SUGGI RAJ writes from Bangalore: Are the seeds for a humongous social and sociological disaster, which has the potential to rout the already problem-ridden farming sector, being sowed on the barren political badlands of Karnataka?
Is a democratic government surreptitiously reversing the land reforms in the State, and sneaking in the zamindari system in a new garb which will enable the transfer of lands of the poor into the hands of the private rich?
And is a puppet government of a “humble farmer” pushing the rest of his folk to stand on a land mine that could blow him up?
We are not talking of Special Economic Zones—although we could—but something else that is equally disturbing: Private agriculture colleges.
Ten days ago, the Government of Karnataka expressed a quiet but clear intent to throw open agricultural education in the State to the private sector. The ostensible reason for public consumption, as always, was money. By allowing private players, it reasoned, it could reduce its own fiscal burden. And who doesn’t like such austerity?
While giving the nod, the cabinet constituted a Cabinet subcommittee headed by minister for home, law and parliamentary affairs M.P. Prakash to examine the issue of granting permission to private managements to establish agricultural colleges in the State.
The point to ponder is, whether a civilisational change is in the offing in the State which boasts of having been home to every second farmer suicide in the country?
As of now, there are no private colleges in Karnataka as the present University of Agricultural Sciences Act, 1963, bars universities from granting affiliation to private colleges.
“1 6A. Affiliation or admission to privileges etc. —No educational institution situated within the State of Karnataka imparting education of the type specified in section 4 or for the purposes specified therein shall be associated in any way with or be admitted to any privileges of and affiliated to any other University outside the State of Karnataka and any such affiliation granted by any such other University to any such institution within the State of Karnataka prior to the commencement of the University of Agricultural Sciences (Amendment) Act, 1985 shall be deemed to be withdrawn from the date of such commencement.”
The rationale behind that policy decision was simple. The poor Indian farmer is to be protected from the risk of being a victim of uncontrolled experiments.
The government rightly appropriated to itself the task of certifying the outcome of any experiment in the farm sector as the target group consists of a huge vulnerable population which is also largely illiterate. So, government did not want to leave the future of farmers to chance.
Just one crop failure is enough to overturn the agricultural applecart and alter a family’s livelihood. That can happen not just because of an errant monsoon, but because of a number of issues ranging from seeds to weeds, fertilizer to pesticides, harvesting to marketing.
In barring the private sector from agriculture, the government wanted everything to be monitored closely as it is a life and death problem of a very huge section of the population.
# If the private players are allowed then there is every possibility that the farming community would be pawns in the hands of some powerful vested interests.
# Agriculture is the main occupation of the majority of Indians. Small landholders will be wiped out with the entry of MNCs who are sure to annihilate small and marginal farmers’ through their manoeuvres and marketing tactics.
#Already, Indian health care is at the mercy of MNCs. If Novartis wins its patent case against India, it will pave way for replacement of generic medicines with prohibitively expensive patented medicine.
# Above all, there is a real estate angle to the issue of which we must be on our guard. The mushrooming of agriculture colleges in not only districts, but also in taluks and villages, will mean that cultivable land which is already on the verge of becoming meagre will further be reduced.
Unlike engineering and medical colleges which have been run from godowns and sheds, each Agriculture college needs a huge piece of cultivable land, not less than 300 acres, as farming cannot be taught and learnt in classrooms alone. That means, vast tracts of fertile land are a must for running the farm college. So every piece of cultivable land in the vicinity can/will be at the hands of the education mafia.
The big issue that the government’s move throws up is whether the agriculture colleges will become an excuse to improve the land holdings in the name of education.
The best case scenario is they may not. But what if?
After centuries of tilling land in someone else’s title, almost all of the lower strata of society, esspecially Dalits and the backward classes, have been now given rights over their tilling land. But the very purpose of land reforms is being sought to be defeated on a case-by-case basis.The new economy has seen amassing of property, especially real estate. The easiest prey for this land-hungry lot are those who secured rights over their lands after centuries of toil. Is a reversal of land reform on the anvil?
Of course, the mannina makkalu enconsed on the gaddi will argue that the research facilities in agriculture colleges can be utilized to help farmers. That the setting up of the colleges will help reduce the fiscal burden on the government from running the Ag-colleges. And that small farmers will be involved in research, which will develop a fruitful rapport between the scientists and farmers.
On paper the rationale seems sound, except that it is wishful thinking. For a reality check, please walk into any private medical college hospital.
