काय करतु आय बे. बेक्कारच बोर हुई राह्यल. मंग वीकएण्ड ले काय केल. तुमच काय आय भो. मोठे लोकाय तुम्ही. मी? काही नाही यार, तेच आपल. कर्‍याले काय असत आजकाल. पिक्चर पाहिले १-२ अन् फिरायले गेलतो. ‘पा’ पाहिला शुक्कारवारे. तूले सांगतो, अमिता बच्चन सारखा हीरो कुठेच भेटणार नि तूले. इतका सही केलाय त्याने तो ‘बुड्या’ पोराचा रोल की तूले वाटतच नी की बच्चन आय तो. पाहिला नशिन त पाही घे. सकाळी जायच , बेक्कार सस्त पडत. मंग ‘पा’ पाहिला अन् शनवारे दिल्या टांगा लंब्या करून. फक्त संध्याकाळे खराडि ले गेलतो रिलाइयन्स मॉलमधे. मॉल काय रे भो, सगडे सारखेच. पन आडि गर्दी कमी असते अन् माल बी चांगला र्‍हातो. थोडासा किराणा आणि साबण सुबन घेतले. झाल … १ दिवस सम्पी बी गेला.

दुसर्‍या दिवशी फिर्‍याले जायच होत. तूल त माहीतच आय की आपली फोटोग्रफी जोरात असते आजकाल. पण भेंडी हे जायाच कुठे प्रत्येक वेळी हाच प्रश्न पडतो. मंग ते तुळापूर नाही का. तेच ना बे , ते संभाजी महाराजाइले मारल नव्हत का. तडी गेलो मंग. सकाळी सकाळी गेलो मंग बाइक वर. थोडेफार फोटो घेतले भो अन् आलो परत १२ वाजे पर्यंत. मजा आली पन. च्या बही. सकाळी त लय थंडी होती अन् दुपारे बेक्कार उन पडल. मंग घरेच बसलो. म्हटला वीकएण्ड तर सम्पी चाललाय, आणखी एक पिक्चर टाकी देऊ. प्रभातचे शो वगैरे चेक केले पन तडी तो मकरंदचा पिक्चर लागेल होता. आपल्या ले त फक्त क्रिटिक-बीटिक चेच पिक्चर आवडता. मंग सिटी प्राइड ले ‘एक कप च्या’ पाहायले गेलो. पाहय भो. रियलिस्टिक पिक्चर आवडत असतीन न तरच पाहय हा पिक्चर. मस्त कोंकण दाखवलाय. अन् बस कंडक्टर सारख्या गरीब माणसाची स्टोरी आय. पिक्चर पाहून काय म. समपल सगळ. बही हे वीक एण्ड बी ३ दिवस पाहिजेल होते.

तू त काही बोलातच नाही आय. मले माहिती आय तूल टाइम नि भेटत. पन येत जाय मह्यासारख्या गरीबासोबत बी. चाल मंग. पुढच्या वीक एण्ड ले भेटू जमल त.

 Mr. Raghunath Mule
Bandi Dukaan, MArimata Marg, Lakshmi Chowk, Bhusaval, Dist- Jalgaon 425201
Tel 91-2582- 223899 Shop
Tel 91-2582- 243175 Residence

No need to buy DVR if it has no Ubuntu Linux driver – Digital Voice Recorders that do NOT work on your latest Ubuntu Laptop :

As an Indian user of high technology products to interface with my top quality and latest Ubuntu Linux PC Desktop or Laptop Computer from high technology companies – I have started REJECTING those peripherals and those companies which have not bothered to release free and open source Linux drivers for their devices. As with the best printers and high performance graphic cards, it is always best to do some research on whether a foreign company well known for manufacturing and distributing semiconductor and electronics gadgets that should work on USB port. Do check if they SUPPORT Ubuntu Linux or NOT before spending even one khota rupee on it.

Many white goods companies are going ballistic in advertising that they sell a ( High Quality ? ) product to Indian users and in Indian markets EVERY three SECONDS. But do these companies sell products that play well with your Ubuntu Laptop ?

Make sure before you buy. Let them WAIT for THREE HOURS before they sell a product to Indian consumers.

Olympus is one of those companies making small and tiny Digital Voice Recorders – (good for sting operations on Indian politicians who excel in buying Votes for Notes for Civil Nuclear Treaty and solving the power and energy crisis of Indians – hamara nara, ghar ghar mein bijli pahuchana …. )

Unfortunately Olympus has not bothered to release free and open source software drivers for their Digital Voice Recorders. As far as I am concerned Olympus Digital Voice Recorder is USELESS till it makes available free and easily downloadable software drivers to work with my UBUNTU Laptop running on BSNL Broadband Internet.

No point buying rubbish electronic junk and e-waste which DOES NOT work with Ubuntu Linux computers in India. And this will be public service of voluntary nature as Indian Ministry of Communication and Information Technology has hardly any guidelines for disposing electronic and computer junk and how to penalise those foreign companies which sell outdated technologies in India – Litter packaged up as Glitter . So before investing any rupees in more electronic junk and devices, ALWAYS check if it WORKS well with Ubuntu Linux.

-2008-Aug-08 : Walk-in For Freshers 2007 & 2008 Graduates / Diploma (Bangalore)

Job Posted Link: Walk-in For Freshers 2007 & 2008 Graduates / Diploma, Job at Bangalore – iGATE Global Solutions Limited,

-2008-Aug-08 : Fresher GIS Walk-in Interview (Hyderabad / Secunderabad)

Job Posted Link: Fresher GIS Walk-in Interview, Job at Hyderabad / Secunderabad – Stesalit Infotech Ltd

-2008-Aug-07 : DSP Firmware Engineer (Hyderabad)

Job Posted Link: DSP Firmware Engineer, Job at Hyderabad – QUALCOMM CDMA Technologies

-2008-Aug-07 : Interim Intern – Software Engineer (Hyderabad)

Job Posted Link: Interim Intern – Software Engineer, Job at Hyderabad – QUALCOMM CDMA Technologies

-2008-Aug-07 : Software Trainees In Java&J2EE,DotNet(ASP.Net &C#) And Testing! (Hyderabad)

Job Posted Link: Software Trainees In Java&J2EE,DotNet(ASP.Net &C#) And Testing!, Job at Hyderabad – HughSoft Software Services

-2008-Aug-07 : Undergrad Intern Technical 558335 (Bangalore)

Job Posted Link: Undergrad Intern Technical 558335, Job at Bangalore – Intel

-2008-Aug-07 : Looking for Web Design Freshers (Bangalore)

Job Posted Link: Looking for Web Design Freshers, Job at Bangalore – Softid Solutions

-2008-Aug-07 : Looking for Java/J2EE, .NET Freshers (Bangalore)

Job Posted Link: Looking for Java/J2EE, .NET Freshers, Job at Bangalore – Softid Solutions

-2008-Aug-07 : Trainee Engineers (Pune)

Job Posted Link: Trainee Engineers, Job at Pune – ThyssenKrupp Industries India Pvt. Ltd

-2008-Aug-07 : Diploma Engineers (Pune)

Job Posted Link: Diploma Engineers, Job at Pune – ThyssenKrupp Industries India Pvt. Ltd

-2008-Aug-07 : Technical Support Officers (Bangalore)

Job Posted Link: Technical Support Officers, Job at Bangalore – Convergys

-2008-Aug-07 : Fresher Openings For automobiles engineering (Kolkata)

Job Posted Link: Fresher Openings For automobiles engineering, Job at Kolkata – TIL India Ltd

-2008-Aug-07 : Freshers Web Admin (Chennai)

Job Posted Link: Freshers Web Admin, Job at Chennai – Ada India

-2008-Aug-07 : Fresher Call Center Agent (Chennai)

Job Posted Link: Fresher Call Center Agent, Job at Chennai – Leading MNC CMM Level 5

-2008-Aug-07 : Freshers B.Tech-Civil, Mech / IMIsoft Walk-in (Aurangabad, Jalgaon, Kolhapur, Mumbai, Mumbai Suburbs, Nagpur, Nasik, Navi Mumbai, Pune)

Job Posted Link: Freshers B.Tech-Civil, Mech / IMIsoft Walk-in, Job at Aurangabad, Jalgaon, Kolhapur, Mumbai, Mumbai Suburbs, Nagpur, Nasik, Navi Mumbai, Pune – IMISoft Engineering Pvt. Ltd.,

-2008-Aug-07 : Freshers Oracle Apps Functional – Financials Professionals (All Metros India)

Job Posted Link: Freshers Oracle Apps Functional – Financials Professionals, Job at All Metros India – Accenture Services Pvt Ltd

-2008-Aug-07 : Freshers Technical Support Executives (New Delhi)

Job Posted Link: Freshers Technical Support Executives, Job at New Delhi – BPO

-2008-Aug-07 : Freshers Civil Engineers (Pune)

Job Posted Link: Freshers Civil Engineers, Job at Pune – ThyssenKrupp Indusries Ltd

-2008-Aug-07 : Freshers Team Member (Chennai)

Heute Morgen 8 Uhr haben wir den Bahnhof in Jalgaon verlassen. An diesem Ort sind wir gewesen um uns die beruehmten AJANTA CAVES anzusehen. Das sind uralte Hoehlen, welche begonnen wurden zu bauen 200 v.Chr. Ein unglaubliches Bau – und Kunstwerk. Bis 800 n.Chr. lebten buddhistische Moenche in den Hoehlen, welche die Jahrhunderte zuvor von Kuenstlern in schoenster Art und Weise verziert worden sind. Sowohl die Steinmeisselarbeiten, als auch die Malereien sind ein fantastisches Monument dieser Zeit und beweist einzigartige Faehigkeiten.

