ASHA (Alliance for Sustainable & Holistic Agriculture) is a large, nation-wide informal network of more than 400 organisations drawn from 20 states of India, that have come together in 2010 to organise a Kisan Swaraj Yatra, a nation-wide mobilisation to draw attention to issues pertaining to our FOOD, FARMERS, FREEDOM. The network consists of farmers’ organisations, consumer groups, women’s organisations, environmental organisations, individual citizens and experts who are committed to the cause of sustainable and viable farm livelihoods in rural India including by ensuring that productive resources are in the control of farming communities and thereby, safe, nutritious, diverse and adequate food for all Indians. From the dialogues that emerged during the Kisan Swaraj Yatra and subsequent work, ASHA articulates a 4-pillared Kisan Swaraj Neeti and calls on governments to adopt the same. This policy articulation provides a framework for a forward-looking agricultural policy approach for India. The four pillars of Kisan Swaraj are (1) income security for farm households; (2) ecological sustainability of agriculture; (3) people’s control over agricultural resources like land, water and seed; and (4) access to safe, healthy, nutritious and sufficient food for all. The work of ASHA is centred around (1) setting up ecological farming alternatives, building related capacities, working on marketing avenues for organic produce and campaigning for replicating support to ecological farming on a large scale, (2) to ensure seed diversity revival and secure seed self reliance and campaign for large scale scaling up of the efforts including through consumer awareness and empowerment, (3) watching out for any negative unsustainable approaches in Government of India’s BGREI programme (Bringing Green Revolution to Eastern India) related to corporatisation of seed resources, chemicalisation of eastern Indian agriculture, water use intensification etc., (4) making a clear case for ensuring minimum living incomes for farm households and campaigning to achieve the same, (5) understanding and advocating a different dispensation to adivasi agriculture and food security, and (6) campaigning against hazardous agri-chemicals including pesticides and fertilisers through the India For Safe Food platform. A recent initiative has been to join hands with other like-minded groups to ensure women’s rights and visibility as farmers.  

—– Forwarded message —– From: Kavitha Kuruganti <kavitha_kuruganti@yahoo.com> To: ns.tomar@sansad.nic.in <ns.tomar@sansad.nic.in>; kotharin@nic.in <kotharin@nic.in> Cc: secy-agri@gov.in <secy-agri@gov.in>; secy-agri@nic.in <secy-agri@nic.in>; jsseeds-agri@nic.in <jsseeds-agri@nic.in>; ashwani.hub@nic.in <ashwani.hub@nic.in> Sent: Sunday, 6 October 2019, 08:02:22 GMT+5:30 Subject: Amendments to Seeds Bill essential for protecting Indian farmers’ interests To:                                                                                                                                          October 6, 2019 Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India. Email: ns.tomar@sansad.nic.in (kotharin@nic.in)   Dear Sir, [...]

ASHA’S RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE HIGH POWERED COMMITTEE OF CHIEF MINISTERS ON TRANSFORMATION OF INDIAN AGRICULTURE Submitted: September 4, 2019        PDF Link   Alliance for Sustainable & Holistic Agriculture (also known as ASHA-Kisan Swaraj Network) is a large national network of organisations and individuals, working to promote sustainable and dignified farm livelihoods in India. [...]

—– Forwarded message —– From: Kavitha Kuruganti <kavitha_kuruganti@yahoo.com> To: cibsecy@nic.in <cibsecy@nic.in> Cc: vivek.narayan14@nic.in <vivek.narayan14@nic.in>; viveknarayan77@gmail.com <viveknarayan77@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, 20 August 2019, 10:00:37 GMT+5:30 Subject: COMMENTS ON THE REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON LABELLING OF PESTICIDES AS PER TOXICITY COMMENTS ON THE REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON LABELLING OF PESTICIDES AS PER TOXICITY To: The Secretary, Central Insecticides Board, Directorate of [...]

Organic Farming, Natural Farming and other approaches to agro-ecology Welcome;  Agro-ecological principles at work are the same in various models; Diversity of approaches/practices/techniques essential to suit local conditions; Transgenics and other gene technologies patently antithetical to agro-ecology;  Agro-Ecology is based on nature’s principles and is beyond personalities; Adivasi agriculture has long pioneered natural farming and [...]

From: Kavitha Kuruganti <kavitha_kuruganti@yahoo.com> To: am@krishi.nic.in <am@krishi.nic.in>; ns.tomar@sansad.nic.in <ns.tomar@sansad.nic.in>; kotharin@nic.in <kotharin@nic.in> Cc: neeraja.adidam@nic.in <neeraja.adidam@nic.in>; alka.b87@gov.in <alka.b87@gov.in> Sent: Monday, 29 July 2019, 12:33:22 GMT+5:30 Subject: Reg. the need to establish a set and clear definition of NATURAL FARMING To:                                                                                                                                          July 29th 2019   Shri. Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Government of India.   Dear Sir, Sub: On the need for having a set and clear definition [...]

MAJOR FARMER UNIONS OF INDIA RESOLVE COLLECTIVELY TO UPHOLD FARMERS’ SEED RIGHTS   New Delhi, July 13th 2019: Farmers’ movements have decided to put up a collective fight to ensure that farmers’ seed freedoms in India are not violated in any way, in a People’s Conference held here today. Organised by Alliance for Sustainable & [...]

PEOPLE’S CONFERENCE ON FARMERS’ SEED RIGHTS Saturday, July 13th 2019 India International Centre, Conference Room II, Max Mueller Marg, New Delhi Programme Schedule   Timing Topic Speaker/Facilitator 10.00am to 10.30am Registration   10.30am to 10.40am Welcome/Background/Introduction to the Conference Ms Kavitha Kuruganti, Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA) 10.40am to 10.55am Quick round of [...]

“PEPSICO INDIA & OTHER CORPORATIONS SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE AND ACCEPT THAT FARMERS’ RIGHTS CANNOT BE DENIED OR CHALLENGED – FARMERS SEED FREEDOMS IN INDIA ARE THE LAW OF THE LAND AND THIS NEEDS TO BE RESPECTED” Activists point out that this is after all an undertaking given by all applicants to PPV&FR Authority for varietal registration [...]

To: Shri Radhamohan Singh Hon’ble Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India, Krishi Bhawan, Dr Rajendra Prasad Rd, New Delhi, 110 001 Fax: 011 23384129 E-mail (of PS): abhaykr.singh@gov.in   Dr Kumble Vinod Prabhu Chairperson Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority Government of India, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, [...]

GUJARAT GOVERNMENT’S DEAL WITH PEPSICO INDIA UNACCEPTABLE: IT COMPROMISES FARMERS’ SEED FREEDOMS IN INDIA AND IGNORES THE LAW OF THE LAND “Rather than ‘persuading’ farmers to desist from sowing particular seed varieties,  Gujarat Government should side with farmers to save their rights as enshrined in the law” “PepsiCo India should be told that this is [...]