The modified truth : India’s dead peasants- Danish daily Kristeligt Dagblad reports
The modified truth : India’s dead peasants
(This is translated from Kristeligt Dagblad.)
http://www.kristeligt-dagblad.dk/artikel/312150:3–verden–Den-modificerede-sandhed
Since the early 1990s, 200,000 Indian farmers committed suicide. The vast majority of the pesticides that should get the crops in their fields to grow. Kristeligt Dagblad train in November 2008 to the Vidarbha region near Mumbai to find out why. Article Series in four parts was through interviews with those involved in order to reconstruct and restore events. This is the third article of the series.
Bomuldshøsten er en hård og til tider langstrakt affære.
Cotton harvest is a hard and sometimes tedious affair. De hvide totter modnes ikke på samme tid, og i Indien betyder det, at bønderne sælger årets høst af flere omgange. The white totter not ripen at the same time and in India it means that the farmers sell the year’s harvest of several laps. Her ses to af områdets bønder, mens de læsser dagens høst af. Here are two of the area’s farmers, while they read today’s harvest. – Anna Klitgaard. – Anna Klitgaard.
Anne-Sofie Storm Wesche og Anna Klitgaard skriver fra Indien Anne-Sofie Storm Wesche and Anna Klitgaard writes from India
activist Kishore Tiwari look at the picture of an Indian peasant. The farmer has a red rope on the neck, he is dead. The photograph is just one of many on the wall. They are there to remind him what he is fighting for
Bollywood-stjerner danser hen over fjernsynsskærmen. Bollywood stars dancing across the television screen. I farvestrålende dragter smiler de og vrikker med hovedet. In colorful costumes and smiles they waggle their heads. Parret bevæger sig gennem en bomuldsmark fuld af svulmende, hvide totter. The couple moves through a cotton field full of bulging white totter. Hver gren tynges til jorden af de vatlignende knopper, og så langt øjet rækker, er billedet det samme. Each branch weighed to the ground by the vatlignende buds, and as far the eye can see, the picture is the same. Midt i alt det hvide stopper stjernerne – de rækker hver deres hånd frem og viser stolt en forgyldt pakke bomuldsfrø. Midst of all the white stop the stars – they go each their hand up and proudly displays a gold package cottonseed. Mærket er Bollgard, patentindehaveren på produktet er bioteknologifirmaet Monsanto. The label is Bollgard, patent holder on the product is the biotechnology company Monsanto.
De sukkersøde smil fra de to stjerner overbeviser ikke aktivisten Kishore Tiwari. The sugar sweet smile from the two stars is not convincing activist Kishore Tiwari. Det gør heller ikke de mange knopper på bomuldsplanterne. It does not many buds on cotton plants. I Vidarbha dyrker stort set alle bønder genmodificeret bomuld, og ikke mange steder i Indien er der fattigdom og ulykke som her. In Vidarbha grows virtually all peasants GM cotton, and not many places in India, there is poverty and unhappiness here. Tidligere var området kendt som Indiens bomuldsbælte, men i takt med at op mod 35.000 landmænd de senere år har taget deres eget liv, har det i dag skiftet navn til Selvmordsbæltet. Previously, the area known as India’s cotton belt, but as that up to 35,000 farmers in recent years have taken their own lives, it has now changed its name to the suicide belt. De døde her er kun en lille del af de 200.000 bønder i Indien, der i de seneste 10 år har taget deres eget liv på grund af fattigdom og gæld. The dead here are only a small proportion of the 200,000 farmers in India in the last 10 years have taken their own lives because of poverty and debt. Men med en befolkning på bare 3,2 millioner har de gjort Vidarbha til epicenter for den selvmordsepidemi, der i disse år hærger blandt Indiens bønder. But with a population of just 3.2 million, they have done to Vidarbha epicenter for the suicide epidemic in these years rife among Indian peasants.
