Global Vigil for Farmers on Gandhi Jayanti

New Delhi, Oct 2 (UNI) Candlelight vigil would be organised on Gandhi Jayanti today to increase public awareness about the plight of millions of farmers facing extreme social and economic distress due to acute agrarian crisis.

On the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri, the Association for India's Development is organising a mass event to show solidarity towards Indian farmers, as well as to increase public awareness on the issue of India's agrarian crisis.

Such candlelight vigil is being organised in 50 cities all over the world, including Indian capital.

''While Gandhiji propounded sufficiency at small-scale level, thus promoting sustainable means of livelihood and sustainable farming, Lal Bahadur Shastri gave the nation the slogan of "Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan.'' The present spate of distress deaths in the farming community is largely due to the systemic failure on the part of successive governments to follow the foot-steps and guidance of the two statesmen,'' the Association said.

Over one lakh Indian farmers have committed suicide in the last decade, it pointed out. Huge inflation and rising input costs on one hand, yet lesser and lesser price for production on the other has left the Indian farmer neck-deep in debt, it said. Other factors behind the crisis like forced mono-cropping of land, forced use of water-intensive seeds in non-irrigated areas (as is the case in Vidarbha), and agricultural research not reaching the farmer have also contributed to the crisis.

Association for India's Development (AID) is a volunteer based non-profit organisation committed to sustainable, equitable, and just development in India. AID supports projects and campaigns in education, health, women's empowerment, environment, and social justice.

UNI