While sanctioning private medical colleges, government had come up with the same logic and reason. Then, it said, since government cannot run healthcare facilities everywhere, private medical colleges would come in handy to help people in the villages and towns spread across the state.
Is that really happening?
Most of medical college hospitals either wear a deserted look without patients (there may be a number of mysterious reasons for this) or, more likely, are beyond the reach of even the middle class, let alone the poor!
We have over a hundred private engineering colleges and hundreds of colleges and what is the use?
Good intentions alone aren’t enough. By paving the way for private agriculture colleges, the H.D. Kumaraswamy government is snipping off the nose fearing the frequent sneezes (and suicides) of the poor farmers!
If the intentions of the Govt is to do research in the field of agriculture sciences and to provide education to farmers for better farming, then provide grants and intiate research centres and vocational training centres in joint partnership with SDM(dharmasthala) group, SSES(siddaganga), SAES(adichinchingiri),JSS(Mysore) etc who already have Agriculture land with them, are inclined to help farming/rural community, some even are already having these kind of programmes. Govt should concentrate on setting cold storages, food processing industries and export plan. I hear nothing from govt regarding these things.
What a load of crap??!!!
The author of this piece must be living in some dreamland or a fantasy to be making the kind of statements that he is.
What does he mean by “private sector”? Farmers are not government employees, so if they are not private sector who is?
Farmers are already the pawns in huge special interests who have abandoned them to the money lenders and the monsoons when the time to fulfill promises has come. Now they are not even supposed to turn to the private sector for help, because of “exploitation”???
Does the author of this piece have any idea of what small farmers in this country are facing? Shrinking acreage, low yields, high pollution, low water table and dropping fertility are only the beginning of the problem. Add to that misguided policies, corrupt-ridden public procurement and an inept political class and we have the makings of a massive agrarian disaster. Yet, it is now terrible for the private sector to try and get into farming and solve problems…
Yet, without trying to find any answers to these problems, the author is very agitated that solutions involving “private” have been made. Let us not forget that the Green Revolution, which staved off mass hunger in this country was thanks to the research conducted elsewhere by the “private sector”, implemented thanks to some bold initiatives and a bit of help from the “private sector”.
Now the Green Revolution is over. Excessive and inefficient pesticide use has polluted the lands and reduced fertility. We need to look to science (and not the PETA-organic crap which is expensive and mostly mislabelled) to provide us with the solutions that will save our crops and give us some sort of food security. Yet, the author prefers to start with the assumption that nothing good can come out of “private” initiative, least of all research.
If the author’s argument is to be accepted, then people should be banned from using roads because a single accident can ruin a family, destroy their earnings, and kill their sole breadwinner. Therefore, nobody should drive on the roads lest an accident happen. So while countries around the world are taking bold steps in agricultural research, we can sit and wail about our debt-ridden, suicide-prone farmers, and forgo food security so that we are all not “exploited” by private interests.
I think I’ll take my visa now Mr. Ambassador…
While Alok makes an impressive sketch of the miseries faces by farmers today and the shortcomings of the ‘Green revolution’ there was something that struck strange- which is this ‘private sector’ that researched and helped in bringing about the GR?
The International Wheat Rust Nursery Programof the US Department of Agriculture, The Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, The Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maíz y Trigo, or CIMMYT, Thge Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Dr Borlaug, Dr Swaminathan, which/who led the research and USAID and the Foundations that helped disseminate the Gr and the consequences of the GR- Hunan Rice Research Institute. International Rice Research Institute, Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research- none seem like ‘private sector’ to me.
Dont get me wrong I am not a bleeding heart liberal- anti private sector person. But I would like things to be told as they were and not as they please someone. if Ive made a mistake here plz wld Alok or Db or ohh yes that arch for of (non-tax paying ) farmers RVG correct me .
I second Alok. A huge load of crap indeed.
lately if u see at the articles here , makes me wonder if churmuri is under any pressure to publish certain type of articles
Actually, not a bad effort by Suggi Raj! Although I don’t agree with what he says, this is an interesting angle.
What was wrong with the zamindari system? It meant large viable land holdings at least with some basics of compensation and security. In fact with the all the benami holdings, the zamindari system is well and truly alive. What we need is coroporate farming on a humongous scale. Farmers are only too willing to sell off their lands if they are relieved of the drudgery of agriculure. Of course we have 600 million people engaged in it, so we must be careful.
