From Chhattisgarh-net yahoo group (http://www.cgnet.in)

An Open Letter to the President of India from The Patriotic People
of Chhattisgarh : 'The Rice Bowl'

Hon'ble President Sir,

At the 6th anniversary of the formation of Chhattisgarh State on 7th
November, 2006, during the State Celebrations you had claimed
that 'While this state would be in the forefront of Bio-diesel
production from Jatropha, at the same time it would be called
the "Diamond State" in future' (as reported by the Media). Besides,
you had also produced a 7-point Mission Goals for the development of
Chhattisgarh by 2015. The State Government too had welcomed you with
the slogan: "Welcome to the Land of Jatropha".

We are perturbed that you were not able to grasp the ground-reality
of Chhattisgarh in the midst of glaring artificial lights of the
Capital City during the State Celebrations deliberately decorated by
the rulers and their servants living in palaces. Nor could you hear
the hopes and aspirations of 2 Crore 14 Lakhs patriotic people of
Chhattisgarh whose voices were drowned in the midst of blaring
loudspeakers; people who were sweating in the sun to harvest the
paddy crop in their fields and farms. Therefore, you were unable to
realize the true identity of Chhattisgarh which is known as "The
Rice Bowl" the world over. On the contrary, you played with the
culture and dignity of toiling and sincere citizens of Chhattisgarh,
who have created the true identity of "The Rice Bowl" through
centuries of hard labour and traditional knowledge.

Respected President Sir, you are a Scientist. The basic principles
of Science are "Reality" and "Reason". Even then, you created
an "illusionary dream" by addressing our land of "rice" as the "land
of Jatropha". Why Sir?

Respected President Sir, do you know that out of about 1,40,000
varieties of paddy in the world, 22,974 varieties are found in
Chhattisgarh; of which 19,095 are found in Bastar and Raipur
Division alone. And these rare varieties of rice have been developed
by the farmers and agricultural workers of Chhattisgarh themselves
and not by any scientist or university. Nor were these rare
varieties of rice developed in the so-called modern countries like
USA and Japan etc.

Ever since agricultural- farming originated in human history, the
farmers of Chhattisgarh discovered and developed about 1,50,000
varieties of paddy on the basis of their traditional skills and
knowledge. But, a number of these traditional and rare varieties of
paddy became extinct with the time and changing pattern of
agriculture, due primarily with the use of high yielding variety of
seeds during the "green revolution" or were destroyed due to
chemical fertilizers and pesticides in the name of modern
agriculture. Even then, today there are 22,972 varieties of paddy in
Chhattisgarh. This was possible because of the efforts of a world
renowned agricultural scientist, Dr. R H Richaria, who collected
these rare varieties of paddy seeds from the farmers of
Chhattisgarh, documented their distinct qualities through research,
and created a world record of having the largest collection of paddy
seeds in the Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya at Raipur. The
state government ought to be proud of this distinction.

Respected President Sir, we feel proud in telling you that our
ancestors had developed lakhs of these paddy varieties on the basis
of their traditional knowledge and hard work and, that too, even
before the United States of America (USA) was born or came into
existence as a country! Nothing was then known about
the "agriculture science" in the so-called modern countries when our
farmers developed these hundreds and thousands of varieties of paddy.

Respected President Sir, about 6 million tonnes of rice is produced
every year in Chhattisgarh, and that too when only 34 percent of the
agricultural land is irrigated, according to the claim of the
government, though, the ground reality is that not more than 16 per
cent of agricultural land is under irrigation. This means that if
the entire paddy produce was equitably distributed amongst the 2.14
crore population of Chhattisgarh, then each citizen would get 2
Quintals 80 Kilograms as their share. Just imagine this share would
suffice to feed them for, at least, 560 days i.e. approximately for
one-and-a-half years! So the "Food Security" system is already in-
built in our "Rice Bowl". But, what is lacking is the "distributive
justice".

Rice is not only the foundation of economics in Chhattisgarh, but an
integral part of its cultural identity, self-hood and dignity. When
we welcome a guest, we put "rice" as a "Tilak" on his/her forehead.
No Worship (Puja) is complete without "rice" in Chhattisgarh;
various festivals like "Cher-Chera" and "Akti" in Chhattisgarhi
villages are closely related to "paddy" and "rice".