An diesem Ort sind wir einen grossen Schritt vorangekommen in Punkto: Wir verstehen die Inder und koennen richtig mit Ihnen umgehen! Nachdem wir von den Hoehlen mit den gruenen Bussen zurueckgekehrt waren, haette kaum ein Weg an den Verkaufsbuden, in denen Eric in Stand 48 (!) schon sehnsuechtig auf uns wartete, vorbeigefuehrt. Nun wir waren aber schlauer. Als der Bus am Parkplatz ankam, erwartete Erik uns bereits und wies uns nochmal auf seine schoene Edelsteine und seine Standnummer hin, auch John mit den Postkarten und ein anderer Mann in leuchtend Orangem Outfit erkannte uns wieder. Wir sagten also, dass wir erstmal zur Toilette muessten. Dort gewesen, sahen wir einen kleinen Weg, der hinter den Toiletten auf einen Spielplatz fuehrte, welcher am Ende ein Tor aufwies, dass einen kleinen Spalt offen war. Wir gingen neugierig und zielstrebig aufs Tor zu und siehe da, standen wir auf der Strasse, welche geradewegs zur Hauptstrasse und somit zu unserer Bushaltestelle fuehrte. Es war uns gelungen, die Einkaufsmeile, welcher eigentlich kein Tourist im Anschluss an die Hoehlen entgehen kann, zu entwischen! Wir waren stolz auf uns, hatten wir auf diese Weise, uns doch eine Menge Stress, Nerven und “Nein Danke” und Geld gespart!

  निगडीत वृत्त : धर्मद्रोही अंधश्रध्दा निर्मूलन कायदा

A Come One Come All – Free Boot Camp for buddhiman, chalak and intelligent primary school students in Uttar Pradesh, who want to learn / use the latest and most modern software in the world is being held in August in Kanpur and Lucknow. Forget the IITians and outdated adult school computer teachers.

It is now time for children of India to learn the most adhunik open source software. No need to rely on costly engineers and teachers who themselves do not know much about Linux Ubuntu and how it is useful for learning the latest and free for all, software. after all if one has to make a career in software is it not best to learn free software like Linux rather than closed source and proprietary software in which one becomes a dumbo and a zombie, just punching out word processor documents ?

So come and join us for a free Linux Ubuntu Boot Camp in Kanpur and Lucknow. Learn One – Learn All.

Everyone will get a free CD of Ubuntu Linux Hardy Heron 8.04 which they can use to install on their own latest and most modern assembled computer in India, using the latest hardware and motherboards in Indian markets – straight from Taiwan semiconductor manufacturers – without need for any engineers or big companies selling outdated computers and preinstalled software.

With Ubuntu Linux CD you can practise on your own – how to fine tune your own computer for BEST performance.

Everyone is free to bring along some samosas, aloo tikki and dhokla to share with great Ubuntu friends who are generous with sharing latest Linux and Internet tips in Uttar Pradesh.

Hey, Mannu Bhai, Motor Chali pum pum pum – Chowpaty jayenge, bhel poori khayenga, acchhi acchhi sooraton se  ladayenge halla machaenge, gulla machaenge … band baaja bajega dhum dhum dhum …

Hey, Mannu Bhai, Motor Chali pum pum pum

Come and join the Ubuntu Linux revolution in Kanpur and Lucknow.

About Jalgaon
Jalgaon is one of the 35 administrative districts of Maharashtra located in the north-west region of the state. It is bounded by Satpuda mountain ranges in the north, Ajanta mountain ranges in the south, state of Madhya Pradesh in the east and Dhule district in the west.

Jalgaon is rich in volcanic soil which is well suited for cotton production. It is a major business centre for tea, gold, pulses, cotton and bananas. The district is equally famous for its proximity towards the World famous Heritage site Ajanta Caves (50 kms). The District has excellent rail and road connectivity and is a central destination to reach out to major places in India.

Some of the worth visiting places to name a few are: Sri Padmalaya Peeth, Pal (Natural Centre), Parola Fort, Swinging Towers of Farkande, Patnadevi , Unapdeo, Saint Muktabai temple, Omkareshwar Mandir and Manudevi Temple.

Esta série forma belos cristais tetragonais, com tons geralmente claros, desde incolor, branco, amarelo, rosado até verde. Tem dureza 4,5 a 5 e os  extremos da série são apofilite-(KF) e apofilite-(KOH) em substituição dos até agora fluorapofilite e hidroxilapofilite

Os cristais mais belos e acessíveis são provenientes do Decão Indiano, mas os exemplares das diabases e basaltos da Virgínia e New Jersey, nos EUA,  são também excelentes. Na Europa sublinhava os espécimes da Islândia e Feroe. As apofilites de Rio Grande do Sul, principalmente as do Túnel das Antas, são também de classe mundial. 

Série da Apofilite com pequenos cristais de Stilbite. Jalgaon, India, 9×4 cm, Colecção de Ricardo Pimentel. Foto de Dan Weinrich.

This is the second time Muslims are going berserk in Jalgaon and indulging in islamic terrorism (stone pelting, breaking rama’s idol during Ram Navmi procession etc) in less than a two weeks . Read full report in this hindu jagriti article

Muslims attack Hindus in Chopda : 2 Hindus die in firing

Rediff pseudo secular article:

Jalgaon: 2 killed, 15 hurt in police firing

April 23, 2008 12:37 IST
Two groups belonging to different communities clashed over playing of a song during a marriage procession, leading police to open fire which left two persons dead and 15 others injured in Jalgaon district, police said on Wednesday.

Curfew has been imposed in Chopda tehsil town following the clash on Tuesday night, they said.

Trouble started when members of a community started pelting stones, soda water bottles and bricks during a marriage procession following a song played (by another community) in the function, which enraged them, police said.

Police fired more than 25 rounds to control the communal clashes in the area, they said adding, curfew has been imposed in the town till 1800 hours to prevent further flare up.

Around 10 kiosks were set ablaze by the angry mob following which police opened fire to disperse the two clashing groups, they said.

Three persons, including an autorickshaw puller, were hit by the bullets, out of which two succumbed to their injuries and one was later admitted to the district civil hospital along with all the other injured, they added.

Security has been beefed up in the area following the clash and the police force has been deployed to ward off any untoward incident, police said.

Jalgaon again burns, two die

Dear Friends,

India FDI Watch along with its partner organizations calls for Halla Bol on 23rd February 2008 in all the major cities of India taking demonstrations to the doorstep of corporate stores. Militant demonstrations will be organized before the corporate stores as part of the action. In Kerala, Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samiti will organize a Halla Bol rally in Trichur on 23rd Feb. Lakhs of small shopkeepers are expected to join the rally to raise their voice against corporate retail.

The political resolution draft for XIX Party Congress of CPM says, “The Party firmly opposes FDI in retail trade as it will seriously affect the livelihood of millions of shopkeepers and small traders. The entry of big Indian corporates into retail trade has a similar effect. At present there is no law to restrict the entry of corporate sector. Taking advantage of this, companies like Reliance have entered retail trade in a big way. The CPI(M) has set out a policy document for licensing and regulating the entry of corporates in retail trade. Till the Central Government puts in place such a policy, the Left led governments should take steps to regulate their entry.” Leaders of the party informed India FDI Watch that West Bengal Govt. has decided to regulate the entry of corporates in retail trade according to its policy draft and a committee will be formed having traders and hawkers to issue licenses to corporations to do retail.

National Statistical Office (NSO) of South Korea reported that, Mom-and-Pop shops are disappearing from neighborhoods, losing to cutthroat competition against giant retail outlets and convenience stores. Korean Mom-and-pop shops are seeing sales drop. It says, – Losing the competition, these small retailers are disappearing from the market. According to the Bank of Korea, the number of these shops dropped to 585,996 in 2005, from 739,059 in 1995. Another statistic showed that an average 6.3 mom-and-pop shops closed down everyday between 2001 and 2006. The number of corporate stores, meanwhile, surged to 8,855 from 1,557, increasing 20 percent on average every year during the last 10 years.