What is connection between Novartis pending case and agricultural colleges in Karnataka??
“Most of medical college hospitals either wear a deserted look without patients” – heard of St.John’s, Kasturba, JSS, Manipal……
“We have over a hundred private engineering colleges and hundreds of colleges and what is the use?” – D’oh – what were you thinking?
Your closing argument – medical colleges, engineering colleges and other private colleges are responsible for farmer suicides.
My closing argument – Get a life.
Return to Zameendari system, what a fantastic idea! Any how these farmers do not deserve their lands as they do not know how to make it profitable after centuries of tilling. Any how farmers are only too willing to sell off their lands and to get out the drudgery of agriculture.
Even beggary will be far more fetching profession as there is no report of suicide of any beggar and the state need not spend huge amount as farm subsidy.
The most effective way to halt the farmer suicide phenomena is just to transfer all the lands to enlightened entrepreneurs (preferably huge private industries and multinational companies), who can turn the agriculture into a profitable venture and pay tax too.
As far as land loser is concerned, a separate fund may be established on the lines of National Calamity Fund to help the poor land loser for some time. And our new-economy guys can donate liberally if income tax rebate is extended.
If you do not get Rottis, Rice and Muddes, have pizzas and burgers. Any how, KFCs, Dominas, Pizza huts and McDonalds will be too happy to serve the hot stuff. It is for sure that they earn profits and pay taxes too!
Why should any one bother about the farmer? After all every one has to look after their own good. So, farmers should consult some one of international repute to know what to grow and how to harvest. Take the assistance of firms of international repute, who will shortly setting up their offices here soon. Regarding Agri policies, please hire some law firms and powerful persons to lobby for the poor farmers as is the practice in the US. Very good.
Alok, you are right. Our government is doing the same thing in another way to reduce accidents. Build wonderful roads, collect a heavy toll for every ride and that will make the government richer and discourage the poor cousins away from those roads, that is exactly happening in Karnataka already!
“The most effective way to halt the farmer suicide phenomena is just to transfer all the lands to enlightened entrepreneurs (preferably huge private industries and multinational companies), who can turn the agriculture into a profitable venture and pay tax too.”
vsesh
Its called industrialization, and sensible countries have ensured that they don’t interfere in the process either by compulsorily buying up land or preventing the sale of the land. The returns from land constantly decreasing, and the size of the average landholding decreasing even faster, soon small farmers will have no choice but to sell off their land at whatever price is demanded. Only large farms or small-medium farms catering to a niche sector are likely to thrive in the long run. If one abandons a romantic attachment to farmers and the”soil”, one can easily see this cold economic reality in the experience of innumerable countries and take the right steps.
It is not a question of profitability that we are talking about here. Farmers are not committing suicide out of depression or alcohol addiction. They are hopelessly debt ridden because of governmental infrastructure and policies that were short sighted, not to mention the cases of plain neglect. Overuse of fertilizers and borewells has only contributed to this problem. Even solutions (genetically modified crops, cutting out the middleman, etc.) are implemented so poorly that the farmer ends up worse off.
We are in the midst of a very real and growing agrarian crises that threatens not just a few farmers but food security in India as a whole. Throwing more money at the problem will not make it go away. Unless we want to go back to the days of ship-to-mouth, famine-just-averted existence, there has to be a lot more done than just helpless hand-wringing. and announcing “packages” that are never accounted for once they are announced. Some of the sops that benefit large farmers (free power, virtually free fertilizer) are killing small farmers, but these never get highlighted whenever another farmer’s suicide gets talked up.
Instead we lash out at the “private sector”, “globalization”, “Franken-foods(??!!)” and what not without addressing the basic issues that affect the Indian agricultural sector. This article is a perfect example of what I have just said.
Thanks a lot Alok, When every one is becoming a tool at the hands of a few, it is quite natural for some sensible and concerned to feel threatened. Here the issue should be how casually our leaders take decision without taking all the issues seriously. Our society and media do not even bother to take note of such a grave development. This should have been a fit case for public discussion at large. The very first move should be to prevent the steps that can engulf entire farm community. The remedy for the present malady is to be found out only after prolonged deliberation. Farming is not merely a simple problem to be solved keeping in view only the economic factor. It is a multi dimensional issue that may affect the very soul of our country. Neither romanticism nor cynicism can contribute much in finding the solution. Mere duplication of a policy that is successful in some other country ignoring the topography, geography and demography of our country along with socio cultural aspects, is sure to spell disaster as the proposed changes are irreversible with far reaching effect.
