Agriculture employs some 55% (54.6%
exactly) of the people of India but over the years, its share in the national
GDP has reduced. As of now, it contributes just 14% to the GDP.
So, even if the GDP has expanded and
India is slated to become the third largest economy of the world soon, the
share of expansion gone to agriculture has been less than what went to services
and manufacturing.
Services, manufacturing and other
trade related activities getting prominence over the agriculture – that was
bound to happen in an economy advancing to enlarge itself.
And so, it was expected from the policymakers
that they would do something about it.
But they didn’t have any answer to
this expectation. And over the years, the sensitivity with which they looked at
the problem gave way to apathy.
Results – tens of thousands of cases
of farmer suicides each year – in official records (say National Crime Records
Bureau) – irrespective of which political group was at the helms of affair!
Think of the unofficial estimates!
Sure to outdo the official figures.
And the trend has continued over the
years.
With increasing insensitivity of the
political establishments and total apathy of the governments!
So much so, that debate now has
elements like ‘why to become a farmer when it is economically suicidal’ to ‘small
Vs big farmers’.
75% farmers have land-holdings up to
1 hectare only. 10% farmers have holdings of 1-2 hectare while just 0.24%
farmers have land-holdings above 10 hectare. And these are official figures,
drawn from a report of the National Sample Survey Organization.
So, the smallest land-owners form the
largest chunk and they have to be ready to bear all the anomalies and
brutalities – man-made and natural.
Even in normal course, their
expenditures outdo the earnings. So, think of the times when nature plays the villain
and when the man acts apathetic.
We cannot do anything with the nature
even if this is partly political – at least, not in the short term.
But when we have to say the same
thing about the ‘men acting apathetic/insensitive’, it is outrightly humiliating
– because that is totally political.
