Agriculture in India
India is a land of agriculture. This is what we read in our geography books when we were children and this is what we say now, adults that we are. It is not that we have not progressed industrially in these forty years after independence. By forming a nation that could not manufacture “nuts and bolts,” we have emerged as a nation that can manufacture and launch its own satellites. But mainly we are still farmers. Seventy-five percent of the population is related to agriculture in one way or another. And in terms of production we have some distinctions to be proud of. We are number one in the world in sugarcane production and number two in rice. We are only next to China in tea and Egypt in cotton. And again in peanuts, we are number one.
But in so many firsts and seconds, we are nowhere near self-sufficiency in food. To feed the millions of our poor, who eat not even two meals a day, we import wheat from America, rice from Burma, sugar from Indonesia and cotton from Egypt year after year. One reason that is out of the question is the multiplication of their mouths, although there are others that are not so obvious. Due to unscientific conservation methods and poor storage conditions, millions of tons of food products are washed away by floods, if they do not spoil over time.
But it is our usual practice to first blame the poor farmer for his primitive methods of agriculture. With a small parcel of land that will not allow a large tractor to maneuver, without enough capital to buy expensive implements, not even to buy fertilizers and pesticides, without perennial irrigation facilities, how can you adapt to modern conditions? His ignorance, lack of education, and heavy indebtedness keep him firmly rooted in a state of helplessness, as a great revolution unfolds before his eyes. What farmer loves to see his crops wither from lack of water? Or wouldn’t you like to get the maximum yields if you could help out with an extra supply of manure? Whether we accept it or not, agriculture is an industry and, like any other industry, it needs capital. The poor farmer with insufficient property can never hope to have it. There may be cooperative credit societies and rural banks. His ignorance prevents him from breaking through the bureaucracy and getting timely help. It’s no wonder, then, that the average yield per acre remains the lowest in the world.
India is one of the most fertile areas in the world. The Indo-Gangetic Plain can easily become the world’s food plate and feed it alone and completely. But, most of the water from its rivers runs into the sea and in times of flooding they flood vast areas, killing livestock and people alike, destroying thousands of acres of standing crops, washing village after village and finally becoming the pain of the earth. . If we have a Bhakra Nangal project we do not know how to divide the water, to the satisfaction of all the states involved, that we follow the path of prudence and prosper. Not long ago, an engineer had the grand vision of linking the Kaveri to the Ganges, which he called “Project Ganga Kaveri” and proved with figures and calculations that it was feasible. But before he could gain popular approval, he lost his cabinet position and the plan was thrown into the trash can.
Today, we don’t know if we should go ahead with the construction of the Narmada Valley Project, which would perhaps turn vast arid areas into beautiful green belts. There are really important people, still arguing for and against, even after spending millions of rupees on project work. It is not the management of water that we must learn, but its management of distribution. Andhra Pradesh was allowed until the end of the century to use the surplus waters of the Krishna which in any case would drain into the Bay of Bengal, but the Karnataka government did not allow it. His million dollar argument is: “If you use it now, you will be tempted to use it tomorrow.” This is the latest in regionalism. It is no wonder that the people of the city of Madras languish thirsty from a drought of drinking water. Only a Bhagiratha should bring the Telugu Ganga to Madras.
More than 175 million acres are currently cultivated and there are almost 60 million acres that can be plowed. Even after the recovery of these vast areas, the country cannot achieve self-sufficiency in food, as primitive methods are used. They can add another 30 million tons, which will not be enough to feed the ever-growing mouths. The rate of land reclamation cannot keep up with the rate of population growth, which is estimated to double every 40 years if left unchecked.
Therefore, the need of the moment is to have a fresh look at the entire structure. Not many have a minimum of 5 acres of land per family, which is enough to feed all their mouths. It will become a profitable company if they adopt modern techniques, replacing the plow by the tractor, and engage in intensive cultivation. In fact, some of the people who own more than 5 acres of arable land have turned to modern farming methods. They have their own tractors, wells, and pumps. But the vast majority of the farming community is landless or owns less than 5 acres. Although they make up 80% of the farming community, their holdings do not exceed 20% of the cultivated land, suggesting that their activities are highly wasteful. This is where the government should go with all possible help, it can organize them into cooperatives and offer them high-yielding seeds, fertilizers and other essential implements. When wastelands are reclaimed, these landless poor must be made to settle down with offers of minimal arable land, implements, and other assistance. With a donation of 3/5 acres of land, plus a small cash donation for each family of the landless poor, the Chinese were able to achieve a green revolution in a short span of five years.
Therefore, as things stand today, the small peasant with his wasteful properties cannot adopt modern farming methods; the large landlord, due to changing leasing laws and unpredictable conditions, is not very keen on putting every piece of his land under the plow and striving for optimal returns. The maximum land limit introduced by many semi-states did not produce the expected results, as it was not vigorously pursued in terms of reallocation. Yes, in some states, it was done, it only added to the hatred and enmity that existed between the caste Hindus and the Harijans, because in most cases these were the new settlers. The Naxalite movement, which believes that the end justifies the means, is the result of that class hatred between the rich landowners and the landless poor. Several innocent people were mercilessly murdered in many states, especially Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
In the name of food self-sufficiency, agriculture is exempt from income tax. Even if we do not call it industry, it is the mother of all activities in which millions and millions of people are actively involved or not, whose working group is much larger than the one participating in the industry field, and unfortunately, what it is. the one that is most disorganized. A miller is more secure than a farm worker; his interests are better served, his voice more audible, he has an entire organization behind him, to support, fight and even die for him. In the type of socialist political system that we have adopted, the industrial worker will surely have his share of the profits some day in the future. You have at least your bonuses now.
In order to change the whole system, there must first be a change in the perspectives and attitudes of the people who are the lucky possessors of this vast gift of nature. If they realize that they are not really its possessors, but only the custodians, the change will be smooth, silent and peaceful. Without a doubt, change of mind is better than change by compulsion. But will a man who carries his son on his shoulders change easily, wherever he goes?