Selvom frøene i jorden her er de samme som i reklamen, så svulmer bomuldsplanterne ikke af knopper. Although the seeds in the soil here is the same as in the advertisement, then expand the cotton plants are not the buds. Bønderne valgte ellers den genmodificerede bomuld eller Bt-bomuld, som den også kaldes på grund af det lovede store afkast. The farmers chose otherwise the GM cotton and Bt cotton, as it is called because of the promised large returns. Alligevel har det ikke fået deres bomuldsplanter til at bøje sig mod jorden under vægten af svulmende knopper, som grenene gør i reklamen fra Monsanto. Yet it has not got their cotton plants to bend towards the earth under the weight of bulging buds, as the branches are in the advertisement from Monsanto.
Den dårlige høst bliver Kishore mindet om selv inde på kontoret i Pandharkawada. The poor harvest is Kishore Tiwari reminded himself inside the office on Pandharkawada. På den brunlige betonvæg til venstre for ham hænger en stor planche fra 2006. On the brown wall of concrete to the left of him hangs a large plate from 2006. Vidarbhas seks distrikter er afbildet på den, og ud for hver af dem står et tal. Vidarbhas six districts are depicted on it, and for each of them stands a figure. For Yavatmal-distriktet, hvor Pandharkawada ligger, er tallet højt. In Yavatmal district, which lies Pandharkawada, the figure is high. 248. 248. Under det viser et billede en mand med lukkede øjne og et rødt reb om halsen. During the show a picture a man with closed eyes and a red rope around your neck. Han er død og er medvirkende til, at Kishore og hans forening, Jan Andolan Samiti, har travlt. He is dead and has contributed to Kishore Tiwari and his association Jan Andolan Samiti, are busy. Flere gange om ugen modtager de opkald fra efterladte, der lige har mistet et familiemedlem. Several times a week they receive calls from survivors who have lost a family member. Og hver dag besøger enten Kishore eller en af foreningens tre frivillige familier i oplandet for at hjælpe dem. And every day, visit either Kishore Tiwari or one of its three volunteer families in the hinterland to help them. De rådgiver de efterladte om kompensationsmuligheder og fortæller om alternativer til dyrkningen af, hvad Kishore ser som hele grunden til selvmordene: Bt-bomulden. They advise the survivors on compensation options and talk about alternatives to the cultivation of what Kishore sees as the whole reason for suicide: Bt cotton.
For 10 år siden var det dog ikke de små, genmodificerede frø, der drev den nu 50-årige Kishore væk fra en lukrativ stilling som marketingchef. For 10 years ago it was not the small, genetically modified seeds, which drives the now 50-year-old Kishore Tiwari away from a lucrative position as Marketing Manager. I stedet var det et ønske om at gøre en forskel og bedre vilkårene for Yavatmals fattige bønder. Instead, it was a desire to make a difference and improve conditions for poor farmers Yavatmals. Ønsket var både religiøst og idealistisk funderet. The desire was both idealistic and religious-based. For i hinduismen er det godt at gøre noget for andre, og politisk ser aktivisten det som nødvendigt at tilsidesætte egne behov for at hjælpe andre. In Hinduism it is good to do something for others, and political activist sees it as necessary to override their own needs to help others.
Som Kishore sidder i chefstolen på kontoret, ses det tydeligt, at han kan lide at være midtpunkt. As Kishore Tiwari Chief Justice sitting in the office, be it clear that he likes to be center. Både for pressen og lokalbefolkningen. Both the press and the local population. Lige nu har otte mænd mast sig ind på det lille kontor uden vinduer. Right now, the eight men crushed into the little office with no windows. Han underholder dem alle med historier fra marken og med sine egne fortræffeligheder. He entertains them with stories from the field and with its excellent entirety. Lige indtil telefonen ringer, og en kvindestemme fortæller om endnu et selvmord. Right until the phone rings and a female tells of yet another suicide. Så bliver han alvorlig. Then he becomes serious.
Da han efter et stykke tid lægger mobilen fra sig, ser han op på planchen med billederne af de døde bønder og nærmest råber: ”Ban it. When he after a while, the mobile phone away, he looks up the installment plan with the pictures of the dead peasants and almost shouts: “Ban it. They should just ban it!” – Forbyd det. They should just ban it! “- Prohibit it. De burde bare forbyde det. They should just ban it.
