The skyrocketing prices of onion, potato and dals have given sufficient indication of the chronic maladies of not having a purposive policy in keeping with national interest for the vital sector of agriculture. India is gifted with versatile and fertile soil, bestowing an advantage in this regard. India is also fortunate to have the richest biodiversity in the world. It is, therefore, inexplicable why we should face hunger, undernourishment and malnutrition. India has the capacity to feed its own population and undertake exports of food items. But we import yellow pea dal whereas we are capable of growing plenty of different types of dals. Similarly, we import soya and palm oil whereas we are a land of coconut, til (jinjli), mustard, rice bran, etc.
The priorities and orientation have been so distorted as to make India a country with the maximum number of undernourished in the world. Apart from the general neglect of agriculture, the model and technology we adopted for the agricultural sector was conditioned by intensive use of chemicals, fuel, water, energy, etc. This, in turn, pushes up the cost of production and that amount is not capable of being recovered as a part of price. Even the subsidies, if one chases the canalisation, finally enriches the agrochemical corporate entities. It is interesting to see some of the vegetable vendors now displaying organic products separately with a substantially higher price.
The affluent class is falling for it. In Haryana and Punjab, continuously increasing intensive overuse of chemical fertilisers and pesticides has now led to the concerned lands being affected by acute salinity and nutrient distortions. But it looks ironical that a country, with the richest biodiversity with a heritage of organic and indigenous agricultural operations (which have given thousands of varieties of rice, wheat and fruits to the world), should have its farmers committing suicide. More than 300,000 farmers have committed suicide in India since 1995. This year has some relevance because in the garb of globalisation of agriculture around this time, food production comes under the domain of the corporate industry. There was a shift in the control over seeds and fruits from the hands of farmers to the multinational corporations.
Apart from all this, nearer home in Odisha stored food has been found to be rotting and becoming unfit for human consumption. Warehousing is in a real mess and almost missing in Odisha for vital items like onion, potato, etc.
When the godowns are full with wheat, India imports high priced wheat which rots at the ports and was, in any case, found unfit for human consumption. The dichotomy in India is that it has become richer along with its becoming a republic of hunger. In some areas, we are worse than Africa. Inevitable debt trap has brought ruin to the small farmers. When food is treated like any other commodity or “goods”, the trade practices and profit-maximisation orientation of corporate houses overtake and forget the welfare and entitlements of the small farmers.
Researchers have established that measured in terms of nutrition per acre, biodiversity-based organic farmer produces more food. Our biodiversity should not be polluted by chemicals. Ecological agriculture should receive a preference in our small-size farms. All told, we should put the machinery of agriculture to ensure that it does not bring poverty and penury to the persons who are engaged in the sector. When measured in nutrition-per-acre, research indicates bio-diverse organic farming results in higher production of food.
There is a crying need for the young voters, i.e., the youth power, to react to the distortions and unbalanced growth, etc., that adversely affect the survival need, viz., food. The youth has now to participate in formulating a sustainable model of food production with a new orientation towards organic ecological agriculture linked with suitable storage and marketing infrastructure. The required infrastructure cannot be afforded by the farmers; and hence, the opportunity for the corporate sector to intervene leading inevitably to profit as the prime motive.
The youth in the rural areas is gradually getting more and more disenchanted with the rural and agro-based economic activities. They are lured towards crowding the urban areas with the fond hope of better opportunities. This also leads to large-scale exploitative migration even across the borders of the State. The food-growing rural economy continues to be neglected leading to the inevitable adverse impacts on the vital foundation of our socioeconomic edifice. This in turn adds to the frustration of the youth, who get increasingly involved in nonproductive and destructive activities. These maladies, to a great extent, sow the seeds of social disruption and unrest.
This whole arena needs to be revisited and eyes have to turn towards the rural agro-handloom sector to be reenergised. The fertile soils are required to be put into proper use through what has now been recognised as agro-ecology. In this endeavour, the youth power has to find its rightful place in the rural and agro sector and not get debased from its original moorings. It is for them now to realise that it is the system that drives farmers into debt traps, leads to malnutrition and undernourishment. Coupled with this is the stark reality of failure in any one season is enough to wipe out the food producer. He has no sick industry benefits and enjoys no organised social security. Window-dressing through some insurance schemes has been more for publicity than for any effective ameliatory solution.
The change in the “culture” of agriculture has to be Indianised with necessary external inputs that would lead to greater productivity and sustainability in the agriculture sector. The Panchayati Raj institutions under the amended provisions of the Constitution of India have to be dovetailed into this new strategy against poverty and malnutrition through a sustainable and flourishing agriculture. The greatest form of weakness is the compulsion of importing food. It provides a window to pollute and take over the system and can compromise our sovereignty.
The micro-and macro-level actions have to be harmonious. The personnel representing the Government ought not overlord the atmosphere but should become constructive participants in a new socioeconomic revolution. The war against poverty, as of necessity, is to start at the rural agro level.
let every panchayat utilise the organic and ecological farming as the basis of their schemes for an optimum use of the agricultural resources. let us not be corroding destroyers but positive developers with schemes of sustainable growth. In this venture of pervasive social action, it is inevitable and imperative for the elders and the youth to interact and set right the distortions of harmful deviations so that there is a better tomorrow for everyone. let the initiative and emphasis be on causing paradigm changes in “Gram-Swaraj”, “Gram Antyoday” and, finally, in the “Gramas”, where the majority amongst us live to survive. let there be plenty and prosperity in the villages, where the spirit of real India lives restlessly waiting to get rid of the painful curse called “poverty”. This 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)