal’s was not the only suicide of its kind. Last October, Latur district, about 400 kilometres from Akola, reported a suicide by the 17-year-old daughter of a farmer, a student in junior college. In her note, Swati Pitale explained in some detail why she was committing suicide. She could no longer suffer the plight of her father, she wrote in Marathi and didn’t want to be a burden on him. She would soon be of marriageable age and didn’t want her father to incur additional expenses on her wedding. In the note, she made a plea to the banks and moneylenders her father owed. She asked them not to harass her father, for, she said, he would surely repay his debts once her elder sister was married. Swati had stopped attending college for a while, as her monthly bus pass had run out and her parents did not have the money to renew it. Her mother borrowed Rs. 260 for the pass from a neighbour, but Swati had missed crucial classes and wasn’t able to take the exam. According to reports in the local newspapers, when Swati consumed pesticide in her family’s fields in the village of Kingaon, her father had left home for Karnataka, in search of work. Back in Dadham, Vaibhav looks nervous. He says he must work to keep the firewood burning. At 18, he is now his father’s last hope – and perhaps his only support. This article was originally published on 07/ 05/2016 on the People's Archive of Rural India. Photo Credit: Jaideep Hardikar

'This is the darkest period of our life'

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