This refers to the article, “Another empty promise to farmersIJ” (March 19) by Uttam Gupta. If we fail to take care of the hands that feed us then we have to face the music. And there is no escape. A recent Oxfam report shows that inequality is widening. How can we harmonise our economy in such a realityIJ How can business persons and farmers market their products if the purchasing power of the masses gets reducedIJ Even a machine cannot work well if there is a conflict among its parts, let alone a state or a society.
We need to become a labour and farmer-friendly economy to achieve healthy inclusive growth and human development. First, we need to empower our small farmers with the help of land reforms. Our banking sector must have a paradigm shift in their policy to replace non-performing asset (NPA) generating macro credits by providing micro loans for farming, cottage and small enterprises that mainly contribute to current livelihoods in our country. This will generate more employment and thus, boost the market by enhancing the purchasing power of the masses.
We must create, so to speak, an employment bridge by which our farmers can take excess food to hungry mouths to solve the ludicrous problems of agricultural overproduction and food wastage in the land of hunger where 48.2 million children have stunted growth as a result of malnutrition and hunger. That bridge can only be built with the help of labour intensive technology, land reforms and micro loans. This trident can indeed banish poverty and make India a strong and happy country.