Pulses are the main source of protein for a very large number of Indians. One is reminded of peanut being referred to as “poor man’s protein” by health and nutrition conscious professionals. One hundred grams of pulses contain roughly 32 grams of protein and several amino acids, which the human body generates or manufactures. Additionally, in a protein-hungry country, especially when it relates to vegetarians, pulses are a very significant and important source of nutrition and protein. For an Indian meal, it is almost an unavoidable item. Ironically, in a given situation, as at present, India is the largest producer of pulses in the world and also the largest consumer of pulses in the world. Any intelligent reader would have by now caught on to the fact that would lead on to the mismatch between the quantity of production and quantity of consumption.
Prices of pulses, on account of reasons that would be gone into hereafter, do not fit into any justifiable reasoning of economic forces. In the year 2014-15, the production of pulses in India stood at 17.4 million metric tonnes (MMT). This was a decline of 2.4 MMT or 12 per cent compared to the previous year. The profit motive and private greed and aggrandisement were not foreseen as facts of life. The regulatory mechanism was not in existence or totally failed. Many Governments failed to recognise pulses as an “essential commodity” under the relevant Act.
India is the biggest importer of pulses. Hence, the pulses-exporting countries will definitely have an eye on its subverting the scenario in India. There is a missing link in the reasoning of the Government and in the orchestrated voice of the stakeholders. There is around a 12-per cent decline in production in 2014-15 over the previous year. But what is seen and is hidden behind the jugglery of the statistics is that there was an average consumption of 61 grams per person per day in 1951 in India was reduced to accepting 42 grams in 2013.There are two facets to this exploitation of human existence: One is through the tormentor and the other is through the tormented.
The consumption of about 61 grams of pulse per person per day in 1951 fell to 42 grams in 2013. But all this indicates that we are a pulse-consuming country and we require import of pulses as a source of our sustenance till all our professed pulses and other related missions and oil missions bear any tangible and meaningful results. In this cacophony, it is forgotten that India is the largest producer and is also the largest consumer of pulses in the world.
A reader may not believe it unless he is a victim of the system. In the final analysis, in 2014-15, India has imported 4.6. MMT of pulses, up by 31 per cent compared to the previous year. It has not been conveniently publicised that the international prices have risen in tandem from `32 per kg to `50 for chana, from `56 to `75 for lentil, from `40 to `90 for tur and from `50 to `77 for urad between October 2014 and August 2015.
The Government of India has of necessity to purchase around 7,000 metric tonnes of pulses in the international market and is reportedly “invoking” the Rs-500 crore price stabilisation fund to subsidise transport of pulses from the ports to retailers. In a place where the consumption goes up to 6,000 MT of pulses, this is bound to have its own significant impact. The clever and cunning traders do understand this and very often blind the Government in having adequate remedial and regulatory measures. They foresee things better than the Government does, better than the consumer does and unfortunately the consumer amongst the youth appear to be indolent, apathetic and nonresponsive to this very vital aspect of their future growth. This provides a stimulus for hoarding with its inevitable adverse impact on the price structure. Hoarding is not unknown to commodity that is more in demand and short in supply. It becomes worse when it is an essential commodity contributing to the wellbeing, growth and vitality of the members of the society and, thereby, of the society as well. This is not appreciated yet by the youth power of our society. They are still stuck with being enamoured by unhealthy items of food and the junk food that dominate that sphere.
While countenancing this as a socioeconomic reality, there is inevitably the suggestion for new seeds, better price control, effective support prices and much better organised market, estimation of future requirements and appropriate warehousing facility. We are bound to face these problems, which have plagued us from the day one, and unfortunately, we have not been relieved of unnecessary aspirations of speculators. The last line in a long new report in a national daily disturbs one. It says, “Otherwise India faces a protein famine in the coming years”. This is bound to have its impact on nutrition, and a continuous deficit is bound to have its adverse repercussions. A country, where a large section of the population is at the subsistence level, this can pose a national problem. In the past, India has been blamed for faulty policy in the context of wheat import. It is not unlikely that the case of pulses import will face similar criticism. The Dal Missions initiated by the Central Government have obviously not been efficacious and successful. They require immediate purposive attention so that they do not suffer from the onion-syndrome. Pulses are more important than onion for the health of the nation. It vitally affects the economically-weaker sections of the society and has its impact on the entire community. But we are hardly conscious of the damage and cost to the society caused by the dal factor. Everyday needs matter but are invariably ignored or neglected. The youth need the benefit of dal the most and they do not appear to be conscious of the organised denial of their rights and their future. This concerns them, both for nutrition and for building a healthy India. This is a concern for the youth to raise their voice, point out the maladies in the policy, proposed regulatory and remedial measures and, thereby, ensure a better health and better future for themselves. The wakeup call is already audible. And this does concerns us all!
(The writer, a Senior Advocate, is a former All India Service officer, a former diplomat, a former editor, a former President of Orissa High Court Bar Association and a former Advocate General of Odisha. jayantdas@hotmail.com)