witchlinblue
05-18-2005, 11:14 PM
The South Indian city of Bangalore may be a burgeoning high tech center, but it's a different world for farmers out in the province, where payasam, or rice pudding topped with opium poppy, is a favored dish. Farmers there have been growing opium for years, apparently oblivious to laws banning poppy-growing except under license for medical purposes. But that has changed in recent months as police, apparently spurred by mention of the practice in the International Narcotics Control Board's latest annual report, have cracked down, arresting 20 farmers last month and seizing unspecified quantities of opium.
The farmers aren't happy and are planning protests later this month, according to a report in the Times of India. They have also apparently convinced Indian authorities they really did not know their crops were illegal and are seeking to win licenses for legal poppy cultivation.
"The farmers will be set free if they prove they are innocent. I admit they were not aware of the ban. Now, we have distributed literature on the crime of cultivation of opium poppy," said state agriculture minister K. Srinivasa Gowda. Still, the eradication drive would continue unless and until the national government responds to his request for licensed poppy cultivation, he said. "In states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, the government has issued licenses for poppy only for medicinal applications. I have requested Mr. Sharad Pawar (the agriculture minister) to use his good offices to get similar licences to our farmers."
In the meantime, farmers are grumbling. "We want the government to withdraw cases against farmers and set them free," said K. Puttanaiah, president of the Karnataka State Farmers Association, which called the planned protest rally. "Will the government imprison farmers who grow sugarcane or tobacco because one can make rectified spirit and cigarettes? This coalition government has no inkling of agricultural practices or problems of farmers," he added.
Some farmers have fled to avoid prison sentences of up to 10 years. "My husband did not know this crop is illegal. The person who gave us the seeds said it was for medicinal plants. I have not slept after the police raided our farm (in March)," said Savithramma, 46, whose husband A. Krishnappa fled as soon as he heard about the raids.
The farmers aren't happy and are planning protests later this month, according to a report in the Times of India. They have also apparently convinced Indian authorities they really did not know their crops were illegal and are seeking to win licenses for legal poppy cultivation.
"The farmers will be set free if they prove they are innocent. I admit they were not aware of the ban. Now, we have distributed literature on the crime of cultivation of opium poppy," said state agriculture minister K. Srinivasa Gowda. Still, the eradication drive would continue unless and until the national government responds to his request for licensed poppy cultivation, he said. "In states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, the government has issued licenses for poppy only for medicinal applications. I have requested Mr. Sharad Pawar (the agriculture minister) to use his good offices to get similar licences to our farmers."
In the meantime, farmers are grumbling. "We want the government to withdraw cases against farmers and set them free," said K. Puttanaiah, president of the Karnataka State Farmers Association, which called the planned protest rally. "Will the government imprison farmers who grow sugarcane or tobacco because one can make rectified spirit and cigarettes? This coalition government has no inkling of agricultural practices or problems of farmers," he added.
Some farmers have fled to avoid prison sentences of up to 10 years. "My husband did not know this crop is illegal. The person who gave us the seeds said it was for medicinal plants. I have not slept after the police raided our farm (in March)," said Savithramma, 46, whose husband A. Krishnappa fled as soon as he heard about the raids.