Murdered by Monsanto?

Last night 5 more cotton farmers committed suicide in Maharashtra's cotton growing region of Vidarbha, taking the total to 443 farmers in the growing season since June 2005.

The majority grew Bt cotton which was promoted to poor farmers in India using false and misleading claims as well as unethical practices. (see EVERY TRICK IN THE BOOK - THE MARKETING OF BT COTTON IN INDIA)
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=5741

Just how disastrous Bt cotton proved for Vidarbha's desperate farmers was revealed by a recent study in Maharashtra which showed the incomes of Bt cotton farmers were 68% lower than the incomes of non-Bt cotton growers.
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=6444

Meanwhile, a statutory body investigating charges of monopoly practices filed against Mahyco-Monsanto has found the company guilty of illegal practices and found that the monopolistic and exorbitant rates charged by the company for their Bt cotton varieties was a significant factor in farmer distress.
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=6435

Here are the names of the more than 200 farmers in Vidharba who have taken their lives since the beginning of January 2006. As many again suffered a similar fate in the period from June 2005. As already noted, the vast majority of the victims cultivated Bt cotton.
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List of Vidarbha Farmer suicides since JANUARY 2006
Taken from a list provided by Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti

Name of Farmers

Sahebrao Bhimrao Wankhede

Nandkumar Watane

Chabutai Shrikrushna Nikhade

Madhukar Shriram Shikare

Ramkrushna Sheku Meshram

Mangesh Ambadas Sable

Bhimrao natthuji Bophade

Lonkaran Tukundrao Dongre

Suresh Pandharinath Nagre

Pandit Raibhan Umbarkar

Dayal Raghoji Badkal

Manohar Sampat Pawde

Rama Namaji Kshirsagar

Baldeo Atmaram Warkhade

Gajanan Aknath Jawjal

Ramesh Devidas Jadhav

Kamalabai Chavhan

Devicharan Jagnnath Gaikwad

Ramrao Pancham Patil

Ashok Yashavant Gujjar

Vijay Bhaurao Tekam

Kisan Ganapat Akde

Sunanda Babarao Engole

Yamuna Ramdas Ade

Subhash Shankarrao Shevtkar

Babulal Savalya Bhilawekar

Mahadeo Nakathe

Rambhau Marotrao Shahade

Ramdas Saduji Patil

Sakharam Kashiram Kukare

Anandrao laxman Motghare

Dadarao Bhoyar

Shrirang Surybhan Meshram

Sheshrao lalji Rathod

Hemanth Vishwath Bhasme

Manoj manohar Waghamare

sudam Gopalrao Kandalkar

Sahebrao Mohod

Babarao Natthuji Sable

Vilas Narayan Dhale

Raju Vasantrao Nakhate

Panjabrao Khute

Ajabrao Atmaram Gavande

Baliram Govindrao Kutemare

Pravin Raut

Bhavsing Mithya jadhav

Nanaji Sitaram Batte

Yamunabai umale

Laxman Dattuji Adhav

Dnyneshwar Laxman Bhendare

Raju Vishwash Vidhate

Tulshiram Pandurang Marotkar

Pralhad Laxman Kirtane

Ramdas rajaram Gillari

Bablu Girdhari Brahmankar

nilesh Vishwasrao Nagmothe

Gulsing Ramdhan Rathod

Namdev Amarsing Rathod

Bala Arjun Wasekar

Sudhakar Mahadeo Chaudhari

Nagorao Dupare

Ashok Jadhav

Bhumanna Iranna Annamwar

Mohan Harising Rathod

Govind Narayan Landge

Ganesh Jayram Nikame

Pochu Bira Chittawar

Ambadas Jagan Mundale

Kamalabai Mansing Solanki

Dilip Bhimrao Bambal

Mangusing Ramji Rathod

Ramdas Tukaram Ahir

Prabhakar Zanzat

Devram Sakharam Bhandarkar

Domodhar Dajiba Waghade

Rashtrapal Shankar Meshram

Digambar Bhaurao Zade

Shriram Tulshiram Tinturkar

Mahadeo Mangluji Gopale

Suresh Sheshrao Pathe

