‘Islamic banking may solve Vidarbha crisis’

‘Islamic banking may solve Vidarbha crisis’

ISLAMIC banking may be the solution to farmer suicide crisis in Vidarbha, said father of Indian green revolution, M S Swaminathan.
Speaking at Karuna Ratna award presentation function, he said the exorbitant lending rates charged by money lenders in Vidarbha had created a vicious cycle of debt and suicide in the region. “Even yesterday we heard news about 30 farmers who committed suicide in Vidarbha.Islamic banking, which propagates zero interest lending, could hold the key to solving this crisis”, he said.
He recollected his childhood incident, when he was asked by his parents to donate his jewellery to Gandhiji, who auctioned those valuables to raise money for the cause of Harijans. “My father was a freedom fighter. And he taught me to give away the surplus for the cause of the downtrodden. I was asked to donate my bangle and chain at an auction by Gandhiji to raise money for Harijans”, he said.
KARUNA AWARDS: Karuna awards for outstanding work on ahimsa, love for ecology and vegetarianism was presented on Monday by Karuna International, Chennai, an organisation working to promote peace and kindness. The awards, a cash prize of Rs 1lakh each, were given to four eminent social workers in their respective fields by MS Swaminathan. The winners include Padmashree Muzaffer Hussain, for research on Islam and vegetarianism, Chinny Krishna of Blue Cross and Nanditha Krishna of CPR Foundation.



Source: The New Indian Express, Chennai - Tuesday, April 6, 2010, Page 5

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