By IndiaTomorrow.net,
New Delhi, 02 May 2015: India’s prominent Muslim organization has condemned the country’s political class for making mere a lip service over farmers suicides including that of Rajasthan farmer Gajendra Singh and not working seriously to curb the under-reported agrarian crisis. Singh committed suicide during Aam Aadmi Party’s rally at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi last week creating a national debate over the subject. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also expressed grief over his death.
“The death of a farmer at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi and suicides of three farmers within 24 hours in Rajasthan are grim reminder of the under-reported agrarian crisis that our country has been facing for some decades. In the last two decades alone, three lakh farmers have committed suicide. Though politicians and also our Prime Minister have expressed grief over the Jantar Mantar death there has been little serious discussion of reasons and policies to address the problem,” said the Jamaat leaders while addressing their monthly press conference at Jamaat’s headquarters here in Delhi today.
“As ad hoc measures like loan waivers, relief packages or compensation to suicide victims’ families have not curbed the suicide tendency among farmers, there is an urgent need to review the policies. Jamaat-e-Islami Hind demands the central government to set up a national commission to look into the whole issue.”
Jamaat also demanded the central government to introduce interest-free loans for farmers.
“Some studies have counted the following factors behind farmer suicides: Marginal landholdings, debts and lack of institutional banking facilities resulting in farmers’ dependence on moneylenders. Jamaat, however thinks that interest is at the core of the crisis and demands the government to offer interest-free loans to farmers, or at least start a pilot project of interest-free loans in the worst affected areas,” said Jamaat.
They also demanded equal distribution of fruits of the economic growth of the country.
Jamaat leaders including Mohammad Salim Engineer (2nd from left) and Maulana Jalaluddin Umari (3rd from left) at press conference in New Delhi on 02 May 2015.
“Most of the farmer suicides are taking place in developed states of the country like Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu etc. Some of them are among the states with highest per capita incomes. This clearly proves that prosperity is not equally distributed and not everyone’s life is being uplifted by the so-called rising tide of economic growth in the country.”
Jamaat leaders led by its national president Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umari also came out in support of Net Neutrality and demanded the government to maintain the status quo.
“Internet is a public utility, just like electricity. And if an electric company doesn’t get to decide how a consumer uses its service, neither should an internet service provider. There should be a level-playing field and use of Internet should remain neutral as it is today. Our country should also follow the global trend of net neutrality,” said the Jamaat.
