SLFA - a farmers movement with difference

Sustainable Livelihood farmers association (SLFA) is functioning in Tamilnadu with the main goal of mobilizing farming community against water privatization and to promote family farming initiative to ensure food security to the rural masses. It happened for the last 8 years of civil society work among farming community. Background for the formation of SLFA: During the year 2007, the interim budget submitted by newly elected DMK led government announced that, Tamilnadu water resource consolidation Project II was going to be implemented with the financial allocation 3600 crores which will mainly replicate the Hanumanadhi model project result to the entire state. The state committee of JASuL decided to make desk study or secondary data review about Tamilnadu water resource consolidation project and Hanumanadhi model project and its impact for better understand of this big loan project. July 2007, JASuL conducted the participatory research study on Impact of Hanumanathi Model Project under Tamilnadu water resource consolidated project (TNWRCP) in Thenkasi region which alienated people from their own water resource by the way of privatizing the common water resource dictate by the World Bank. Now this project is replicated in whole Tamilnadu in the name of Irrigated Agriculture Modernization and Water Bodies Restoration Project (IAMWARM) from year March 2007 to Feb 2013. This project is also funded by World Bank and carried out by the State Government of Tamilnadu as part of structural assessment policy/program (SAP) in restructuring of water sector in Tamilnadu. Hanumanathi model project Impact assessment report was published in both Tamil and English for widely circulated among NGOs and farmers. It was deeply discussed among JASuL set up in various levels. Finally the JASuL General body decided to intervene the IAMWARM project and its implementation site which covering 63 sub basins in Tamilnadu in three different phases. During the initial month of 2008, JASuL was deeply involved in collecting secondary data's about the impact of water sector reforms in Tamilnadu in line with World Bank agenda through various source like meeting PWD officials at various levels for in-depth interviews, sending RTI (right to Information) applications, Journals, and identifying the key civil society actors who are already involved in the same issues. At the same time, identification of farmer’s representative at sub basin level was also initiated by the concerned districts through guidance of state committee. During this year 2008, four regional level training programmes were organized at Madurai, villupuram, Thiruppathur and Perambalur for mobilizing farmer’s leaders under the name of Sustainable livelihood farmers Association (SLFA) mainly to take up the problems connected with IAMWARM. The idea of promoting the formation of SLFA was evolved during the Madurai training programme, hence it was discussed in other regional training programmes and finally decided to evolve SLFA at various levels. End of the four regional level training programmes 4 regional level adhoc committees were formed with representation of Farmers Leaders, Social activist, SHG federation leaders, and retired government officials. The collective of 4 regional adhock committee leaders come together and formed a State Level SLFA Adhoc Committee in Madurai on 26th March 2009. 30 adhoc committee members took part in the meeting and develop a short term action to form the SLFA Movement at state level. The main emphasis of SLFA formation at state level is to create a state level farmers movement to fight against globalization policies which ultimately ruining farming communities in Tamilnadu. In particularly, the short term plan to strengthen the JASuL activity by promoting SLFA movement at various level and to conduct state level conference for raising our demand against the water privatization emphasized by World Bank and its allies in the name structural adjustment loans to state government. From this juncture, the following things were achieved. In-depth field work among farming communities in Tamilnadu which yielded the result of forming Sustainable Livelihood Farmers Sangham (SLFA) at state level was achieved at denobli centre, Pudur, Madurai on 11th and 12th Feb 2010. 96 farmers and NGO activist took part the meeting. This state level consultation elected its state level Executive committee from the participants. Mr.Chelladurai, Mr.Balasundaramoorthi, Ms. Kaveri, Mr.Sivaprakasam, Appavu Balandar, Mr.Jegatheisan, Mr.Aanai Kavundar, Mr.Jeyachandran, Mr.Govindaraj were elected as Executive committee members of SLFA. The Executive committee of SLFA, evolved a 10 point programme or resolution to strengthen the SLFA at grass root level for conceptual clarity among the members. JASUL’S 10 POINT DEMANDS FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION 1. The basic livelihood resources of farmers like land, water, agriculture, livestock and forest should be protected. 2. Encroachments in water resource bodies like lakes, ponds and tanks should be cleared legally and they should be desilted to their maximum capacity. Rainwater harvesting, deepening and desilting works should be done once in two years. 3. To encourage organic/natural farming practices, the subsidy to fertilizing companies should be stopped and the farmers should directly receive the subsidy according to the type of crops under cultivation. The farm products should get fair price which includes production cost and minimum profit and the marketing facilities should be provided at the field itself. 4. Crop insurance scheme should be applicable to all types of crops. Crop Insurance should cover natural calamities and all seasonal changes too. 5. Agricultural labourers should be made eligible for pension and a better scheme than the existing Farmers Protection scheme should be implemented. Children of agricultural workers should be given educational support/loan without any surety demands. 6. To motivate the farmers to plant trees in their lands, there should be a special programme for the farming under the Green India programme in National Action Plan for Climate Change. 7. Like cooperative societies, nationalized banks should also give farm loans without interest to farmers. 8. The NRGEA programme should be extended to farming sector and should be carried out with 50% of the farmers’ participation. 9. Separate budget report should be prepared and submitted for agriculture in India since agriculture is the basic occupation of majority of the people. 10. Non Conventional energy resources should be combined with agriculture practices to ensure self-reliant farming practices. Formation of 16 Basin & 63 Sub basin level SLFA committees in Tamilnadu: There are 34 river basins in the State which have been grouped into 17 major river basins and 127 sub-basins. Out of these 127 sub basins, 63 sub basins were selected to implement IAMWARM (IRRIGATED AGRICULTURE MODERNISATION AND WATER BODIES RESTORATION AND MANAGEMENT) Project from 2007 – 2013 with loan assistance of World Bank by WRO of Tamilnadu government. Formation of Sustainable Livelihood Farmers Sangam (SLFA) in 63 sub basin is a major task for JASuL from 2011 onwards. So far, 60 village level units established and district level committess established in 12 districts of Tamilnadu. These work done under the following way. - Village Level Field Visits - Village Level Farmers Meeting - Sub basin Level or Area Level Farmers Meeting - Basin Level Farmers Farmers meeting