Below is the link of an informative short video, reflective of the unsustainable wasteful consumption culture being developed by corporate retailers: – www.storyofstuff.org

In Solidarity !
Dharmendra Kumar
Director
India FDI Watch
M-09871179084
Email:dkfordignity@yahoo.co.uk, dkfordignity@gmail.com

Drug wholesalers of Mumbai boycott Subhiksha :

http://www.planetretail.net/NewsFeed/NewNewsFeed.aspx

Drug wholesalers of Mumbai have boycotted Subhiksha. Subhiksha has sent legal notices to drug wholesalers in Mumbai for withholding supplies. Subhiksha Managing Director R Subramanian said, “wholesalers have boycotted us and have stopped supplying medicines.
Wal-Mart did lobby Blair over Asda

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2008/01/27/cnasda127.xml

Details of a secret Downing Street meeting held between Tony Blair, the then prime minister, and a senior Wal-Mart executive just months before the world’s biggest retailer pounced on Asda have finally been released, some nine years after the £7bn deal was struck. The Sunday Telegraph can reveal that Bob Martin, the then chief executive of Wal-Mart International, complained at the meeting to Tony Blair about Britain’s restrictive planning rules. The minutes of the meeting, released last month by the Cabinet Office after a direct order from the information watchdog, lay bare the lobbying strategy employed by Wal-Mart before it bought Asda in July 1999. The three-page document exposes the frantic lobbying of a country’s leaders that top executives carry out before making a major acquisition.

Mom-and-Pop Shops Disappear As Giant Retail Shops Pop Up :

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/biz/2008/02/123_18403.html

Mom-and-pop shops are disappearing from neighborhoods, losing to cutthroat competition against giant retail outlets and convenience stores. According to the National Statistical Office (NSO), huge retail outlets like E-Mart posted sales growth of 9.8 percent last year. Mom-and-pop shops, meanwhile, are seeing sales drop. Small markets below 50 pyeong (165.3 square meters), excluding convenience stores, saw sales decrease of 2.9 percent. They were the only retailers to see sales fall. Losing the competition, these small retailers are disappearing from the market. According to the Bank of Korea, the number of these shops dropped to 585,996 in 2005, from 739,059 in 1995. Another statistic showed that an average 6.3 mom-and-pop shops closed down everyday between 2001 and 2006. The number of convenience stores, meanwhile, surged to 8,855 from 1,557, increasing 20 percent on average every year during the last 10 years. Retail outlets also explosively surged to 316 from mere 25 a decade ago, growing 28.9 percent on average each year.

Retail policy stuck over Rs 16 lakh bill :

http://sify.com/finance/fullstory.php?id=14596372

The Centre’s proposed retail policy seems to be stuck over, believe it or not, an uncleared bill of Rs 16 lakh. ICRIER, it seems, will not submit the report till this bill is cleared by the government. The government’s objective was to draw up a comprehensive retail policy from the findings of the ICRIER study.

WORLD SOCIAL FORUM: Mumbai Marches on Against Globalisation :

http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=40953

MUMBAI, Jan 27 (IPS) – There was grim determination on the faces of the 500-strong crowd that marched through the streets of this western port city for the World Social Forum’s Global Day of Action on Saturday.
Defiantly, they carried banners that read ’Another World is Possible”. The slogan — familiar enough in this city which hosted the WSF in 2004 — has a special ring to it because memories linger of a year-long strike in 1982, by some 250,000 textile mill workers, which failed.
“India’s retail sector is facing the onslaught of national and multinational corporations which will lead to the destruction of livelihoods of over 40 million people in the country,” said V. Shetty, lawyer and coordinator of India FDI Watch, an organisation spearheading a national campaign against foreign direct investment (FDI) in the retail sector, and the Vyapar Rozgar Suraksha Samiti (Committee for Protection of Livelihoods and Retailers), a coalition of small traders, hawkers and workers.
“Multinational chains have started selling vegetables at predatory prices, threatening the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of hawkers who make a subsistence income on this work. And Indian companies like Reliance, Godrej and the Birlas open retail outlets and lure middle-class customers with prices that are below cost, running “Mom and Pop” stores out of business after which they can hike their prices sky high, said Shetty. ”The ground realities are in complete contrast to stated government policies of not allowing FDI in the retail trade. Walmart, the largest company of any kind in the world, is slated for entry into India in 2008, in a joint venture with an Indian company.”

Reliance Fresh on Orissa govt watch list :

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Services/Retailing/Reliance_Fresh_on_Orissa_govt_Watch_list/articleshow/2738944.cms

NEW DELHI: Reliance Fresh could be headed for an Uttar Pradesh-like situation in Orissa with the state government learnt to have assured an India FDI Watch delegation that it will re-scrutinise the permission given to Reliance Fresh for opening outlets in Orissa. “We have been assured by a senior state government official that all possible steps would be taken for the rehabilitation of roadside vendors. The permission given to Reliance Fresh for opening outlets would also be scrutinised,†India FDI Watch director Dharmendra Kumar told ET.
India FDI Watch is a national association of small traders that is opposing big and foreign retail players. The Orissa government has, meanwhile, also offered a helping hand to the roadside vendors, notifying specific zones for them across the state.
To start with, 15 such vending zones will be opened in the Cuttack district of Orissa, aimed at rehabilitating roadside vendors, whose business has reportedly suffered major losses due to entry of organised retail players. Reliance Fresh has had a difficult time operating in the state. Even its launch in September last year was marred by violent protests from local traders and the company had to close down its Bhubaneshwar store for a couple of hours on the day of the launch itself.
The state government had also refused to extend any preferential treatment or additional security to the corporate giant.
Farmers urged to come under one umbrella :

http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Farmers-urged-to-come-under-one-umbrella/267068/0

The former Union agriculture minister and the CPI leader, Chaturanan Mishra urged the farmers’ organizations affiliated to different political parties in country to come under one platform to fight for the just cause. The conference passed a resolution demanding hike in the minimum support price (MSP) for paddy to at least Rs 1000 per quintal and that of paddy and that of wheat to at least Rs 1600 per quintal. It criticised the wheat imports done by the government at higher prices in 2006 and 2007, when ample wheat was available in the country. The government should have purchased wheat from farmers by raising the MSP, instead of buying wheat in the global market at higher prices, it said Expressing concerns over the government’s apathy towards the increasing incidences of suicides committed by farmers, the Bharatiya Krishak Samaj president, Krishan Bir Chaudhary demanded reversal of the anti-farmer policies. The resolution criticized the government for opening the doors to the corporate houses and multinationals in Indian agriculture and in the retail chains as this would lead to greater exploitation of farmers. The resolution also called for a ban on futures trading in agro commodities. The resolution also demanded a ban on genetically modified crops. The farmers have suffered huge losses on account of Bt cotton cultivation.

Mom, Pop stores impacted by big retail: ICRIER :

http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Mom–Pop-stores-impacted-by-big-retail–ICRIER/266673/

The neighbourhood kirana stores will initially feel the heat with the growth of big super markets and malls, Rajiv Kumar, Director of ICRIER, which has been entrusted with a government study on the impact of organised retail on Mom & Pop stores, said. “Small retailers will be initially impacted by the entry of large scale retail houses. However, the impact is likely to be diluted over a period of time”, Kumar said.

Draft Political Resolution For XIX Party Congress :

http://pd.cpim.org/2008/0127_pd/01272008_draft.htm

The Party firmly opposes FDI in retail trade as it will seriously affect the livelihood of millions of shopkeepers and small traders. The entry of big Indian corporates into retail trade has a similar effect. At present there is no law to restrict the entry of corporate sector. Taking advantage of this, companies like Reliance have entered retail trade in a big way. The CPI(M) has set out a policy document for licensing and regulating the entry of corporates in retail trade. Till the Central Government puts in place such a policy, the Left – led governments should take steps to regulate their entry.

Reliance to unveil new speciality format; plans to set up 100 AutoZone stores :
Having already launched its first ˜ AutoZone ” in the recently opened Reliance Mart (Hypermarket) at Jamnagar (Gujarat) on the 30th January, Reliance Retail, is ready to rollout a super speciality retail chain of auto stores across the country. Apart from selling auto spares and repairing two wheelers and four wheelers, AutoZone stores will also retail two wheelers and pre-used branded cars.Reliance plans to set up about 100 such AutoZone stores across the country, within a year.

Landmark group to undetake aggressive retail expansion; plans $500 mn. investment in 3 years :
indiaretailbiz.com

Landmark Group, owned by Dubai-based group of NRIs, which currently operates 19 stores under three retail chains across 9 cities in India, according to a Business Standard report, is planning to invest another $500 million in the next three years (by 2010) in the country. The group, in the past 10 years, since 1998, has invested $100 million in the country. Landmark group operates over 650 stores across West Asia, India, China and Spain. Landmark’s current operations comprise 13 Lifestyle stores, 5 Home Centre stores and a Babyshop store operating out of Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, New Delhi, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Vashi and Pune.

