JOIN US'Nearly 12K Maha farmers committed suicide in 5 years'
For Kishor Tiwari, the veteran farmers' leader from agrarian-crisis affected Vidarbha region, Kishor Tiwari, said that it was not an easy decision to move from activism to active politics. Targetting the BJP's central and state leadership, he met Uddhav Thackeray had joined Shiv Sena. An engineer and an MBA by education, Tiwari (60) hails from Pandharkawada in Yavatmal district. He is the founder of Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti, a farmers' pressure group and the chairman of Maharashtra government-run Vasantrao Naik Sheti Swavalamban Mission. His exit from the larger fold of BJP is a personal setback to the Union road transport and highways minister - Nitin Gadkari - and chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.
"Both the Manmohan Singh-led UPA and the Narendra Modi-led NDA had failed in addressing the agrarian distress," Tiwari tells DH's Mrityunjay Bose in an interview.
Why did you disassociate from the BJP?
It was not a decision taken in haste. I was never a primary member of BJP but was supporting them for cause of farmers. I am an activist and will remain in activism. I did not see any change. Both the Manmohan Singh-led UPA and Narendra Modi-led NDA had failed in addressing the agrarian distress. And when I say agrarian distress, I am speaking if Vidarbha, Maharashtra and India. In fact, Uddhav Thackeray had been raising the issues of farmers constantly, persistently and effectively. It is time, he takes command of the situation.
What is the exact situation on ground?
It's terrible. In fact, it may not be the appropriate word to express. In the last 5 years, nearly 12,000 farmers have committed suicide particularly in Vidarbha and Marathwada. The families get no compensation. Government officials or politicians do not visit them. The crisis is deep.
But the government says the situation is good, the loan waiver scheme have yielded results.
I have extensively toured the state in recent months, particularly Vidarbha and Maharashtra. We all know that Vidarbha is epicentre of farm crisis of India. We know Marathwada is worst drought-affected region of the country. And now the floods have devastated half of Western Maharashtra. The situation is going from bad to worse.
Could you throw some light on the situation across India?
Today the scenario is really bad. Besides Maharashtra, other states that are affected are Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh Gujarat, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, and surprisingly, even Punjab, which was the cradle of the Green Revolution around 1960.
In what way the situation can change?
In long run, loan waivers will not be the only thing that would help farmers. The MS Swaminathan, was set up in 2004 to enquire into the agrarian crises by then agriculture minister Rajnath Singh in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-headed BJP government at the Centre. The panel submitted its report in 2008 to then agriculture minister and NCP founder Sharad Pawar but it was left on the self to gather dust. It suddenly catapulted into national limelight when Narendra Modi raised the issue, promising to implement the Swaminathan report, as part of his 2014 election campaign. Naturally, sensing hope, farmers voted hugely for the BJP. Once again the matter was relegated to backstage, and now has now been revived for the 2019 elections.