In my 15th of August note, I mentioned how serious of an issue India is facing when it comes to uplifting rural farmers at large.  To that end, please make sure to check out a heart wrenching documentary titled "The Dying Fields" on Wide Angle segment on PBS tonight. The documentary focuses on Vidharba region which used to be known as cotton belt. Now, it has turned into a suicide belt. If 2006 records are to go by, Vidharba saw 1044 suicides in total, which if you do the math - is one suicide every eight hours. "This is human rights violation", says a social activist Kishore Tiwari. 

The documentary also covers an interview with Prof. Jagdish Bhagwati, Professor at Columbia University, Senior Fellow in International Economics at the Council on Foreign Relations, and author of In Defense of Globalization. 

Award-winning journalist and correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro, who grew up in India has produced and directed the film.

Also, please make sure to cast your vote on the poll asking for lifting farmers subsidies in the US.  

Check your local listings and click here to visit PBS 

Comments (3) >>

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written by Subhash, August 29, 2007

Just out of words. This was a shocking program. Why has this issue not gotten the attention it deserves!? This should me a major topic in WTO and all those dumping cotton prices should be brought to books. Indian government is just spineless, tell you. This is pathetic and I am so disgusted by our inability to do anything for these poor farmers. Shameful..

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written by Jahan, August 29, 2007

I saw it too. Very disturbing.
-Jahan

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written by Monica, August 30, 2007

Gosh! In the segment there is a comparision of terrorism suicides. I dont think one need to compare despair suicides with that of terrorism. You can not watch but feel disgusted as to how this could be happening.
-Monica.

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