The pretext of this article is the feelings of many Indians like me, who are not very happy with this pongal. Let me draw a line and tell you that I am not writing this article in disdain.
Pongal, Makar Sankranti, Songkran, Thingyan, Maghi called out with many names all over South Asia. Out of many traditional folklores circulating in India, let me choose first, ichha mrityu(death at will) of Bhishma who left his mortal coil on this day. Other being, Makar sankranthi which marks the ‘day’ of gods, and it is believed all auspicious things will be done during this six month period (Uttarayana).The other reason is to celebrate the yields of abundant harvest during this time of the year in India. Whatever reason may be, it is one of the festivals of our Indian culture. My moot point is about the harvest and producers of that harvest – farmers.
The current population of world is around 700 crore, it is estimated by 2050 the population will cross 900 crore. These poor farmers have to increase the production by 70% to meet the future demands. India’s current population as estimated in 2010 census is 1.22 billion. India along with Brazil, China forms formidable group of nations that supply food to the world, while India’s contribution is abysmally low of 11.7% (2003), a drop of 6.5% (18.2 in 1999). The reason being, India as second most populous nation in the world, production – consumption = surplus, is what goes into exports.
The reason one could assume is due to rapid industrial changes, privatization post liberalization of 1991, but, one is not to be baffled by the fact that the seeds to kill agriculture are sown during the First Five year plan. Since then, there are enormous concessions given for industrial growth. In India 60% of the population still lives in villages, out which 85% are below poverty line. By sector wise calculation it contributes 18.5% our GDP. Agriculture is an un-organized sector, unlike Industrial sector or Services sector, which does not remit taxes, like the organized sector does. But the population which depends on it, the economy they generate right from the tooth paste they purchase to the pesticide they use (on field – off field for suicides), is what unseen and unknown. Remember Anniyan/Aparichit/Aparichutudu, the small amounts spent by these larger chunk of population is so substantial, that which drives the organized sector, India as a whole. If any subsidies are to be given to farmers, including the loan waiver, it is done at the behest of tax payer’s money.
Is the government so deaf to all these things? One may ask.
Agriculture is cursed by government ineffectiveness, right from availability of loan, to, availability of subsidized seeds, pesticides, to, bringing harvest to market, to, Minimum support price of harvest. A farmer is ruthlessly robbed everywhere. Adding to the endless woes, the Natural disasters, incessant rains, floods, cyclones, tsunami’s, thane’s what not? A farmer after braving so many odds is filling our plate with his flesh, blood, sweat. In return, what they get is a bottleful of pesticide, to lay their soul rest in peace.
There have been very little reforms that are done in agricultural sector, like Insurance to crops, Subsidies to farmers, Increase in petty Minimum support prices. But, when compared to the concessions given to other sectors this is minimal and not good enough. If such reforms were successful, there wouldn’t have been 2, 56,910 farmer suicides, between 1995-2010.
There have been many commissions and reports like, Professor Dandekar report, MS Swaminathan report, many which have not been tabled in parliament , even if tabled never implemented.
Demographically the advantage of India is high number of youth in 15-35 year bracket. This could be a challenge if they are entirely concentrated on services sector. So the onus lies in creating awareness among youth – constituting 40% of total population – to venture into agriculture. It can only be done by making agriculture profitable. Once profitable, agriculture, like any sector will thrive, not only this pongal, every pongal will be a joyous to our farmer brothers.
- Sai Karthik
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