Reliance could soon foray into travel retail business :
To begin with, before venturing into full fledged travel business, the company would first like to leverage on the domestic and international travel business worth about Rs. 100 crore being generated by the group and on promotional schemes that offer travel related incentives like holidays to its retail customers. The company, incidentally, has already incorporated a subsidiary called Reliance Retail Travel & Forex Services Ltd. The new company appears to have tied up with Indian, the national airline, for up to 30% discount on airfares.

Kamal Nath defends retail FDI policy :

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2008/02/09/stories/2008020952401000.htm

Bangalore, Feb. 8 The Union Commerce Minister, Mr Kamal Nath, on Friday said that the government will continue to reduce customs duty but it will also ensure that every fiscal policy decision it takes stimulates economic growth. But he defended India’s policy on retail FDI stating that there was a need to protect smaller retail shops and the conditions in the country were different from other countries. “We need to see that the policy does not dislocate small retailers,” he told delegates at the India Sourcing Summit.

Birla Retail in talks with farmers’ co-ops for direct procurement :

http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Birla-Retail-in-talks-with-farmers—co-ops-for-direct-procurement/269189/

Bangalore, Feb 4 Even as India’s largest business conglomerate Reliance Industries is facing trouble over its retail venture over procurement of farm products, its competitor Aditya Birla Retail Ltd, the retail arm of the $23-billion Aditya Birla Group, is trying to overcome the hurdles by tying up with farmers’ cooperative societies. The company, that has set a target of establishing 1,000-1,500 superMarkets and has earmarked Rs 8,000-9,000 crore in the next five years, is planning to tie-up with cooperatives to procure fresh farm products, vegetables and fruits.

Spencer’s first hypermarket in Kolkata launched; plans to invest Rs. 2,500 Cr. in expansion :
Spencer’s, among the oldest names in retail sector, threw open the doors of its Hypermarket store on in Kolkata on the 1st Feruary, 2008. The store was opened by the group patriarch R P Goenka. Besides Kolkata, Spencer’s also operates hypermarket format stores in Mumbai, Gurgaon, Ghaziabad, Lucknow, Calicut, Hyderabad, Vizag, Vijayawada, Aurangabad and Durgapur. The group is planning to scale up its operations to 52 cities in the coming months.

Thousands protested to oppose the Bharti-Walmart Joint Venture

On the heels of the announcement of the Bharti-Walmart joint venture, thousands of traders, hawkers, farmers and workers protested across India. Protesters also included a group of American students who demanded that Wal-Mart not be allowed into India. Mass-based organizations called on the Prime Minister and Sonia Gandhi to immediately stop the Bharti-Walmart Joint Venture and not allow Wal-Mart’s backdoor entry into India. There was also a strong united call on all corporations—both foreign and domestic—to “Quit Retail”. The protests were timed to commemorate the start of the “Quit India” movement, which started on August 9, 1942, with mass-based sections of society drawing parallels to the East India Company and companies like Wal-Mart, Bharti and Reliance.

Agitations took place in the metro cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata along with other major cities including, Kalicut, Bhopal, Jaipur, Ranchi, Balia, Meerath, Sonipat, Nagpur, Nasik, Pune and Indore.

In Delhi, thousands of traders, hawkers, farmers and workers protested in Chandni Chowk, a historical market, and burned effigies of Wal-Mart, Bharti and Reliance. Dharmendra Kumar, Director of India FDI Watch and national coordinator of the Vyapaar Aur Rozgaar Bachao Andolan conducted the proceedings and told the agitators, “Both Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh have acknowledged the dangers of corporations entering into the retail sector. The Govt. has commissioned a report looking at the impact of the entire supply chain on livelihoods after Sonia Gandhi had written a letter of caution. Sonia Gandhi had also publicly refused to meet with Michael Duke, Wal-Mart Vice-Chairman during his visit in February after public demonstrations were held due to his arrival. However, both Sonia Gandhi and the PMO have remained silent on the Bharti-Wal-Mart deal and though they have publicly cautioned against corporations and commissioned a study, they have taken no subsequent actions. He demanded that the Wal-Mart Bharti joint venture should be immediately revoked and all corporations should be stopped until thorough study has been conducted by an independent special task force comprising of stakeholders.”

Shyam Bihari Mishra, President, Bhartiya Udyog Vyapar Mandal refered back to the British Raj, stating, “The East India Company, the most powerful company at the time, came to colonize India’s people and domestic and international trade and now Wal-Mart, the world’s largest company is trying to enter India to do the same. Mr. Mishra said India has a history of resistance, our people threw out the British and sixty years later if millions have their businesses and livelihoods threatened we will do the same now. He announced that family members of traders would boycott corporate stores.” Praveen Khandelwal, General Secretary, Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) said “The livelihoods of retail traders are at stake. If big retail giants like Wal-Mart and Reliance come into the country, small traders would be finished.” A mass campaign would be launched to strike back and make corporations realise that we will not let them ruin our livelihoods, he said.

Vandana Shiva, Director, Navdanya said “India is a land of retail democracy- hundreds of thousands of weekly haats and bazaars are located across the length and breadth of our country by people’s own self-organizational capacities. In a country with large numbers of people, and high levels of poverty, the existing model of retail democracy is the most appropriate in terms of economic viability and ecological sustainability.”.

Shaktiman Ghosh, General Secretary, National Hawkers Federation warned the government “about taking such strong stances against India’s millions of hawkers and small shopkeepers in favor of only a few huge corporations who seek to dominate the Indian retail market.”

Mr. Indu Prakash of Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Reform revealed the nexus between judiciary and corporate retail which led to the ceiling of shops of more than one hundred thousands of traders of Delhi and still goes on.

Mr. Bhati of Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh, Delhi, Harbhajan Singh Siddhu, National Secretary, Hind Mazdoor Sabha, Sunil Kansal, Secretary, Rashtriya Vyapar Mandal, Hakim Singh Rawat, General Secretary, Delhi Hawkers Welfare Association, Banwari Lal Sharma, President, Aazadi Bachaon Aandolan, R K Sharma, Secreatry, UTUC-Lenin Sarani and Venkatesh of Lok Raj Sangathan also addressed the protesters in Delhi.

In Mumbai, thousands of retailers, hawkers, workers and cooperatives participated in a one day trade bandh and a mass public event organized by the Vyapaar Rozgaar Suraksha Kriti Samiti, a joint action committee of trade associations, hawkers groups, trade unions and others. Leaders of Federation of Associations of Maharastra (FAM), Retail and Dispensing Chemists Association (RDCA), India FDI Watch, Mumbai Mahanagar Vyapari Seva Parishad (MMVSP), Mumbai Vyapar Mahasang (MVM), Apna Bazaar, National Hawkers Federation, Center of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and Hind Mazdoor Kisan Panchayat (HMKP) addressed the protesters. Mohan Gurnani, Convener of the Mumbai based Vyapaar Rozgaar Suraksha Kriti Samiti and President of the Federation of Associations of Maharastra (FAM) said “organised retaling would leave 20 crore people without jobs. Let the government first come out with a rehabilitation for these people and then it can open up FDI in retail”. Kishore Shah, President of the Mobile & Telecom Retailers and Distributors Association (MTRDA), stated that around 12,000 retail shop-keepers deal in SIM cards and recharge vouchers of Air-Tel in Mumbai, generating business worth crores of rupees every day. Mr. Shah said “We have already informed all our members, distributors and wholesalers against selling any Airtel products”. The Mumbai APMC—wholesale— market remained closed, along with thousands of retail shops across the city, including all chemists and druggists shops. Apna Bazaar, Maharastra’s largest cooperative store also downed its shutters and wholesale markets remained closed in Nasik and Pune.
At an evening event at Shanmukananda Hall in Mumbai mass-based groups laid out a future course of action and adopted a charter of demands. They called on the Center to immediately repeal the Wholesale Cash-n-Carry Permission, and all licenses granted under the permission; repeal the APMC Model Act, implement the National Policy on Street Vendors, take measures against predatory pricing and formulate a national policy on retail trade and small scale industries.

In Bangalore thousands protested at the town hall and burned effigies of corporate retailers like Wal-Mart and Reliance. The protest culminated in leaders presenting the Governor with a memorandum calling on the state to repeal the recent passage of the APMC Model Act. A Charter of Demands, same as was passed in Mumbai, was also placed before the District Collector. Smaller protests were organized throughout the state in different districts including Kodagu, Bijapur, Gulbarga and Davangere districts.

In Jaipur fifty American students joined with hawkers demanding that Wal-Mart leave India and demanding implementation of the National Policy on Street Vendors. The American students and hawkers demonstrated in the old city and held signs saying “Americans Oppose Wal-Mart Everywhere”. Ms. Cheryl, an American citizen, learning Hindi at Jaipur said that Wal-Mart has a disastrous impact on small shopkeepers and neighbourhood communities in America and called Indians to learn from their experience and not to allow Wal-Mart to operate in India. Ms. Cheryl said that the world is moving from ‘Corporate to Cooperative’ and Indians should not corporatize their cooperatives.