Fokus for Kishores vrede er de genmodificerede bomuldsfrø, der gemmer sig i Monsanto-reklamens forgyldte kasse. The focus of anger is Kishore Tiwari GM cotton seed, hiding in Monsanto advertising gilded box. Monsanto er et multinationalt bioteknologisk selskab, der specialiserer sig i landbrugsprodukter – blandt andet ukrudtsmidlet Roundup. Monsanto is a multinational biotechnology company specializing in agricultural products – including herbicide Roundup. Firmaet har været til stede i Indien, siden det i 1998 fusionerede med Maharashtra Hybrid Seed Company Ltd. The company has been present in India since 1998 merged with Maharashtra Hybrid Seed Company Ltd.. (Mahyco). (Mahyco).
Sammenlægningen gav Monsanto-Mahyco fodfæste på det enorme indiske landbrugsmarked med 575 millioner potentielle kunder og åbnede hurtigt for testforsøg med det genmanipulerede Bt-frø. The combination gave Monsanto-Mahyco foothold in the huge Indian market with agricultural 575 million potential customers and opened quickly testforsøg with genetically engineered Bt seed. I 2002 blev Bt-bomuld som den første genmodificerede afgrøde godkendt til kommercielt brug i Indien, og lige siden er det gået stærkt. In 2002, Bt cotton as the first GM crop approved for commercial use in India and since then has been strong. I dag er 6,3 millioner hektar ud af 9 millioner under Bt-opdyrkning, hvilket er en stigning fra 0,3 procent i 2003 til 70 procent i dag. Today, 6.3 million hectares out of 9 million under Bt cultivation, which is an increase from 0.3 percent in 2003 to 70 percent today. I Vidarbha begyndte bønderne for alvor at bruge frøene i 2003-2004, og i de første høstår var jordens afkast højt. In Vidarbha farmers began in earnest to use the seed in 2003-2004 and in the first year was the earth returns high. Men så begyndte det at gå galt. But then it began to go wrong.
Det lave udbytte ses ikke mindst på de syv bomuldsmarkeder, der ligger som perler på en snor langs vejen mellem landsbyen Baggi og Pandharkawada. The low yield is seen not least in the seven cotton markets which are as beads on a string along the road between the village of Baggi and Pandharkawada. De første fem er lukket, og det sjette har kun modtaget sojabønner. The first five are closed and the sixth has only received soybeans. Først på det sidste ligger et lille bjerg af bomuld. Only the last is a small mountain of cotton. Mens bønderne skubber bomulden ud af sækkene på vognen, æder okserne løs af de hvide totter. While pushing farmers out of cotton bags in the wagon, eating okserne bulk of the white totter. Hvidt skum står ud af deres munde, mens de gumler. White foam is out of their mouths while they munch.
Kishore står på pladsen foran den hvide høj af bomuld. Kishore Tiwari is on the square in front of the white high cotton. Alt dette er Bt. All this is Bt. Han samler en håndfuld op, nulrer den. He gathers a handful up nulrer it. Der er ikke nogen forskel at se. There is no difference to see. Bomulden ligner den slags, der blev dyrket før i tiden. Resembles the kind of cotton that was grown in the past. Alligevel er der forskel, for tidligere var landmændene også fattige, men de begik ikke selvmord. Yet there are differences in the past farmers were too poor, but they did not suicide.
Det begyndte de først for alvor på, da de multinationale selskaber kom til Indien i slutningen af 1990’erne. It started the first truly on when the multinationals came to India in the late 1990s. De gik aggressivt til værks for at få markedsandele. They went to work aggressively to gain market share. Kishore har set plakater i landsbyerne og hørt sælgere forklædt som bønder fortælle om frø med fantastiske evner. Kishore Tiwari ‘ve seen posters in the villages and heard salesmen disguised as peasants tell of seeds with amazing abilities. De har lovet de måbende landmænd, at deres udbytte fra markerne ville mangedobles, og at de ville blive rige på kort tid. They have promised they agape farmers that their proceeds from the fields would multiply, and that they would be rich in a short time. De har også fortalt, hvor fantastisk Bt er, fordi den ikke kræver insektgift. They have also told how wonderful Bt is because it does not require insecticide. Og hvis bønderne stadig tvivlede, husker Kishore, at firmaerne arrangerede ture til testmarker, hvor de ved selvsyn kunne se Bt-bomuldens fortræffeligheder. And if farmers ever doubted, Kishore Tiwari remember that companies arranged tours to the test fields where they could see for myself Bt cotton super entirety.
