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Lost in the din - Baba Ramdev's plan to save agriculture

Tens of thousands of people had come to Delhi to support the
fast of Swami Ramdev that began on June 4. In the early hours of
June 5 (the midnight of June 4/5) Delhi police backed by Rapid
Action Force swept on sleeping protestors using teargas and
lathi-charge to evict them, asks Dr. Devinder Sharma
Standing on the dais and looking at the sea of humanity
that braved the heat of the peak summer season in New Delhi, I
wondered what these millions were here for. It had been
almost ten hours since the indefinite fast that Swami Ramdev
launched and I was trying to read the faces of some of those who I
could see clearly from where I was sitting. This was in the
afternoon of June 4. The turn of events in the next few hours have
put a permanent blot on the face of Indian democracy.
These were poor people. A majority of them came from the lower
strata of the society. They were drenched in sweat. They had poured
in from distant parts of the country. Some came in trains,
some in public buses; some came as part of better organised bus
loads. With their bags on their heads or slung on their
shoulders, and quite a large number coming with their families,
including small children, they thronged to Ramlila grounds in the
heart of Delhi with a great sense of hope and determination which
was clearly visible on their faces. Victim of continuous apathy,
neglect and discrimination, they were born in misery and will
probably live all through in misery. Treated like cattle, and
shunned by the perfumed class who are more or less beneficiaries of
the corrupt system, they had demonstrated their willingness to walk
the extra mile knowing well it was going to be really hard and
tough.
As I sat there on the stage, I could see clearly the mired
expressions on some the faces I tried to scan. The Incredulous
India, as the Shining India brigade would normally refer the
million to, had arrived.
Besides the contentious issue of getting back the black money
stashed in safe havens outside the country, Swami Ramdev had struck
a common cord with the masses. Here is one person with whom I have
interacted in recent times who I find has a finger on the real
nerve of the nation. Rooted firmly on the ground, he has
relentlessly called for changes in a manner that would have direct
bearing on the deprived millions.
He talked of providing technical and professional education in
regional languages, he talked of repealing the draconian land
acquisition provisions and also understood how dangerous it would
be for not only country’s food security but also the national
sovereignty by allowing indiscriminate transfer of agricultural
land for non-agricultural purposes.
At a time when the perfumed class chanted the mantra of development
— by usurping the natural resources and by displacing the millions
– Swami Ramdev talked of empowering the masses.
And that is why Shining India in reality hated him, and in lot many
ways feared him. Ever since the time I fist sat down with him to
discuss what is going wrong with agriculture I found in him someone
who was not only receptive but also wanting to understand the
complexities and look for viable solutions. To me – and also for
him – reviving agriculture and there by empowering the masses is
the key to true economic growth, progress and happiness. I could
therefore see in him as an amplifier, someone who could carry the
message loudly and clearly. He had the strength to demonstrate that
another India is possible. He was keen to help provide viable
alternatives.
At a time when the State was colluding with the Corporates to take
over agriculture and push farmers out of farming, Swami Ramdev
emerged as a strong voice in favour of self-reliance. The charter
of demands that HRD Minister Kapil Sibal now frowns at actually had
a number of such positive elements for transforming agriculture
thereby effectively ensuring household food security and minimising
hunger and poverty. It was after a lot of deliberations that Swami
ji had narrowed down a vast plethora of issues to some salient
features that needed immediate attention. These set of
interventions were included in the list of demands that Swami
Ramdev had sent to the Prime Minister.
The first set of demands pertained to land
acquisitions. Primarily, the demand was for not allowing
agricultural land – whether it is mono-cropped or multicropped – to
be diverted for nonfarm purposes. Even where it is to be definitely
acquired given the nature of public utility, permission has to be
sought from the Gram Sabhas. It was pointed out very clearly that
already the country is in the throes of a crisis given that the
demand for food is requiring more area to be maintained under
agriculture. For instance, it was pointed out that if India was to
grow domestically the quantity of pulses and oilseeds (in the form
of edible oil) that are presently imported, an additional 20
million hectares would be required.
Preserving productive agricultural land for
cultivation therefore assumes utmost importance. In the United
States, the US government is providing US $ 750 million for the
period 2008-13 under the Farm Bill 2008 to farmers to conserve and
improve their farm and grazing lands so as to ensure they do not
divert it for industrial and private use. On the contrary, India is
in a hurry to divest its farm lands and turn them into concrete
jungles in the name of development.
India is faced with a terrible agrarian crisis. The serial death
dance across the country, with over 2.5 lakh farmers already
committing suicide, shows no signs of ending. Much of the crisis is
because of the unsustainable farming practices that have turned the
Green Revolution to a Gray revolution. Reviving agriculture and
restoring the pride in farming form the two most important planks
of any nationwide strategy to revitalise the rural economy. The
following are some of the key elements of the farm strategy and the
immediate approach that needs to be followed:
# Knowing that GM crops / foods pose serious
environmental and health hazards, Swami Ramdev had asked for a
10-year moratorium on Bt-Brinjal and all field trials and
commercial release of GM crops. The basic purpose is to ensure that
the biotech industry is not allowed to contaminate the environment
and thereby destroy the biodiversity that is available. He had also
demanded that facilities for 29-biosafety tests that the Supreme
Court nominee on the Genetic Engineering Assessment
Committee (GEAC) Dr Pushpa Bhargava had called for be
first ensured before any GM crop/food is allowed for commercial
release.
# Seed is emerging a major issue of contention for farmers. Over
the years, the government has facilitated the takeover by private
industry of the seed supply and trade. This has taken away the
control of farmers over their seed. Although there were a number of
suggestions and approaches that we discussed, finally Swami Ramdev
included two major areas of focus in relation to seed. First was
the need to regulate seed price considering that industry continues
to fleece farmers by charging exorbitantly. Secondly, every
district should have a community-controlled seed centre with a gene
bank for traditional seeds. The local available seed diversity
needs to be protected and conserved at any cost.
# A beginning could also be made by ensuring that in the proposed
12th Five Year Plan at least a target to convert 25 per cent of the
total agriculture area be fixed for converting to zero pesticides
use. Already 40 lakh acres in Andhra Pradesh has been brought under
non-pesticidal management by under a government programme and this
could be replicated across the country.
# A National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO)
survey had concluded that the average monthly income of a farming
family in India does not exceed Rs 2400. No wonder, more than 40
per cent farmers have expressed the desire to quit farming if given
an alternative. Because of the dwindling farm incomes more and more
agrarian distress is becoming visible. A Farmers Income Commission
therefore needs to be setup and income guaranteed to the farmer
under a Farmers Income Guarantee Act (FIGA).
# It is strange paradox that while 32 crore people go to
bed hungry every night foodgrains continue to rot in
storage. A centralised procurement & distribution network
has failed to ensure that food reaches those who need it most.
Suggesting for local production, local procurement & local
distribution, community grain storage banks need to be established
in every panchayat. This will not only minimise grain wastage but
also ensure that food reaches the
hungry.
# Education in the Agriculture, Health and Engineering
Sectors should also be in Hindi and other State languages.
I don’t think any political party or the common minimum programme
of the successive coalitions that ran the country has ever
projected such a comprehensive agricultural and rural economy plan.
Unfortunately, amidst the din and noise created over black money
and corruption, the proposals to revitalise the rural economy by
strengthening agriculture were simply ignored. The nation therefore
lost a historic opportunity to debate and deliberate on some
worthwhile approaches that could usher in self-reliance in
agriculture and put an end to farmer suicides.
Devinder Sharma
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