In Kerala the Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Egono Samiti organized protest marches in over 1000 places across the state. In Kalicut over 10,000 traders protested in front of the corporation’s office and submitted a memorandum demanding that corporations keep out of retail and the immediate halt to Wal-Mart’s backdoor entry and the repeal of the Wholesale Cash-N-Carry permission.

In Kolkata the Federation of Trade Organizations (FTO) of West Bengal organized protests in all the 12 districts of the city along with protests across West Bengal, including in front of malls. Tens of thousands traders participated in the protest. In the evening, thousands of hawkers took out a protest march from the city museum.

In Ranchi, Uday Shankar Ojha who led the vegetable vendors before Reliance Fresh in May and has only recently been released from Jail, led thousands of hawkers and vegetable vendors at Albert Ekka Chowk in Ranchi, demanding that Reliance Fresh and all other corporations leave the retail sector and “withdraw their sinister plans to displace millions of livelihoods”.

In Bhopal there was a state-level protest meeting in the morning at Gandhi Bhavan and traders sat on a dharna at Roshanara Chowk in the afternoon and burn effigies of Wal-Mart, Bharti and Reliance. A call for Bhopal Bandh was given for 21 August to oust corporate from retail trade.

Similar protests were organized in other cities including Allahabad, Lucknow, Meerut, Bagpat and Sonipat.

Every Student in Macedonia to use Ubuntu Linux Computer :

Canonical has announced that every student in Macedonia will be using an Ubuntu powered computer / workstation. This announcement has tremendous significance for Indian school children as well who are wondering why they cannot have Ubuntu powered computers and laptops.
———————-
http://www.ubuntu.com/news/macedonia-school-computers
Every Macedonian Student to Use Ubuntu-Powered Computer Workstations

Popular Linux Distribution To Appear On More than 180,000 Classroom Desktops Nationwide

LONDON, November 20th, 2007 – The Macedonia Ministry of Education and Science will deploy more than 180,000 workstations running Canonical’s Edubuntu 7.04 as part of its “Computer for Every Child” project.

The Macedonia “Computer for Every Child” project is one of the largest known thin client and desktop Linux deployments ever undertaken. Half of elementary and secondary Macedonia students attend school in the morning, and half attend in the afternoon, so 180,000 workstations will allow for one classroom computing device per student for the entire Republic’s public school population. The first 7000 computers pre-installed with Ubuntu were shipped on September 4th 2007

Ubuntu is the award-winning Linux distribution for the desktop, laptop, thin client and server which brings together the best of open source software every six months. It is free, community-developed and contains all of the necessary applications to be up and running immediately, from web browser to instant messaging. It also comes with English and Macedonian language packs.

“The Computer for Every Child initiative is the largest and most important education project undertaken in the 15-year history of the Republic of Macedonia,” said Ivo Ivanovski, Macedonia’s Minister for the Information Society. “By selecting Ubuntu as the operating system for all of our classroom virtual PCs, our education system can provide computer-based education for all school children within the limited financial and infrastructural confines that most institutions face today.”

“Macedonia is showing tremendous vision by deciding its own destiny in choosing how its children will learn through computing – said Mark Shuttleworth, founder of the Ubuntu project. “By choosing Ubuntu which is free to modify, use and redistribute it turns students into participants in Information Technology and not simply consumers of it.

The Ubuntu operating system will run on 160,000 virtual PC terminals and 20,000 PCs (which each also support a student on the attached monitor) supplied by NComputing and procured and installed by The Haier Company, a diversified manufacturer and PC maker based in China.

The project will enable a range of innovative educational programs, including interactive web-based classes in which specialized experts teach lessons in such areas as mathematics, biology, chemistry and physics to multiple schools and classrooms around the country.
About Canonical and Ubuntu

Canonical, the commercial sponsor of Ubuntu, is headquartered in Europe and is committed to the development, distribution and support of open source software products and communities. World-class 24×7 commercial support for Ubuntu is available through Canonical’s global support team and partners.

Since its launch in October 2004 Ubuntu has become one of the most highly regarded Linux distributions with millions of users around the world. Ubuntu will always be free to download, free to use and free to distribute to others. With these goals in mind, Ubuntu aims to be the most widely used Linux system, and is the center of a global open source software ecosystem.

Download Ubuntu from www.ubuntu.com/download. To learn about commercial support for Ubuntu, Kubuntu and Edubuntu, please see www.canonical.com/support. For more information visit www.canonical.com or www.ubuntu.com.

Kanpur and Lucknow computer dealers – who have for years been selling proprietary operating systems are suddenly realizing that they themselves know very little about Ubuntu Linux operating system for desktops. On top of that, they have not invested in teaching their own support staff how to install Ubuntu or Kubuntu on customer laptops and desktops – that is customers who want to work with the best legal operating system already available in the markets. Many of these computer dealers have not even found the time to read the installation instructions from the Ubuntu website – www.ubuntu.com

Naturally these assembled computer dealers associations in Kanpur and Lucknow feel that first they have to learn Ubuntu themselves – and then – they have to teach their staff how to install Ubuntu or Kubuntu in one hour. What a bother. Learning Linux is sooo painful.

So it seems that intelligent Linux savvy school children will now have to teach these outdated computer dealers and hardware box vendors the fine points of Ubuntu Linux installation on laptops and desktops. One wonders when the computer assemblers will start giving themselves a crash course in Ubuntu and Linux so that they can install it on their customer computers in just one hour.

But go and see the home computers of children in Kanpur and Lucknow from schools such as Methodist, Jaipuria DPS, Christ Church – these kids know much more about the ease of Ubuntu installations than these hardware vendors – many of whom do not even have free CD to give to the customer just in case the customer tells them just to quote them a price for the hardware box. Many customers are deciding it is best to arrange Ubuntu CD themselves. Maybe Computer Science departments of top colleges will start distributing Ubuntu free also. For after all if children can install Ubuntu from CD by themselves, so can customers. And then maybe finally the staff of the hardware vendors will also learn how to install Ubuntu.

Many children of course prefer Kubuntu Desktop version because the KDE desktop is better to look at for those who only know how to send emails and chat on the Internet.

And last, the computer dealers will themselves shyly one afternoon decide to learn it themselves.

Where to download Ubuntu from ? http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download

Displacing Indian Farmers : UPA Coalition Government Prepares Blueprint
India will have 400 million agricultural refugees :

By Devinder Sharma

It was on the cards. With Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announcing the formation of a new rehabilitation policy for farmers displaced from land acquisitions, it is now official — farmers have to quit agriculture.

Ever since the Congress led UPA Coalition assumed power after an angry rural protest vote threw out the erstwhile BJP led NDA combination in May 2004, the Prime Minister had initiated a plethora of new policies for the spread of industrialization.

After having laid the policy framework that allows private control over community resources – water, biodiversity, forests, seeds, agriculture markets, and mineral resources — the UPA government finally looked at the possibility of divesting the poor people of their only economic security – a meagre piece of land holding.

“Special Economic Zone (SEZ) is an idea whose time has come,” the Prime Minister had said at an award ceremony in Mumbai sometimes back. Supported by all political parties, including the Left Front, he has actually officiated a nationwide campaign to displace farmers. Almost 500 special economic zones are being carved out ( see The New Maharajas of India http://www.stwr.net/content/view/1392/37/ ). What is however less known is that successive government’s are actually following a policy prescription that had been laid out by the World Bank as early as in 1995.

A former vice-president of the World Bank and a former chairman of Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), a body that governs the 16 international agricultural research centers, Dr Ismail Serageldin, had forewarned a number of years ago. At a conference organised by the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation in Chennai a few years back, he quoted the World Bank to say that the number of people estimated to migrate from rural to urban India by the year 2015 is expected to be equal to twice the combined population of UK, France and Germany.

The combined population of UK, France and Germany is 200 million. The World Bank had therefore estimated that some 400 million people would be willingly or unwillingly moving from the rural to urban centres by 2015. Subsequent studies have shown that massive distress migration will result in the years to come. For instance, 70 per cent of Tamil Nadu, 65 per cent of Punjab, and nearly 55 per cent of Uttar Pradesh is expected to migrate to urban centres by the year 2020.

These 400 million displaced will constitute the new class of migrants – agricultural refugees.

Acerbating the crisis are the policy initiatives that promotes privatization of natural resources, take over of farm land, integrating Indian agriculture with the global economy, and moving farmers out of agriculture – in essence the hallmark of the neo-liberal economic growth model.

Agricultural reforms that are being introduced in the name of increasing food production and minimising the price risks that the farmers continue to be faced with, are actually aimed at destroying the production capacity of the farm lands and would lead to further marginalisation of the farming communities. Encouraging contract farming, future trading in agriculture commodities, land leasing, forming land-sharing companies, direct procurement of farm commodities by amending the APMC Act will only drive out a majority of farmers out of subsistence agriculture.

