The Yamuna may be in spate near Delhi, states like Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, Kerala and Tamil Nadu may be soaked wet and the Mithi river -- the lifeline of Mumbai -- could be flowing at the brim, but for people in the East and Northeast India the thirst for rain prolongs. They wait for the rain gods to smile upon them. Overall, this is one of the best monsoon India has...
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Ryot repays double of loan sum, yet gets notice! by Ramu Bhagwat
Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti, which is spearheading a campaign against the defunct Land Development Bank's forcible recovery drive from farmers in distressed western Vidarbha, has disputed the government claim that only big and habitually defaulting farmers are being targeted. Buttressing their charge that LDB was charging usurious rates, VJAS has highlighted the case of Purshottam Ingle of village Tigoan in Wardha, who borrowed Rs 2,90,000 in 2001 from LDB by...
More »Debt-hit Vidarbha farmers stare at land loss
SCORES of farmers mired in debt in the arid cotton belt of Vidarbha in Maharashtra are close to losing their property rights, as the state-controlled Land Development Bank has kick-started the process to recover dues from them. A top revenue ministry official said the process to recover loans by selling off land belonging to those farmers who have defaulted is “definitely on” and could start as early as July 23....
More »Linking water to environmental care by Vinod Thomas and Ronald S. Parker
The task of providing water where needed is becoming increasingly difficult across the world. Countries have, in recent decades, been investing in infrastructure designed to alleviate water shortages. But the response has, for the most part, overlooked the problem posed by the deteriorating state of aquatic resources. If the growing crisis is to be effectively addressed, water use needs to be linked with environmental care. In many places, even where water...
More »Men of letters, unmoved readers by P Sainath
Suicide notes in Vidarbha are at times addressed to the Prime Minister, the desperate last cries of voices that went unheeded when alive. Seeking authenticity for his letter to the Prime Minister and the President, Ramachandra Raut composed it with care on Rs.100 non-judicial stamp paper. Then he added a few more addressees, including his village sarpanch and the police, in the hope that it got home someplace. Then he...
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