Nanaji Vistari Shende

Kashiram Gulab Rathod

Ayya Behru Atram

Ramdas Mansing Pawar

Pandurang Kawadu salame

Rameshwar Bhimrao Suroshe

Dama Kawadu Lanjewar

Bhaurao Devrao Kale

Haridas Parasram Mukale

Manohar Maroti Pimpalkar

Bhanudas sakharam kakad

Tulshiram Tukaram Zimte

Madan Suryabhan Gavhale

Narayan Ramji Gore

Nur kha Tane Kha Pathan

Sahebrao Amrutrao Narnaware

Shaligram Waghaji Shelke

Gulabrao Rambhau Bhise

Chunnilal Pandurang Rahagadle

Megharaj Sambhaji Govarkar

Smt. Suman Amrutrao Sarode

Sahadev Digambar Puri

Shrikrishna Baliram Hingane

Vitthal Nandu Gajabe

Purushottam Haribhau Bhute

Sanjay Rambhau Likhar

Jajbharat Narayan Wankhede

Vilas Keshave Madavi

Kawadu Anandrao Petkar

Dattu Mahadeo Londe

Dnyneshwar marotrao Gargate

Bikhu Yamunadas Pawar

Ramchandra Tarachandra Chandak

Mahadeo Pundlik Lokhande

Prabhakar Sadashiv Rode

Vishwasrao Vyankati chavre

Dadarao Turerao Deshmukh

Jairam Bhikaji Gite

Namdeo Natthuji Taide

Ashok Bhoyar

Murlidhar uttam Hahare

Digambar Sukhadev Vekte

Ramchandra Phakira Vaidhy

Dilip Raghoba Thakare

Dipak laxman chavalkar

maroti Namdeo Taide

Shamsundar Pandhe Pawar

Santosh Shankarrao Tapre

Namdeo Bhimrao Mahalle

Manik Shivram Pusdekar

kisan maniram Rathod

Arvind Madhav Kalmedh

Raju Shyamrao Dhole

Ganesh Sevakram Thakare

Govind Anandrao Waghamare

Subhash Punjaram Chincholkar

Dnyneshwar Ambadas Bhagat

Ratiram Ragho Dhudse

Jageshwar Sampat Ajwale

Arun Madhav Kaje

Santosh Sopan Raut

Gajanan Shrikrishna Sarode

Nagorao Laxman Bhavne

Sanjay Parasram Dadmal

Kashirram Sheru Rathod

Sanjay Balawantrao Ralekar

Shanta Vinayak Jadhav

Vitthal Shaligram Ambulkar

Pandit Govinda Manwar

Pramod Bhagvantrao Lakde

Shamkar Vyankatrao Bhaisagar

Ganapat Govinda Devhare

Gajanan Pandurang Nevare

Gangadhar Wamanrao Raut

Netram Dattuji Dhoble

Surlu Pandurang Kalalkar

Govinda Dattaji Varhade

Anil Dnyneshwar Bahurupe

Shriram Kashiram Kawade

Shashikala Ramkrishna Bhatkar

Purnaji jagtrao Korde

Gajanan Kacharu Engle

Kailas Shravan Atram

Gajanan Ukunda Manture

Ramkisan Baliram Enagle

Kishor Rambhau Solanke

Ashok Vasant Korade

Subhash Dnyaneshwar Kenhe

Ramu Punaji Ade

Sharavan haribhau wakhade

Sudhakar gulab khadase

Prakash shankar pawar

Dhanraj chintaman chaphale

Chandrabhan gudghane

Vishanu shivlala jadhav

Rajendra babanrao bhujbal

Anil ramrao gawande

Sayyad yakub sayyad immam

nathu bhiwa salwe

bhayya sitaram pal

rahul mahadev bothade

prahlad kisan rathod

sukhadev namdev sarode

shankar bhagwan thakare

gajanan ataram nimkhande

mukund pandurang gadhawe

arun narayan pathade

chhagan devidas kharad

mohan shivram patinge

bharatram keshorao topale

ran hari vasuedo istape

vasuev mahadev raut

pudlik devaji madale

shivdas kisan thakare

arun mahadev jawake

dhanraj nathuji raikwar

sudhakar baburao dandekar

gajanan vasudeo dhole

raju udaybhan dhurve

digamber shayrao bahale

chandrabhan bapurao gurnule

dasaru goma atram

vasant mahadev thakare

kishor shayrao kadu

jayvant vithal shete

raju nathuji tagde

hirishchandra jairam kore

deorao keshaorao raut

prakash dattuji nanore

anil bapu kedar

tejram dayaram raghorpe

shranivas madhukar virulkar

mohan ramchandra gorade

arjun sadashiv pal

gajanan uttam tale

kialas dhanraj zade

ashru janji bajad

rahul sahebrao wankhede

purshottam parasram vaidya

anil kisan katale

shantaram ramchandra bhogal

arun ganpat thakare

dattu shankar raut

sandep uttam sabe