Although the land holding size is diminishing, the answer does not lie in allowing the private companies to replace farmers. Somehow the entire effort of the policy makers is to establish that Indian agriculture has become a burden on the nation and the sooner the country offloads the farming class the better it will be for economic growth.

Contract farming therefore has become the new agricultural mantra. Not realising that private companies enter agriculture with the specific objective of garnering more profits from the same piece of land. These companies, if the global experience is any indication, bank upon still more intensive farming practices, drain the soil of nutrients and suck ground water in a couple of years, and render the fertile lands almost barren after four to five years. It has been estimated that the crops that are contracted by the private companies require on an average 20 times more chemical inputs and water than the staple foods.

Sugarcane farmers, for instance, who follow a system of cane bonding with the mills, actually were drawing 240 cm of water every year, which is three times more than what wheat and rice requires on an average. Rose cultivation, introduced a few years back, requires 212 inches of groundwater consumption in every acre. Contract farming will therefore further exploit whatever remains of the ground water resources. These companies would then hand over the barren and unproductive land to the farmers who leased them, and would move to another fertile piece of land. This has been the global experience so far.

Allowing direct procurement of farm commodities, setting up special markets for the private companies to mop up the produce, and to set up land share companies, are all directed at the uncontrolled entry of the multinational corporations in the farm sector. Coupled with the introduction of the genetically modified crops, and the unlimited credit support for the agribusiness companies, the focus is to strengthen the ability of the companies to take over the food chain.

I have always warned that agribusiness companies in reality hate farmers. Nowhere in the world have they worked in tandem with farmers. Even in North America and Europe, agribusiness companies have pushed farmers out of agriculture. As a result, only 7,00,000 farming families are left on the farm in the United States. Despite massive subsidies in European Union, one farmer quits agriculture every minute. Knowing well that the markets will displace farmers, the same agriculture prescription is being applied in India.

A Planning Commission study has shown that 73 per cent of the cultivable land in the country is owned by 23.6 per cent of the population. With more and more farmers being displaced through land acquisitions, either for SEZ or for food processing and technology parks or for real estate purposes, land is further getting accumulated in the hands of the elite and resourceful. With chief ministers acting as property dealers, farmers are being lured to divest control over cultivable land.

Food security and food self-sufficiency is no longer the country’s political priority.

The government has very conveniently taken refuge behind an NSSO study that says some 40 per cent of the farmers have expressed the desire to quit farming. After all, what the government is facilitating is to make it easier for the farmers to abandon their land. It believes that a rehabilitation policy for the farmers therefore is the need of the hour. What is however not being seen through is that an agrarian economy like India cannot afford large-scale displacement of farmers.

It will lead to social unrest the kind of which has not been witnessed. What India needs desperately is a policy paradigm that restores pride in agriculture, stops take-over of agricultural lands, and ensures sustainable livelihoods for 600 million farmers.

Sharanarthi Blog – http://www.sharanarthi.blogspot.com

Yogesh Mali is happy the Jalgaon has been placed on the world map by the entry of Pratibha Patil in the presidential race.

When some changes happen in life, they really make you smile,they make you cry. One such morning brought a good news and it made me nostalgic about a city where I was born almost 25 years ago. Jalgaon , the city where I was born and brought up and where my parents and rest of the relatives live , has been placed on World’s map today in reality.

…

Pratibha Patil has done her college education from M.J.College,Jalgaon and further she graduated from Law College, Bombay. This is just to let you know that I was also in M.J.College for my 11th and 12th .
On serious matter, I don’t support her as a President. With the background of President APJ Abdul Kalam, the things should have changed and he should have persisted for President’s post. But finally it’s dirty game of politics. Morally , I support her for two reasons. First , she is the first woman candidate and second …..

Before Water Disappears – by Devinder Sharma

An Australian TV journalist asked me the other day: “Rice farmers in India are drilling millions of tube wells in a desperate search for water. Isn’t such over-exploitation of groundwater going to lead to a catastrophic situation in the years to come ? ”

The question was loaded, and coming from an Australian journalist whose own country was reeling under a serious drought for the sixth year in a row, it clearly showed that water had already turned into a major global problem. The magnitude of the emerging water crisis is such that it transcends national borders, and even continents.

It isn’t that only rice farmers are to blame. While rice farmers in India are consuming about 5000 litres of water to produce one kilo of rice, Australian farmers cannot shrug-off their role in over-exploiting the groundwater by saying that they do not produce much rice. Australia is a major beef-producing nation, and studies show that a kilo of beef requires 70,000 litres of water.

If you are rearing cattle only for milk, you are using more than 900 litres of water to produce a litre of milk. Wheat requires about 3,168 litres of water to produce one kilo of golden grain. Globally, a thousand tonnes of water is required to produce one tonne of grain.

Take the case of wheat and rice, the most common cropping pattern that is followed in the irrigated regions of the country. Both the crops require a little more than 8000 litres of water in a year to produce one kilo each of wheat and rice. This is a huge waste of water resources you will say. Now you know why the groundwater table has been steadily on the decline. There is an urgent need to change the cropping pattern goes the common refrain. Policy makers and business houses ask farmers to shift from wheat and rice to cash crops.

Shift to cotton or sugarcane or cut flowers. Somehow it is presumed that shifting the cropping pattern to these crops will ease the water crisis. The industry steps in, propagates a change in cropping pattern, without telling the nation that the alternative being suggested are going to suck the ground water supplies dry in a terribly short time. Irrigated cotton alone consumes as much water as is required by wheat and rice. Water requirement for sugarcane is four times more. And cut flower cultivation requires 20 times more water than cotton.

Over the years, first the induction of green revolution technology, including the high-yielding crop varieties, resulted in more and more mining of the underground water. Small farmers have drilled more than 22 million tube wells hundreds of meters below the surface. Water is being mined ruthlessly. As a result water table has plummeted to alarming levels. Despite the alarm bells ringing for quite sometime now, the fact remains that no one has cared to set the water balance right.

We all know that high-chemical input based technology has already exhausted the soils and ultimately led to the lands gasping for breath. With water-guzzling crops (hybrids and Bt cotton) sucking the groundwater aquifer dry, agriculture has collapsed. Indian farmers are drawing out 200 cubic kilolitres of water from the underground strata every year. Not even a fraction of this is being added back to the groundwater resource.

Instead, the Ministry of Agriculture has been unabashedly advocating crop diversification, mostly cut flowers. Tamil Nadu is the latest among the States beckoning farmers to have a share in the US $ 40 billion global floriculture trade. Karnataka, Maharashtra, Punjab, Haryana and Gujarat have already done the damage. Sops are being announced to attract farmers to cultivate roses, carnations, gerbera and other cut flowers. State governments are providing attractive and handsome financial packages including subsidies, technical backstopping, extension and post-harvest management support.

What the Ministry is not telling is that the cut flower cultivation will hasten the process of water depletion leading to desertification. Rose cultivation requires on an average about 212 acre inch or 212 inches of water in an acre of land.

Let us now look at the damage already done. In Punjab, the food bowl of the country, of the 138 development blocks, 108 have already been declared dark zones. The level of groundwater exploitation in these blocks has been in excess of 98 per cent against the critical limit of 80 per cent. In Uttar Pradesh, the Central Ground Water board has identified 22 overexploited and critical blocks in the state, of which 19 blocks are located in western UP (comprising the sugarcane belt). Similarly, out of the 53 semi-critical blocks identified, 28 are located in western UP. Water table has already plummeted to a level that agriculture is becoming an unviable proposition.

Faulty cropping pattern is amongst the main reasons for the resulting water crisis. All these years, the dryland regions of the country, which comprise nearly 75 per cent of the total cultivable area, have increasingly come under the hybrid crop varieties. While the crop yields from the hybrid varieties was surely high, the flip side of these varieties – these varieties are water guzzlers – was very conveniently ignored. For the sake of comparison, let us take the example of rice.

The high-yielding varieties of rice normally require about 5000 litres of water under drylands to produce one kg of rice. Common sense tells us that the rice varieties cultivated in the dryland regions of the country should be those that require less amount of water. What is in reality happening is just the opposite. Large proportion of the cultivable lands in drylands are now sown with hybrid rice varieties which require still more water for growing, its requirement of water touches 7000 litres for one kilo of rice grain.

Strange that in Punjab, which has assured irrigation, only high-yielding rice varieties are cultivated which require relatively less water. In the rainfed parts of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, hybrid rice varieties, which require roughly twice the quantity of irrigation water (than Punjab), are grown abundantly.