Respected President Sir, even today the people of Chhattisgarh feel
proud when addressed as "Pasiya Peene Wala" (People who survive by
drinking Rice Water). "PASIYA" is equated as food of the poorest of
the poor, and consists of cooked rice mixed with water, left
overnight in an earthen pot, and eaten the next morning as break-
fast, just before the toiling people leave for day's work, whether
it be in the fields or barns, or in the factories or mills. Even
when hundreds and thousands of workers, men, women and youth migrate
to other parts of the country in search of job, they survive
on "pasiya".

Against this backdrop, any reference made to Chhattisgarh as
the "land of Jatropha" under-mining the significance of "rice" as
the foundation of people's economy, cultural identity and dignity is
not only an insult to the Chhattisgarhi people, but also an open
attack on their Right to Life and Livelihood. Such a situation would
never be accepted by the patriotic and sincere people of
Chhattisgarh! It becomes all the more acceptable when such a
situation arises out of the discourse by the President of Indian
Republic, who is not only the "Head of the State" but also
the "Custodian of the Constitution" , under which the citizens have
been guaranteed fundamental rights like the Right to Life, including
the Right to Food.

Respected President Sir, the "Politics of Jatropha" is a war-cry of
the Capitalist Corporate World to destroy the "Food Sovereignty" in
Chhattisgarh, and is a well thought out conspiracy to, once again,
chain the people of Chhattisgarh in the fetters of foreign slavery.
As an intellectual and a scientist it would be easier for you to
travel through the pages of history and remind yourself of the "Food
Politics" that was exposed in the secret documents of American
Congress in the 60's. It revealed the imperialist conspiracy of
keeping in control other nations, especially the developing
countries, and pressurizes them to toe the line of the imperialist
countries by using food (not guns or bombs) as a powerful weapon of
subjugation and subordination. And today it is turning out to be
true that in the age of globalization, the World Trade Organisation
(WTO) is systematically destroying the "food-producing capacity" of
the entire world, especially of the agriculture- based economy of
countries like India. A blue-print has been prepared for "agri-
business" under the dictates of USA. This model is being thrust upon
self-reliant food-producing regions like Chhattisgarh known as
the "Rice Bowl". The plantation of Jatropha destroying paddy farming
is an integral part of the very "Food Politics" that has led to
hunger and starvation on the one hand, and on the other hand to
large-scale suicides of farmers in various parts of our country.

After the formation of the state of Chhattisgarh, the state
government prepared a model of development in a document named
VISION -2010. It is not strange that in this document the term "Rice
Bowl" was not used even once. The real identity and dignity of
Chhattisgarh being the "Rice Bowl" was totally ignored. It is worth
reflecting that this document spelling out the future development of
Chhattisgarh was prepared by a Multi-National Corporation called the
PriceWaterHouseCoop ers. There was no participation of the patriotic
people of Chhattisgarh in this discourse; even the people's elected
representatives (MLAs & MPs, etc.) and intellectuals were not
consulted to contribute to the planning of such an important
document shaping the destiny of the state and its people. After the
formation of the state of Chhattisgarh, during the Congress-I regime
paddy was projected as the main cause of poverty and people were
mislead to believe in such a false propaganda.

Respected President Sir, as we have already mentioned earlier that
the main reason behind the "Politics of Jatropha" is to destroy
the "Food Sovereignty" of Chhattisgarh and transform the "Rice Bowl"
in to a "Hunger Bowl". Against this conspiracy, we clearly see the
hands of international market forces under the patronage of
Imperialist nations. Recently, the attempts to rob Chhattisgarh of
rare varieties of paddy seeds by some Trans-national Corporations
like "Syngenta" and "Mahco-Monsento" exposes this international
conspiracy. In 2002, the Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya,
Raipur entered into a secret deal with the TNC called "Syngenta" for
sharing valuable information for research on 'germ-plasm" of rare
varieties of rice seed collections. The MoU was cancelled after
people's agitation. Similarly, another TNC by the name of "Mahco-
Monsento" was caught experimenting with hazardous varieties of BT-
Rice, BT-Ladyfinger, and BT-Brinjal, that too in illegal
collaboration with the Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Raipur.
The role of the state government has also come under a cloud of
suspicion when the entire illegal and hazardous experimentation
going on in the backyard of the IGKV came to the light. There is
wide spread anger prevalent amongst citizens, especially the
farmers, against this secret operation.