Ban GM Seeds; Save Indian Agriculture Plea from Sustainable Livelihood Farmers’ Association – TamilNadu

The Sustainable Livelihood Farmers’ Association (SLFA) of TamilNadu has made a plea to the State and the Central government of India that genetically Modified BT Brinjal should not be allowed inside our country since it is a threat to our farmers’ self-reliance and sovereignty. The health of the consumers of BT Brinjal is also at stake.

The State executive committee of SLFA met on 2nd February 2010 in Madurai under the Convenership of Y.David and the following resolutions were passed:

The Central Government has not yet published any of the scientific research findings of the GM Crops. The State has every responsibility to be transparent and share the pros and cons of the GM Crops to the public and especially farmers of our country but the State acts in favour of Monsanto and Mahyco companies.

Countries like Thailand, Australia, Hungary, Venezuela, France, Russia and New Zealand have banned the GM crops in their lands. In India, the states like Chattisgarh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka and Orissa have registered their dissent over the GM Crops.

If we depend on GM seeds for our cultivation, the farmers have to lose their control over seeds and depend on Multinational companies for seeds. We have the experience of farmers in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, who committed suicides in thousands because of BT cotton.

The farmers who cultivate GM crops are advised to cultivate other crops with 50-60m distance but we have to keep in mind that majority of Indian farmers are small and marginal farmers who cannot afford to leave even a piece of their land uncultivated.

When BT Brinjal is cultivated, the pollen in them will get into other varieties of crops cultivated near through the bees and butterflies. The entire agriculture pattern will be affected and GM crops are bane to our farmers.
The International Assessment of Agricultural Science, Technology and Development- IAASTD of United Nations has made a caution note that issues of poverty, hunger, global warming and loss of biodiversity cannot be tackled with GM Crops.

GM Crops will not fulfil the entire need of our country; will not provide safe and healthy food; the soil fertility, which is already depleted because of Green revolution, will be destroyed; and the livelihood of the farmers and environment will not be protected.

With the above understanding of GM Crops, SLFA has resolved to demand a total ban on GM Crops by the State.

Following demands are made to the State by the small and marginal farmers, Agricultural workers and civil society members organised as SLFA in TamilNadu:

- Sale of BT Brinjal seeds in India should be totally banned since we do not have enough researches on the safety of the biodiversity and the hidden agenda in trying with brinjal, a commonly grown vegetable is to try with all other crops in near future, which is a major threat to our food security and sovereignty.

- India had around 12000 varieties of paddy earlier and after Green revolution, it has been reduced to 50 varieties. Similarly around 2000 varieties of brinjal available now may diminish largely which is a great loss to our biodiversity. Hence, BT brinjal has to be banned immediately.

- The State, the Agricultural research Institutes and the Agricultural Universities are responsible to disclose the research findings to the farmers and the public. They are bound to clarify the doubts raised. SLFA demands the concerned Institutes and the scientists should give detailed explanation to the farmers and the public regarding GM crops.

- When genetical modifications happened naturally, it was perceived as science but now in the hands of multinational companies, it has become the international politics. The self reliance and the sovereignty of the country is at stake in the hands of multinationals and SLFA demands that GM Crops research should not be carried forward in collaboration with multinational seed companies.

- As per Indian Constitution, the agriculture comes under the purview of the states and every state government has the right to decide on its cropping pattern. Against the Constitution of India, Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) is established and dictates the states of India. SLFA demands the abolition of this committee immediately to ensure the Constitutional rights of the states.

- The public hearing regarding the GM crops should be taken to the grassroot level where the farmers can participate. The Gram Sabha resolutions at Panchayat level should be taken into account to make a decision.

- The testing of GM Crops in the farmers’ fields in Indian land should be immediately stopped and the institutes and companies involved in such testing should be legally sued.

- Indo-American Knowledge Partnership Agreement signed by India with US will submit Indian Agriculture sovereignty to the hands of WAL-MART, MONSANTO, RELIANCE, the multinational companies. This agreement will extend from agriculture to fishing, livestock etc that will seriously affect Indian sovereignty. Therefore, SLFA demands India to withdraw immediately from such agreements.

- The Central Government of India should ban the intrusion of multinational companies in agriculture. In addition, the traditional, organic and sustainable farming practices should be encouraged. The State should ensure that the price for the yield is decided by the farmers and the State and not by the agents inbetween.


/sd/ Y.David
State Convener
Sustainable Livelihood Farmers' Association
No:1, 3rd St, Maruthupandiya nagar, Narimedu,
Madurai -02 Tamilnadu