Not only rice hybrids, all kind of hybrid varieties that require higher doses of water – whether it is of sorghum, maize, cotton, bajra, and vegetables are promoted in the dryland regions. In addition, agricultural scientists have misled the farmers by saying that the dryland regions were hungry for chemical fertilisers. Add to this the thrust on contract farming, which requires more chemical inputs and water will turn the dryland regions barren in the years to come. Water table will plummet beyond reachable limits, as a result of which the impact of deficient rainfall will become more pronounced forcing farmers to abandon agriculture and migrate. This is what normally leads to famines.

We want to encourage cash crops farming because we want the farmers to earn more from international trade. This makes sense only if crops (including food crops) were being hydroponically cultivated in the Indian Ocean. To produce crops for export therefore defies any sensible logic. A former Vice-Chancellor of the Punjabi University, Patiala, Dr S S Johl, puts it more succinctly. He says that when Punjab exported 18 million tonnes of surplus wheat and rice in 2003-04, it actually exported 55.5 trillion litres of water. Feeding this surplus grain to the domestic population obviously makes sense, but exporting such huge quantities of scarce water to the foreign countries comes with a huge social and environmental cost.

Commerce Minister Kamal Nath will surely like to turn a deaf ear to these words of wisdom from Dr Johl. He is happy reiterating in Parliament that the speedier completion of the Doha Development Round of the World Trade Organisation will give a boost to agriculture exports. Unfortunately, the gains in trade are not at all being measured in terms of the water crisis ahead. The cost of production of wheat and rice (and other crops as well) does not include the cost of water. Imagine if 5000 litres of water that is required to produce one kilo of rice were to be measured as an input cost, rice would go beyond the reach of even Mukesh Ambani and Sunil Mittal.

The urgent need therefore is to draw a cropping pattern based on the availability of groundwater and the surface water irrigation. Instead of looking up to grandiose schemes like US $ 200 billion Interlinking of Rivers to distribute water, the thrust should be to draw a balance sheet for agriculture linked to water availability. Britain had also considered inter-linking of rivers as a solution to water crisis but dropped the idea when it became know that it wouldn’t serve the purpose.

Interlinking of rivers is being pushed in the name of ushering in a second Green Revolution. A similar grandiose irrigation scheme, called the Sharada Sahayak Irrigation network was launched at the time of Mrs Indira Gandhi to bring about a green revolution in eastern parts of Uttar Pradesh. While eastern UP still is looking for that elusive green revolution, the same will be the outcome of the flawed plan to inter-link India’s rivers. The latest report of the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India (CAG) for the State of Gujarat is a pointer to the shape of things to come.

The CAG report for the period ending March 31, 2006 shown that bulk of the water from the Sardar Sarovar Project meant for the drought-prone villages of Kachchh have been diverted to non-drought prone areas of the region and to the industries of Gandhinagar. The most glaring diversion was of 255 million litres per day to Gandhinagar, which was not covered under the master plan.

It is no use stressing on popular water conservation schemes without first taming the industry. Few know that to produce a tonne of steel, we require about 1 lakh litres of water. Each golf course (and there are nearly two dozen in the National Capital Region of Delhi) consumes an equivalent quantity of water daily that would have sufficed the need of 18,000 middle-class households. What is the use of saving water in the parched and arid lands of Rajasthan if we allow the marble industry, producing almost 91 per cent of total marble in India, to guzzle every hour around 2.75 million litres of water. No wonder the majestic lakes of Rajasthan have all gone dry.

But who cares ?

It is easy to blame the politicians and policy makers. What we forget is that you and me too are responsible for the water crisis. As long as we don’t look beyond the statistics and analysis that appears in the newspapers, we too are part of the conspiracy of silence.

VIDARBHA JAN ANDOLAN SAMITI -

REGD. OFFICE: 11, TRISARAN SOCIETY, KHAMALA, NAGPUR – 440 025.
PH. 2282447/457 MOBILE-9422108846. vidarbha@gmail.com

REF: – FARMER’S SUICIDES
DATED-18th June, 2007

Ø HUNDERES OF FARMERS STARTED DHARANA AGITATION BEFORE BANK FOR FRESH CROP A S BANKS REFUSED TO GIVE FRESH  CREDIT TO  FARMERS IN VIDARBHA .
MOHAN DHARIA SUPPORT VIDARBHA FARMERS LOAN WAIVER STIR
NAGPUR-18th June 2007

HUNDREDS  OF FARMERS STARTED AGITATION FOR FRESH CROP LOAN

The reported decision of NABARD that “The decline in credit allocation targets is surprising in the context of Centre’s directives to banks to double flow of credit to the agriculture sector in three years starting 2004-05,” VJAS leader kishor tiwari informed .vidarbha farmers wills strongly protest and we will not only restore credit outlay to Rs.3, 300 crore but will have loan waiver too, kishor tiwari added.

Hundreds  farmers of Yavatmal distt. started DHARANA AGITATION before Central Bank of India  Pandharkawada Branch in Yavatmal District demanding fresh crop loan to every defaulter farmers will over due loan waiver,Kishor Tiwari said.

It is complete injustice with west dying cotton farmers as most of the growth in priority sector lending has gone to districts in Western Maharashtra and Marathwada, largely due to SHARAD PAWAR NCP base regions as compared to Vidarbha. For instance, Pune gets a 91% rise in its credit allocation target. NABARD is acting against the   agriculture sector plan for six districts of Vidarbha was prepared based on the last three years’ trend though an upward revision of Rs 1,275 crore was made specially under the PM’s relief package during 2006-07.
“The PM’s package, among other factors, rightly appreciated lack of an extensive network of formal credit in Vidarbha as one of the root causes of suicides. Cutting down on credit allocations for this reason amounts to punishing Vidarbha for being chosen for the PM’s package, now cotton farmers are left at mercy of private money Leander inviting more farm suicides.

Now time has come for separating vidarbha state from maharashtra due complete contrast in fiscal condition and increasing backlog of region and we will press this demand in future too if we are being neglected and forced to kill ourselves ,kishor tiwari added.

CREDIT IS THE MAIN CAUSE OF RECENT SUICIDES
As bankers have stopped giving fresh crop loan and drop down the credit facility by 40% as per NABARD order ,debt starved cotton farmers are killing themselves, Kishor Tiwati Vidarbha Jan adndolan Samiti informed today.

When Indian finance minister submitted his annual budget for year 2007-08, it was warmly welcomed as “agriculture budget” but in result as per order of NABARD bankers association has taken decision to suddenly drop down the credit outlay for vidarbha cotton farmers .as reported the credit bonanza for farmers in Vidarbha seems to be over. After aggressive lending in the previous fiscal, the credit allocation targets set under the annual credit plan for 2007-08 for six districts of Vidarbha show a steep decline. Incidentally, these are the districts that have been reporting maximum farm suicides and where farmers’ dependence on illegal money-lenders has been one of the root causes .

Credit lending targets for six districts have been revised downwards compared to last year, as per recent decision of bankers association. In 2005-06 fiscal, banks disbursed credit of Rs 765 crore in six districts. But thanks to the PM’s package, the crop credit shot up to Rs 2,033 crore in the last fiscal. The current plan, however, allocates only Rs 1,683 crore for crop credit For instance, Yavatmal district, which has reported maximum suicides, has been earmarked a target of only Rs 434.96 crore which is almost a 30% decline from its 2006-07 target. Washim district shows a decline of 41%, Akola 36%, and Buldhana 38%, against the previous fiscal’s targets. District credit plans have been finalised on the basis of broad guidelines prepared by NABARD.

MOHAN DHARIA SUPPORT VIDARBHA FARMERS LOAN WAIVER STIR
veteran Gandhian leader mohan dharia has in letter to VJAS  supported vidarbha Cotton farmers stir for fresh credit and complete loan waiver in fact he was indefinite fast last year and Maharashtra govt. promised to fulfill is demands but then back out.VJAS leader has announced that next step of agitation will be held before bank of maharashtra patan branch on 2nd july 2007, release added.

Kishor Tiwari
President
Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti
Email : vidarbha@gmail.com
Contact – 094221 08846

Cricketers Maharashtra Ministers and Indian Cattle

Graze Cattle on Indian BT Fields ? Trust Indian Dairy Products ? Think Again ! !

If you are reading this news item in English, chances are that you are lucky not to be grazing sheep and cattle on Indian BT cotton fields of Andhra Pradesh. However, if you are a non vegetarian, be ready for taking risk assessments for your own health if you eat meat from sheep grazed on Indian farms.

Indian Agriculture ministers have a very dubious record of justifying acceptable limits of pesticides in the milk that Indian mothers feed their new born babies.
Indian sheep have been dying of mysterious reasons, totally unexamined by Indian agricultural and scientific establishment. Maybe Indian agricultural research establishment is composed of only of scientists who are totally vegetarians.
Courtesy leading Indian daily Hindustan Times :

http://www.hindustantimes.com/storypage/storypage.aspx?id=668d24de-52af-419a-b448-f816af6960e5&MatchID1=4469&TeamID1=2&TeamID2=4&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1=1110&PrimaryID=4469&Headline=’Bt+cotton+fields+can+kill+farm+animals’

The Andhra Pradesh government has advised farmers not to allow animals to graze on Bt cotton fields after four institutes reported the presence of toxins in them.