Besides, there appears to be a clear-cut conspiracy to uproot and
displace hundreds of thousands of adivasis, dalits, farmers from
their common property resources by planting Jatropha on public land,
revenue and forest land under the "Politics of Jatropha". The public
life and environment is already getting endangered by the hazardous
impact of Jatropha. Only recently, on 22nd November, 16 children
were taken seriously ill after consuming the fruits of Jatropha in
Magarload block of Dhamtari Tahsil in Chhattisgarh. All of them had
to be admitted in the Primary Health Centre; three children are in a
serious state. Respected President Sir, as a scientist, you must be
definitely aware of the hazardous carcinogenic qualities of
Jatropha, which causes dangerous diseases like Cancer. But, not
aware of the hazardous qualities of Jatropha, children are tempted
to eat its sweet fruits. In addition, Jatropha destroys millions of
organisms in the soil thus rendering the land barren; and its
poisonous qualities have their own deadly impact on animals and
plants etc. For reference, kindly see JAPANESE JOURNAL OF CANCER
RESEARCH: Presence of Tumor Promoters in the Seed Oil of Jatropha
curcas L. from Thailand, In: Jpn J Cancer Res ( 1987 Mar) 78(3): 223-
6 ISSN: 0910-5050).

There is a growing possibility of many adivasis living in the forest
of Chhattisgarh getting their traditional and fundamental rights on
forest-land under proposed legislation "The Scheduled Tribes
(Recognition of Forest Rights) Bill, 2005". The "Politics of
Jatropha" is also seen as a tool to displace them from their
ancestral forest-land, which appears to be an extension of
the "historic exploitation and injustice" of tribals and other
traditional forest-dwellers during the British Rule.

It is also clear that the Joint Parliamentary Committee has
recommended the cut-off date as 13.12.2005 instead of 24.10.1980 as
proposed in the Bill for granting forest rights. This is yet another
reason that the Government of Chhattisgarh, under the "Politics of
Jatropha", wants to deny the adivasis and traditional forest-
dwellers their traditional natural rights to cultivate the forest
land. Respected President Sir, you definitely know that Chhattisgarh
is predominantly populated by adivasis and dalits with 31.13 per
cent of STs and 22.32 per cent of SCs. From amongst these, many are
recognized as primitive tribes under the Constitution of India.
Among them are: Baiga, Kamaar, Pahari Korva, Bhunjia, Birhor and
Maria tribes. Even then, all these primitive tribes are being
displaced from forest-land.

Respected President Sir, during the State Celebrations you wrote a
poem entitled 'Glory of Chhattisgarh' . In this poem too, there is
no mention of the true identity and dignity of Chhattisgarh as
the "Rice Bowl". Although in this poem, you do refer to martyrdom of
Shaheed Veer Narain Singh: "Let me salute the martyrdom of Veer
Narain Singh on this day, In this great land, unfolded the
revolution - Bhoomkal, Born was the pace mission and unity of minds
of GuruGhasidas, Khoobchand dreamt a prosperous land." All the
martyrs from Shaheed Veer Narain Singh to Shaheed Shanker Guha
Niyogi and other noble men and women recognized the true identity of
Chhattisgarh as the "Rice Bowl" and sacrificed their lives for its
real freedom and dignity.

In order to correct the misdirected pattern of development leading
to death and destruction, and also in order to provide vision,
direction and action plan for the people's development, the
patriotic people of Chhattisgarh would like to invite you to
the "Rice Bowl", so that you could come to grips with the ground
reality, and understand the "struggles" and "reconstruction" of
toiling and honest people to build "A New Chhattisgarh for A New
India" based on their hopes and aspirations.

Respected President Sir, for this we would like to cordially invite
you to Chhattisgarh on 19th December, 2006, Shaheed Veer Narain
Singh's martyrdom day; a martyr on whose path we would like to march
ahead and, once again, break the chains of slavery by defeating the
draconian designs of a development promoted by the Imperialist
Powers, as we stand committed to the creation of "A New Chhattisgarh
for A New India"; a state whose foundations would be laid down on
the principles enshrined in the concept of the "Rice Bowl" that are
justice, peace, equality and human dignity etc.

We hope that you would definitely grace us by accepting our
invitation so that the patriotic people of Chhattisgarh could
directly dialogue with the "Custodian of the Indian Constitution" on
these crucial issues of life and death confronting them.

With Greetings!

We remain yours'
1. Chhattisgarh Mukti Morcha
2. Chhattisgarh Mahila Jagriti Sangathan 3. Nadi Ghati Morch
4. Ekta Parishad
5. Baiga Mahapanchayat - Chhattisgarh
6. Chhattisgarh Seed Satyagrah
6th December 2006

Note : This letter is purposely being written on 6th December, 2006,
the death anniversary of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, who made a valuable
contribution in drafting the Constitution of India. Incidentally,
this falls exactly after one month of your visit to Chhattisgarh on
the Foundation Day.