In Incredible India, spare a thought for the farmer

Sudheendra Kulkarni 

“India won freedom 60 years ago, but the Indian kisan has now become a slave in his own country.” Harsh words. They were spoken by Nagi Reddy, a sugarcane grower from Mumbojipalli in Medak district in Andhra Pradesh. “Every other producer of a commodity determines its selling price. The only unfortunate exception is the farmer; the price of his produce is decided not by him but by the buyer.” Scores of hands clapped in assent.  

Both the place and the occasion for expressing this grievance were significant. Some 50-odd farmers from Telangana in Andhra Pradesh had gathered under a tree near Gandhiji’s Samadhi at Rajghat on October 2. They had come marching from Jantar Mantar, where they had been sitting on a dharna, both to pay homage to the Mahatma and to highlight that his dream of ‘Gram Swaraj’ has turned into a cruel joke for India’s grameen janata.  

“More and more farmers in Telangana, especially those with small landholdings, are committing suicide, unable to bear the burden of debt as well as the heavier burden of humiliation and injustice at every step,” said D. Vasant Kumar, a young man in his early twenties who was leading the agitation. “People in Delhi do not know the gravity of the crisis facing the farmers.” (more…)

Colours of change

JANHAVI ACHAREKAR

An exhibition of paintings in Mumbai by artists from Hyderabad tries to capture the evolving textures of a fast-changing city.

NRI Telanganites organised a big protest in New York alleging that will of the people and the electoral promises of a separate Telangana were ridiculed by Sonia & Co now talking of truth and non- violence at the UN.

Protestors demanded separate Telangana NOW as the only proof its respect for truth and electoral mandate

Telangana  supporters abroad held the historic protest reflecting the spirit of people in ten districts! We want Telangana NOW!

Our rivers, our jobs, our future and our Telangana

No more promises and excuses and elections!!

find picture tale of the protest from TNRIs and news

 Indian-Americans protest against Sonia at UN

October 03, 2007 rediff.com

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“ఏ దేశ చరిత్ర చూసినా, ఏమున్నది గర్వ కారణం, నర జాతి చరిత్ర సమస్తం, పర పీడన పరాయణత్వం” అన్నాడు మహాకవి శ్రీ శ్రీ. ఇందుకు ఆస్ట్రేలియా చరిత్ర మినహాయింపేమీ కాదు. ఆస్ట్రేలియా చరిత్ర గురించి చిత్ర విచిత్రమైనవీ, పరస్పర విరుధ్ధమైనవీ అయిన వాదాలెన్నో వున్నాయి.
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Killer Polavaram Dam must be changed into a Barrage to save people
 
To save the Bhadrachalam’s most sacred Rama Temple and several tribal villages from submersion by the Polavaram dam which can be made people friendly by converting it into a barrage the arguments to be advanced by Chattisgarh and Orissa in the Supreme Court are likely to be on the following lines for convincing A.P state to agree for replacement of the Big Dam by a smaller Barrage as previously suggested by Dr. A N Khosla, former Governor of Orissa.
 
1] The states of Orissa and Chattisgarh consider Dr. K L Rao, the former Union Minister for Water Resources as an eminent authority on irrigation projects like big dams. In the case of Polavaram project he made a frank statement (Indian Express news paper from Vijayawada, dated 30-4-1983) that the Polavaram dam is highly under-designed and hence a prescription for disaster. Dr. K L Rao ruled out the possibility of diverting surplus Godavari waters to the Krishna owing to defective designing of the Polavaram project only 1800 ft spillway was provided in the Polavaram project to clear 40 lakh cusecs of flood waters in the Godavari as against 13,000 ft long Dowlaiswaram anicut designed by Sir Arthur Cotton. Even Prakasam barrage was [over Krishna River at Vijayawada] designed to 6,280 ft long though the flood water would not be more than 12 lakh cusecs, Dr. Rao said.  

It was simple arithmetic to understand that the Polavaram design would not work, he said.

2] In the light of these serous technical comments from a very experienced expert Dr. K L Rao, the Orissa and Chattisgarh state Governments demand for a revision of the Polavaram project to ensure safety of people in all the states. (more…)