Goats and sheep grazing on post-harvest Bt cotton fields were found dead in Warangal and Adilabad districts in 2006 and in the first two months of 2007.

The Andhra Pradesh Forensic Science Laboratory, the Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, the Western Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory and the department of agriculture, NG Ranga Agriculture University found the presence of nitrates and nitrites, and residues of organophosphates in Bt cotton plants.

Dr L Mohan, director, Andhra Pradesh animal husbandry department, said: “The deaths have resulted in huge economic losses for farmers.”

Andhra Pradesh, which had earlier moved the Monopolistic and Restrictive Trade Practices tribunal against the high price of Bt seeds, said no bio-safety studies of Bt cotton seeds had yet been conducted.

MK Sharma, managing director, Mahyco-Monsanto Biotech India Ltd, makers of the genetically modified Bt cotton, said: “Bt cotton is being grown in nine states, and no such complaint has come except from a few villages in Andhra. We conducted safety studies before the trials and all Bt seeds were found to be safe.”

The Andhra government has informed the union ministry of environment and forests about its findings. The ministry has ordered a probe.

Email : chetan@hindustantimes.com

NDC and Agriculture - Krishi Bhasha Sambhrant Varga Aur Bharat -
Right Language, Wrong Direction : By Devinder Sharma

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had time and again promised to launch a major initiative for the revival of the ailing farm sector. Addressing recently the 53^rd meeting of the National Development Council (NDC) in New Delhi, he used the right vocabulary to highlight the enormity of the prevailing agrarian crisis.

If words alone could deliver, Congress-led UPA Coalition would have done it long ago. But like the story of the four blind men and the elephant, the Prime Minister, his Cabinet colleagues and the 29 chief ministers who were present continued to shoot in the dark. Three years into power, it is quite apparent the government has no clue as to what needs to be done to resurrect agriculture.

It was almost a year back when Mr Manmohan Singh had visited the suicide-prone belt of Vidharbha and announced a relief package of Rs 3,750-crores. Embarrassed at no let-up in the number of farmer suicides, he had subsequently said that the relief measures would begin to show results after six months. It sure did. Six months after the Prime Minister’s visit, the suicide rate doubled. From one farmer suicide every eight hours, it is now one every four hours.

The Rs 25,000-crore booster for new farm initiatives to be launched by states in the next four years, and the 14-point resolution adopted by the NDC which aims at achieving four per cent growth in agriculture by the end of the 11^th five-year plan, falls in the same category. With the entire focus on integrating domestic agriculture with global economy, and bringing in agribusiness, corporate agriculture and food retail as the saviour, the roadmap being chalked out is likely to lead to further despair.

Ploughing Rs 25,000-crore into agriculture may seem like a mammoth effort to double the growth rate in agriculture. For each of the 29 states, the average support will not exceed Rs 1000-crore, which is nothing more than a drop in the ocean. Moreover, what is not being visualised is that the farm crisis has nothing to do in terms of growth rate. It essentially revolves around declining sustainability in agriculture and the economic viability of farming. Whatever be the new location-specific schemes the states may launch, nothing significant can be expected unless the real farm income goes up.

Take Punjab, the food bowl of the country. Farm indebtedness, both in the formal and informal sector, is around Rs 26,000-crore, more than the Centre’s total pledged allocation for the entire country. No amount of renewed thrust on increasing crop productivity, and that too without restoring the highly devastated natural resource base, as well as raising farm incomes, will revive agriculture. However, the 14-point resolution dividing responsibilities between the Central and the State governments makes little mention of sustainability and boosting farm incomes.

To expect the agricultural universities and the state extension machinery to draw up research plans considering region specific priorities taking agro-climatic conditions, natural resource issues and technology into account is a tall order given that the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has already moved away from subsistence to commercial agriculture. The Indo-US Knowledge Initiative in Agriculture Research, Development and Marketing, launched in early 2006, provides for a diametrically opposite research direction.

The crucial issue of technology fatigue cannot be addressed without first ascertaining what and where has the 1^st Green Revolution gone wrong. Instead of pushing 2^nd Green Revolution (read agribusiness), the effort should have been to draw a balance sheet and then prepare a cropping pattern plan based on the availability of natural resources. For instance, it does not make any sense to cultivate sugarcane and cotton in the arid and parched lands of Rajasthan.

The action plan only focuses on improved seed supply, fertiliser availability and revamping of state agriculture extension system to reduce yield gaps. It also makes it mandatory for states to make amendments in Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee Act by March 2008, which will allow a variety of marketing trappings including contract farming and corporate agriculture. In essence, the entire focus of the farm strategy is to allow the private sector to take control of agriculture.

Although till date, 16 states have amended the APMC Act, some wholly and others partially, the fact remains that the entire effort of the government is to dismantle the food procurement and public distribution system in the days to come. By amending the APMC Act, the government is actually encouraging development of linkages to markets through a variety of instruments including contract farming and corporate agriculture. Such a system has already played havoc with wheat procurement forcing the country to turn into the world’s biggest importer of the golden grain.

Setting up a time-bound Food Security Mission by enhancing production of wheat, rice, pulses and edible oils comes at a time when the UPA government itself is lowering the custom tariff thereby allowing cheaper imports. Integrating Indian agriculture with global economy defeats the very purpose of ensuring food security. Take the case of edible oils. India was almost self-sufficient in edible oils in 1993-94. Ever since the government began lowering the tariffs, edible oil imports have multiplied turning the country into the biggest importer. Small farmers growing oilseeds and that too in the rainfed areas of the country had to abandon production in the light of cheaper imports.

Autonomous liberalisation of the farm sector has already seen import surges. Agriculture commodity imports have gone up by 300 per cent between 2000-2004. Coconut oil imports for instance increased from 7291 metric tonnes in 2004-05 to 22,307 metric tonnes in 2005-06. The import of pepper similarly increased from 2186.3 tonnes in 1995-96 to 17,725.3 tonnes in 2004-05. These are not isolated cases. Imports of spices and plantation crops including tea and coffee have been on an upswing. Importing food commodities is like importing unemployment.

Not even remotely concerned, the government is planning to further open up farm imports under the Free Trade Agreement with the ASEAN countries. In the years to come, import tariffs on wheat, rice, pulses and edible oils – the crops that are considered crucial for food security – are to be further lowered. Cheaper imports will negatively impact food security. Unless of course the government thinks food security can be assured by buying food off-the-shelf.

For a country like India, with 60-crore farmers, such a policy imperative will spell doom. Indian farmers are not only producers but also consumers. What is needed is a farming system that allows production by the masses in a sustainable and viable way.
PM and NDC – http://docs.google.com/View?docid=df7vhcvn_0f3hjs7

Seen as further damaging chances of recovery

Yet another outbreak of avian influenza, this time at Jalgaon in Maharashtra, has come as a dampener to the poultry industry, which was getting back on track after a major crisis.

“This outbreak could further damage our chances of recovery,” said Mr Bharat Tandon, Chairman, Compound Live Stock Feed Manufacturers Association of India. “We have to learn to live with it,” he said.

The losses to the entire industry after the first outbreak of avian influenza would be Rs 4,000-5,000 crore.

Following the first outbreak of avian influenza, retail sales of poultry products are yet to pick up even as institutional sales have commenced. “The defence services, railways and airlines have put back chicken on their menu but unless retail sales pick up, profit margins would remain severely under pressure for the industry,” said Mr Tandon.

“The industry is just about on the road to recovery though prices have not picked up,” said an official of Venkateshwara Group.

Retail sales of poultry products account for the bulk of sales, though institutional sales have helped an improvement in offtake to a certain extent.

“The poultry industry has been severely impacted by the outbreak of the avian influenza. Many of the small farmers would be hit badly as they have not been able to cover their cost of production,” said Mr Tandon. The bigger farms may be able to edge back as volumes help where margins are thin.

Prices, which had fallen as much as 40-50 per cent, have edged up but are still far from their normal prices. “With this Jalgaon episode, prices could fall,” Mr Tandon said. As Jalgaon is not a high-density area, chances of the disease spreading could be low.

Educating farmers

Meanwhile, the poultry industry is stepping up efforts to educate farmers on bio-security measures.

Faced with bleak prospects, following the outbreak of avian influenza, farmers, including those involved in backyard poultry, are being forced to take bio-security measures seriously, industry representatives said. The big poultry firms are asking their farmers to step up bio-security measures, Mr Tandon said.

Although the industry claims that bio-security measures have been implemented quite stringently, at the field level there are indications that the birds are kept in unhygienic conditions that could lead to spread of diseases.

However, there has been no transmission of the flu to humans so far, said Dr Vijay Satbir Singh, Secretary, Public Health Department, Maharashtra Government.

Hindu Business Line