Greek mythology states that one of the twelve tasks of Hercules involved the cleaning of the Augean stables which was filled with filth and dirt. For this, it says, Hercules diverted the rivers Alpheus and Peneus into the stables, thus, accomplishing a task deemed impossible right from the outset.
A Herculean effort like the one above is needed to save the agriculture sector in India. Majority (60%) of the Indian workforce is engaged in agriculture, an occupation (along with forestry, logging and fishing) which contributes to around 20% of the nation's GDP.
While pre-liberalised India concentrated on generation of jobs through industries promoted by the public sector, post-liberalised India's GDP growth is dictated primarily through the services sector. In both era's, it is the agriculture sector which has suffered the after-effects of a Government which totally ignored the national sector with the largest labour force.
Time and again we are reminded of the grim realities facing the agricultural sector in our country. Journalists like P.Sainath bring out well researched and shocking revelations of the situation of farmers in rural India. These farmers face the risks of never ending debts, failing monsoons, low scales of profit and the harsh realism of avoiding starvation death. Whether we accept it or not, they represent the average Indian.
A contrast to all this can be our own life. Many of us (including me) work in the IT sector. Like other private sectors we enjoy medical claim, health insurance and many other such benefits. And yet, we crib when we fail to make it to that particular grade during our appraisal period which would have given us a 20% salary hike instead of that 15%. But whenever I see a blog-post like this, I feel I am far better off when compared to that average Indian. What benefits does he have? A village farmer obtains loan from the money-lender at such astronomical rates of interest. He slaves for a lifetime hoping to repay that loan. He has no one to insure him. No one to help him pay his medical bills. Or worse, he is not even if any such scheme exists. Then, when it comes to selling his produce, he is taken for a ride by the middle-men. We complain when we see farm loans being wavered or free electricity supply being provided to them. Of course I agree that these are not long-term measures. But then, are we losing much by doing this?
While the entry of India into WTO was a welcome move, it has conveniently pushed aside the woes of the agricultural sector. The meets at Doha and Geneva were not fruitful in this regard. They ended with hollow promises (mainly from leaders of European nations) to entertain thoughts like this at future summits.
Right now it seems ridiculous to know that, for a country like us with such huge arable land, once upon a time we were importing food-grains from U.S. It needed a Green Revolution to drastically improve the situation by increasing the food-grain production. I think the nation now needs to raise its hands to bring about a second Green Revolution.
What will a second such Green Revolution encompass? Well, the issues to be sorted out are many. Modern methods of farming, making loans available to a larger populace of the farming sector, Public Distribution System, Basic Infrastructure (Roads, water-supply, electricity and others) and what not! I am not, at any moment, voicing a cause for deliberate negligence of the IT & ITES sectors. A surging Indian economy should have the growth of both the agricultural and services sectors go hand-in-hand.
As a nation, we have a lot more to do than lauding short-term victories like an Infosys listing its stock at NYSE. Our neighbouring country, China, produces twice the amount of food grains when compared to us, and that too, when the amount of arable land there is lesser than ours. They have recently built the world's longest sea-bridge, the breathtaking three Gorges Dam and a new international world-class airport at Beijing as the start of the Olympic Games nears. The numbers regarding youth population may be favouring India, especially after the one-child norm was imposed in China. But their energies have to be channelled and utilised in the right direction.
For me, India shines only when the life of the average Indian shines.
P.S: Read this article which appeared on Business Line.
21 comments:
I agree. A big problem is how to make the better-off India and better off persons (including persons like me) understand and care that there is another India that is waiting for light. Even after all the debates and all the good intentions, we can't seem to convince the better-off India to take its mind off its own confines and look outside itself!
Our agricultural sector definitely needs a definite plan of action. The people who can make the difference sadly don't care about this sector until the elections are near.
you've got it spot on. we seem to be concentrating on everything but agriculture. except when it comes to cash crops that is
Karthik, glad to see the pieces flowing here, of late -- topics and style.
The neglect of agriculture is India's biggest shame. Sainath reminds us time and again, but his pieces lack analytical depth to take our understanding forward. I think all of us are still groping, and have no idea of what the root problems are. Solutions usually emerge faster than diagnosis.
"We complain when we see farm loans being wavered or free electricity supply being provided to them"
We complain because the taxes we provide are used for farm loan waivers and other poll gimmicks that do not give any long term relief to the farmers. Such measure only keep them poor. If the govt was really serious about the upliftment of the rural poor then it can do wonders with the money at hand. So I don't think we have become unfeeling! Instead we are doing right by grumbling instead of shutting up and accepting whatever the powers that be orchestrates to stay in power!
p.s free electricity is given only for operating farm equipment. Electricity used in the house are charged at normal rates in Ktka. But I know many farmers who are making a living out of this by selling this free electricity!!