Kishore har set det hele før. Kishore Tiwari ‘ve seen it all before. De seneste tre-fire år har høsten været den samme – katastrofal. The last three-four years the harvest has been the same – devastating. Derfor er det også med bekymring, at han går de kommende måneder i møde. It is therefore with concern that he is in the months to come. Planchen på hans kontor minder ham nemlig om, at langt de fleste selvmord sker i månederne under og efter høsten, fordi landmændenes håb om en mirakelhøst ikke bliver indfriet. Plan Chen in his office reminds him that that the vast majority of suicides happen in the months during and after harvest because farmers hope for a miracle harvest will not be honored. Dermed står de med en gæld fra de tidligere år samt udsigten til at optage et nyt lån til næste års såsæd. Thus they are with a debt from previous years and the prospect of recording a new loan for next year’s seeds.
Kishore har set forandringen komme snigende i landsbyerne, hvor selv helt fattige bønder nu ligesom resten af Indien drømmer om motorcykler og mobiltelefoner. Kishore Tiwari ‘ve seen change come creeping in the villages, where even quite poor farmers are now like the rest of India dream of motorbikes and mobile phones. De vil være med i den fremgang, som resten af landet oplever i disse år, og føle sig som Bollywood-stjernerne i de strålende reklamer. They will be in the prosperity that the rest of the country is experiencing in these years and feel like Bollywood-stars in the brilliant advertising.
Der er dog langt fra filmstudierne til virkeligheden i Vidarbha. There is, however, far from film studios to the realities of Vidarbha. Ikke bare markedet viser dette, men også markerne. Not just seen this, but also the fields. Kishore standser bilen ved en, hopper over den udtørrede grøft og ned på jordens sprukne overflade. Kishore Tiwari stop by a car, jump over the dry ditch and down to earth sprukne surface. Inde blandt de røde blade står bomuldsbonden Sama-dhan Raud blandt udtørrede knopper. Inside, among the red leaves are cotton peasant Sama-dhan Raud among dried buds. Egentlig troede han, at Bt-bomuld med Bollgard ville beskytte bomuldsknopperne. Actually he thought that the Bt-cotton with Bollgard would protect cotton buds. Det fortalte sælgeren ham, og det antyder navnet. The seller told him, and it suggests the name. Men Bollgard beskytter kun knopperne mod larveangreb og ikke mod svamp, og derfor har han været nødt til at indkøbe dyr gift for at redde høsten. But Bollgard protects only buds against larval attack and not against the sponge, so he has been forced to buy expensive gift to save the harvest. Også selvom brugen af Bt netop skulle betyde, at bønder som Samadhan sparede penge på plante- og insektgifte. Even though the use of Bt would just mean that the peasants who Samadhan saving money on plant and insect poisons.
Monsanto udviklede op gennem 1980’erne Bt-frøene. Monsanto developed through the 1980s Bt seed. De er kodet med et giftstof, Bacillus thuringiensis, som de mest skadelige bomuldslarver ikke kan lide. They are encoded with a poison, Bacillus thuringiensis, as the most damaging cotton larvae do not like. Denne egenskab kan spare bonden for både udgifter og sprøjtning med gift, og det kunne flere indiske frøfirmaer se fidusen i. De købte teknologien af Monsanto, som dog stadig ejer patentet og anser alle Bt-frø for firmaets ejendom. This feature can save the farmer for both costs and the spraying of poisons and could see several Indian seed establishment scams in. They bought the technology of Monsanto, which still owns the patent and believes all Bt seeds of the company’s property. Det betyder, at de ikke tillader bønder i hverken Indien eller resten af verden at gemme, videresælge eller bruge frø fra Bt-planter, hvorfor alle Bt-bønder skal investere i nye frø hvert år. This means that they do not allow peasants in either India or the rest of the world to save, sell or use the seeds from Bt plants, why all Bt farmers to invest in new seeds every year.
