Shiban Khaibri
Farm distress in India is being politicized by the Congress Party along with its allies in erstwhile UPA1 and 2 to the extent that on the face of it as well as in its intrinsic form, it appears fairly well that the issue is sought to be turned into an opportunity, to cling to the alluring seat of power in 2019, as decidedly no windfall of the sorts before 2019 is possible even remotely as the ruling BJP with formidable 282 is firmly in the saddle. Joining this opposition combine is also the Aa Aa Party, a claimant to “shed tears” for the farmers but the attempt to defame and demean the Central Government via Gajendra Singh episode boomeranged and now its leadership must be praying God to see that they don’t get entangled in salvaging themselves from the rigors of legal repercussions as theatrics never pay always. The intensity of attack on Land Acquisition Bill has been tried to be buttressed by “suicide by farmers” and the charge against the BJP led NDA is that it is all because “this Government is not of the farmers, labourers and other poor but of crony capitalists.” Ten months rule of this Government is loaded with all the blame for creating such conditions which have led to farmers’ suicides. This is a new find. A divinely tailored opportunity, as felt by Rahul Ji , the future hope of the Congress to ride again and to try again. But the question is whether mere symbolism was going to pay some dividends to the once grand but old Party and whether people were convinced that a day’s “pud yatra” and “to see myself” was going to bail out the farming community from the present distress.
It is interesting that Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi is saying,”I have been told the condition of farmers is very bad, I want to see that myself.” “Seeing” is precedes as well as followed by the aggressive stance and with the worn out populist idiom along with utterances to ridicule not only the Government but the Prime Minister. “Suit Boot Ki Sarkar” for example was the problem as perceived by Rahul Ji. We would like to decipher his phrases but reach nowhere, we, therefore, remember Mirza Galib when for such occasions, he said, “Khudda karay kucch naa samjhay koyee.” Should the one whom he was referring to, not wear an elementary requirement like a suit when meeting a foreign host in his or her country and whether he should go barefooted as in Rahul’s parlance that was perhaps going to help the farmers. Then, his one more statement that if acted upon, would perhaps, help farmers “This is your sarkar and our sarkar but not that of the farmers and the labourers.” Many political thinkers and analysts must be biting their nails to unravel the deep meaning of the statement and when it is “hamari sarkar” then, whom he is complaining against. Perhaps in his political innocence, he in “hamari sarkar” admitted in a veiled way that for more than five decades, the Congress in absolute power, could not stem the rot leading to farm distress gaining its roots.
Was it not Late Rajiv Gandhi himself with an unprecedented majority in Lok Sabha admitting his virtual helplessness in preventing “Whatever we send from here, only 25 paise from each Rupee reach the (targeted) poor in our rural areas”. Why with such a huge support and backing, he could do nothing to prevent malfunctioning, under performance and a mess of poverty alleviation schemes? From unknown destination of sabbatical, Rahul at once emerges , addresses a “kissan rally” and showers all the choicest accusations on the Prime Minister and a visit to a grain mandi in Punjab was neither going to make him emerge relevant nor was it going to create conditions in order to address the farmers’ problems. Come out with concrete and cogent solutions to solve the problem, if farmers are there in his heart and the country’s growth is in his top priorities.
It seems quite untenable and sans any logic, excepting knowingly indulging in blame game, that the present Government was indifferent towards the farmers and perhaps very successful foreign official tours of the Prime Minister in “suit and Boot” were responsible for their difficulties. What is meant by Rahul Gandhi in saying,” I have been told the condition of farmers is very bad, I want to see that myself.” Well he saw too much way back in 2008 when he stayed at Kalawati’s house and had his meals too there. On his recent visit to Vidharbha, to condole the death of 9 farmers (there were 400 deaths reported last year), Kalawati expressed the desire to meet and ask Rahul as to why nothing changed for her after his similar visit despite his own Government was there for more than a decade. Pad Yatras had some semblance during freedom struggle because then it was a sincere cause sans any cheap political manoeuverings and one day’s or two day’s such yatras, now, can at best be described as a brisk walk for a few kilometers hardly going to change the fate of farmers . Such yatras are a part of political tourism with immediate gains of taking care of physical well being, burning a few calories and attain cardio- vascular toning up.
Let us talk about some comparative statistics. Vidharbha, Rahul Ji’s latest political sojourn has its 85% area as rain deficient with only .01% irrigation facilities. Because of the alleged irrigation scam and irregularities during Congress NCP coalition Government in Maharashtra, nothing was reportedly done. In Maharashtra alone, annual suicides rate by the farmers has been @3685. National Sample survey figures are that 51.9% of the bracketed groups of farmers were under huge debts and between 24 to 50 % of marginal and petty farmers were under the debt of private money lenders, they were the front ones ending their lives. Why and what for blame 10 months of NDA? Now a shocking data of suicides by the farmers since 1995 reveals a whooping number of 296438. Never have any demonstrations, addressing rallies, staging walk outs, protests, pad yatras etc seen or managed, why only now? Debts, sharp increase in input costs, according to latest data by the country’s National Crime Record Bureau, lead to suicides by farmers. In 16 years, between 1995 and 2010, farm suicides have crossed a quarter million. The last decade, according to NCRB, saw 16000 farmers ending life every year. Nearly 18000 farmers ended their life in 2009 alone (when Dr. Manmohan Singh had promised a turnaround in 100 days) according to Centre for Human Rights and Global Justice. Cotton growers and scant or no irrigation areas dwellers are worst sufferers. Cotton growers have also to face competition in quality with multinational giants and they fail.
Unbelievably, in 1950-51, contribution of agriculture towards GDP growth was to the tune of 59% which came crashing to 13 to 14 % in 2013-14. Who shall be pilloried for that, NDA? While the present Government has to accord top priority to address agricultural sector and give more succor to the marginal farmer, brunt and pressure more on agriculture has to be discouraged. Population control in this country is very urgently required. That is perceived as a threat to secularism. Over population leads to small holdings. Some percentage needs to be shifted to other sectors. Also 85% of the contributors to GDP growth has to be strengthened lest with 10 crores annually added to the list of unemployed, God forbid sheer pessimism might engulf that sector also. Theatrics, false propaganda about the Land Bill, opposition for the sake of opposition, unsavoury remarks and accusations by the Congress shall only help the BJP.
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