I do agree with Vinay, what is the fun of having such a crap as farm related topics in the blog which is never read by any farmer . There are far more interesting things around us. It is mere waste of time to even consider the sick sector which is already breathing its last. After all the world has become a global village. No one will die of starvation even if our country ceases to produce any thing in Agro-sector. Any thing and every thing can be imported. Let alone the food grains, Now a days even ready to eat food is available in the market . Only the thing is money needed for the purchase. Every one in our country is free to take up one job or other that is profitable and shun the loss making ones. Darwin`s theory `Survival of the fittest` is very much relevant right now.
A farmer committing suicide. Try to find out the reasons. What are the so_called leaders doing. Farmers taking loans for their agriciltural activity is quite common. Earlier it use to be private money-lenders who used to fleece the farmers. How many banks and financial institutions guide the farmers for best utilisation of the funds. In addition to the main crops they should be encouraged and trained to take up subsidiary occupations to augment their income depending on the facilities available in their surroundings. They should be traind to grow more crops in the same land i.e., vegetables, flowers, etc. In the house they should be encouraged to take up dairying, poultry in small measures. The so_called leaders instead of indulging in rasta_rokos should better go to the villages and educate them. New irrigation methods, avoiding wastage of water, judicious use of available water, use of manures, there are many ways to improve their lot. If some enterprising gtoup of people come forward with these ideas and ideals behind them then certainly it can be given a chance. Shedding one or two tears and putting a garland on the corpse will and can good to anybody. Compensation from state exchequers …at whose expense
India and China between them have over a billion people in the farm sector. China has thru herculean efforts shifted (literally) large numbers of them into manufacturing. Unfortunately however efficiently China runs its factories, there are limits to how much it can carve out of the worldwide manufacturing pie; which itself is shrinking in relative terms and a will soon in absolute terms as well. So local consumption must be built up fast and substantially. In India we haven’t started coming to grips with our 600 million farmers. We have simply let the classes consume and let the tide lift all boats to the extent possible, while we constrict infrastructure, to limit migration of farm labor into manufacturing, because the latter sector isn’t growing fast enough and any more migration will depress manufacturing wages. Services is too far off. There is no romance to farming. The commie crooks of course won’t let farmers sell their land and move out or even let them grow cash crops. In Kerala the commie thugs go around destroying standing crops of vegetables and fruits because the farmers would rather not lose money growing paddy. There are no magic solutions, and worse still the agricultural crisis isn’t regional – it is a global problem. Dr. V. Ramanathan Director C4/Scripps Insititute of Oceanography, UCSD; says that global warming isn’t a distant possibility and things are worse than they seem. As long as we have a feudal Congress in charge with washed out fakes like Amartya Sen advising we aren’t going to see any light at the end of the tunnel.
@Alok & @Vsesh, very good points.
@Kaangeya, Return to Zamindari system? what are you smoking?
Green Revolution has destroyed Indian farmers. We were fooled into believing that there would be famines if we did not increase our agri yields. A lot of the famines are man made. A reasonably functioning democracy will not let famines happen. Wars, lack of storage and distribution networks and lack of political will are the common causes of famines. India has had a few near misses since independence but most of our documented severe famines happened under the British Raj. Food security and self-sufficiency are also bogus issues. Are we self sufficient in oil? Most of it is imported. Hell, we are even running out of Uranium!!
What did our farmers get in return for for raising the farm yields, resorting to intensive water/soil usage, use of harmful pesticides/ chemical ferfilisers? ** Reduced profit margins. **
The seed companies, fertiliser/pesticide companies made their money.
There is a ray of hope. A small group of farmers in Karnataka are turning to natural farming and are reporting improved profit margins while using no chemical fertilisers and pesticides. The yield has not suffered either if you go by the accounts of these farmers in kannada papers.
WHAT CAN KILL OUR FARMERS?
= lack of planning
= bad marketing
= no financial planning
and recently
= incentives offered for suicides!
RVG, if I may one more step further, i feel that planning is lacking both at the individual level and government level. They have not diversified their cropping pattern. Lack of storage facilities, absence of warehousing facilities, cold storage facilities, modern methods of post-harvest technologies and its application, all these have contributed. Of course, middlemen do have their say in matters. Corrupt officials are also contributing to the miseries of the farmers. Media also contributing and highlighting the suicides.