Hvis bønderne forsøger at omgå Monsantos forbud ved at gemme eller genbruge såsæd, så har det i flere tilfælde vist sig, at de genmodificerede frø fra firmaet ikke kan reproducere sig selv. If farmers are trying to circumvent the ban Monsanto, save or reuse seed, it has in several cases demonstrated that the genetically modified seeds from the company can not reproduce itself. Bønder og interesseorganisationer påstår, at det skyldes terminator-teknologi, der gør frøene sterile, men Monsanto lover på deres hjemmeside, at de ikke vil bruge teknologien – i fødevarer. Farmers and interest groups claiming that it caused terminator technology that makes seeds sterile, but Monsanto promises on their website that they will not use the technology – in food.
Når bønderne alligevel investerer i den dyre såsæd, er det, fordi de er fanget af reklamernes løfter. When peasants still invest in the expensive seeds, it is because they are caught by the advertising promises. De drømmer om et bedre liv, og Monsanto og underleverandørerne udnytter dette ved at lokke bønderne med store afkast og tilbud om penge. The dream of a better life, and Monsanto and subcontractors exploit this by enticing farmers with high yields and offering money. Frøfirmaerne sælger nemlig ikke kun frø, de finansierer også indkøbene, hvis bonden ikke har rede kontanter. Seed establishment sells not just seeds, they also finances the purchases if the farmer does not have ready cash. Denne fremgangsmåde er blevet kritiseret fra flere sider, men indtil videre stiger andelen af lån optaget hos såsædssælgere bare. This approach has been criticized from several sides, but so far increases the proportion of loans from seed sellers only.
Det samme gør antallet af selvmord i området på trods af økonomiske hjælpepakker fra staten og delstaten. The same number of suicides in the region in spite of economic aid packages from the State and the Land. I Vi-darbha begår tre til fire bønder selvmord hver dag, og det holder Kishore beskæftiget. In We-darbha committing three or four peasants suicide each day, and it keeps Kishore Tiwari employed. Konstant er der mennesker på hans kontor, og i dag er ingen undtagelse. Constantly there are people in his office, and today is no exception.
På en af de sorte plastik-stole inde på det lille kontor sidder en høj, stor mand. At one of the black plastic chairs inside the little office sits a large, strong man. Hans navn er også Kishore, og han er bror til Ashok Deshettiwar, der begik selvmord for blot en uge side. His name is Kishore Deshettiwar, and he is brother of Ashok Deshettiwar who committed suicide just a week side. Han er kommet for at søge hjælp, for Ashoks gæld skal betales tilbage. He is here to seek help for Ashok debts must be repaid.
Kishore Tiwari lover at hjælpe familien med kompensationsansøgningerne. Kishore Tiwari promise to help the family with compensation applications. Men han spørger også, om de har overvejet at dyrke andre afgrøder end Bt-bomuld. But he also asks whether they have considered other crops than Bt cotton. Han ved godt, at kun meget få selvmordsramte familie formår at skifte til nye afgrøder for ikke at tale om dyrkningsmetoder. He knows well that very few suicide-hit families manage to switch to new crops, not to mention cultural practices. De har ikke ressourcerne til det, heller ikke selvom økologisk bomuldsdyrkning med tiden kan gøre en forskel. They do not have the resources for it, even though organic cotton cultivation over time can make a difference.
udland@kristeligt-dagblad.dk udland@kristeligt-dagblad.dk
Monsanto er blevet bedt om at medvirke i artiklen, men har pr. Monsanto has been asked to help in the article, but each. mail blot henvist til firmaets hjemmeside www.monsanto.com mail simply referred to the company’s website www.monsanto.com
