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Dear Ritika,

You are right. P. Sainath, most prominent among others, has been documenting and reporting on the deplorable conditions faced by small-scale farmers, Dalits and the rural poor for years. He has been consistently criticizing the government at all levels using marvelously detailed and incisive empirical evidence.  

That still does not diminish the importance of such a report that reaches a wider, international audience. I just had a session on rural economics and politics for a group of American students visiting India to whom the 'green revolution' or its link to farmers' suicides were completely new. The report's hard-hitting message is just as relevant to my local (urban) students, who may have already heard of these but will sit up and pay attention once they hear that this issue is being seriously discussed abroad as a violation of human rights in India. This is very important even if it just pricks the nationalist bubble created by the neo-liberal, right-wing "India Shining" bandwagon. The Indian state is waging a cold war against its own citizens, without evoking even a murmur of outrage from the comfortable urban middle-class, which is being wooed by some of the same multinationals that are driving the farmers to suicide. This can't continue.  

The report is available here: http://www.chrgj.org/publications/docs/every30min.pdf I plan to read it carefully and use it to whatever extent possible in my classes in the future. It could be a useful tool to bridge some gaps in people's conscience and consciousness (human rights activist Harsh Mander's words). 


Anibel


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
Dr. Anibel Ferus-Comelo 
Independent Scholar
Panaji, Goa 
INDIA 



Date: Tue, 7 Jun 2011 21:21:49 -0400
From: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: A Quarter of a Million Indian Farmers Committed Suicide in the last 16 years - one every 30 minutes
To: [log in to unmask]

Hey everybody,

There seems to be nothing really new about the new NYU report that has come out.

P. Sainath, a noted rural journalist has been saying this and lot more for the several years now. http://www.hinduonnet.com/2007/11/15/stories/2007111554771300.htm

I have just read and heard the democracy Now report - but it appears that the NYU prof has not even once provided a critical analysis on the role of the Indian State in promoting corporate capital (in general) and GM seeds (in particular). Why is this happening?

When Amy Goodman ask the prof about solutions - she said 'we need more accurate information'...my heart bleeds everytime I hear statements likes these. These solutions are too naive for the times we're living in...

Anyhow, if someone has access to the actual report, then I would love to read it. Please do share.

Ritika

--
Ritika Shrimali
Doctoral Candidate,
Department of Geography,
York University, Toronto
Canada
http://www.marxists.org/subject/art/literature/castillo/works/apolitical.htm