@sunil: Thanx for your comments. I think the better-off India does not realise the harmful effects the neglect of this sector can have!
I feel the harm was done right after Independence. We concentrated more on heavy industries rather than agriculture . It was like we pushed aside the fact that our population was primarily agrarian.
@philip: Yes, the vote bank is the only concern of our politicians. Their only jobs seem to be eating, meeting and cheating (as said in a Malayalm film)!! And only short-term benefits seem to appear to them.
g-man: Aah.yes,Cash Crops. But when you take the case of Vidarbha region, the farmers have suffered in the case of cotton. They had bought seeds of genetically high yielding cotton only to find later that they were cheated by middle-men. And like seeen through Philip's post, it is just ridiculous that the Government continues to ignore all this.
Ashok: Good thought. I read somewhere that the aim should be to reduce the agriculture labour work-force and then also increase production through efficient means. Perhaps the very reason that we have the Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. Would like to hear your thoughts on the root problem, because I feel the problems are strikingly visible. Cultivation methods, PDS, Infrastructure, loans, lack of awareness on finanical support etc.
Silverine- Yes, they are short-term gimmicks. Sadly, the Government has the habit of looking into solutions only when an acute crisis (as that which happened pre-Green Revolution) builds up. Let's hope things don't get that far.
The reforms take so long to get implemented. And to add to all this, the Govt. has a coalition party which opposes every reform action.
I agree to the point..however restrictive is living in China..there is one thing what we can learn them..commitment and scale..One thing I like about China is that they dont go for half measure..We are developing..agreed..but it is haphazard and nowhere near the scale of China..
yea, am aware of the cotton problem. the government...precisely
karthik, you know the good thing that has come out of this food shortage - it has turned the eyes of the entire Indian blogosphere to look at this problem that we have all long ignored/never cared for/never knew.
i am not sure what the right solutions are to fix agri sector in india - i am looking forward to see what the govt's next steps are.
@mathew: Absolutely right! Infact you take every endeavour of China , it has been huge. Right from history!
Great Wall of China, Great Leap Forward, Three Gorges Dam (Biggest hydroelectric project), Longest sea-bridge etc. As regards Infrastructure and FDI , we are no-where near them!
G-man: Yes, as Reagan said the Government is more of the problem than being the system :) Hope they strive to do better things than quarrel over petty issues
Jiby: Yes, many have blogged on this issue (including you and Philip). Hope the impact of the Indian blogosphere is at least strong enough to touch the chord of a few significant politicians.
Yes, and they better have some serious steps to take. Else, it could spiral into a bigger crisis.
Nice post . But whatever is done is sshort term .. we need a sustaining policy and that no one seems to be interested in ...
Deepti: Yes, long-term measures are needed to sort out the mess in the agri sector.
Each year we are disappointed by the slow pace of reforms taking place in India. And the only solutions through the financial budget seem to be loan waivers. Hope the Govt. takes corrective actions at the earliest.
Well written, even today as per the population rate, stats shows that India has more poor people than any country in the world.
And yes, India shines only when the poor shines.
Reemas,
PrivateMarriage.com
Reemas: Thanx for sharing your thoughts. Yes, unlike China, where many of the people from below poverty line levels have risen to have a better life, in India it has been the case of rich getting richer.
profound last line
arunima: Well, that was all what I said being summed up :) Thanx for visiting
We all need to realise that there's going to be a long lasting and devastating effect of the crop shortage and that is malnutrition which stunts a child's physical and mental growth.
Read more here:
http://blog.giveindia.org/2008/05/malnutrition-quietly-destroying-future.html
@giveindia: Thanx for the link. That article is truly thought provoking. Poverty is the greatest evil that can encounter someone in their childhood.
Perhaps, in the near future, crop prices may go up so much, that some of the major corporates, might want to take up agriculture and run it professionally. With professional margins. Well have to shed a huge sum to eat daily meals then. Like how we are spending for education now. We always seem to realize the value of somthing only after it is lost!
Destination Infinity.
Sainath seems to be another power hungry guy,another Ellsworth Monkton Toohey.This is my blog post on Sainath relating to NREGA.
http://memorymaniac.blogspot.com/2008/06/lets-create-unemployment.html
I just added your feed to my favorites. I really enjoy reading your posts..
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