Prof M S Swaminathan feels the Maharashtra govt can end the distressing era of farm suicides in Vidarbha by mooting long-term strategies through the district.
District plans to be readied by the state govt hold the key
NAGPUR: Father of the green revolution Professor M S Swaminathan feels the Maharashtra government can end the distressing era of farm suicides in Vidarbha by mooting long-term strategies through the district plans to be forwarded to the Centre.
The plans are to be prepared by the state government to seek funds as per the National Development Council (NDC) meet held earlier this year.
“Through these district plans, slated to demand a share in the Rs25,000 crore funds earmarked for agriculture, the state government can bail out Vidarbha,” said the nominated Rajya Sabha member during his three-day visit to suicide-infested Wardha and Yavatmal.
Swaminathan, who spent most of his time interacting with farmers’ widows here to know their plight and needs, has committed his MP-LAD fund for setting up a centre for their empowerment. He is also setting up a strong collective of women farmers, including the widows, in the region.
“I’ve got some good insight into the conditions, based on which we will formulate a concrete action plan for generating income for the women farmers of the region,” he said.
Education to children and adults, training women in all kinds of agricultural work, mobilisation of women collectives and forming their federation or consortium and setting up remunerative market linkages are some of the things that the action plan for the farm widows’ empowerment envisages.
Swaminathan, who is the former chairman of National Commission for Farmers said that governments across the world supported their farmers, adding, “We too should be assuring our farmers of fair and remunerative prices.”
Speaking at a public felicitation programme organised by the Municipal Council of Pandharkawda in his honour, Swaminathan said, “As a child, I’d read about Vidarbha’s oranges and black cotton soil. It’s about time we end the sad era of farmers’ suicide. Let’s restore the same old glory of Vidarbha.”
As an acknowledgement of his commitment to the region’s farmers, who are passing through a “sad chapter of the history,” the Pandharkawda Municipal Council conferred on Swaminathan the “Vidarbha Mitra” award to which he said, “This is the best award I have ever received in my life.”
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