Ruined Rural Economy India - Forgotten Common Man - Part 7

On 14 March 2007, my dear esteem readers, the State Government of Bengal, to fulfill and realize the sizzling delusion of creating the present Government of India’s (GOI) dream Special Economic Zone (SEZ) has once again sent to firing squads four unarmed farmers whose only means of livelihood of their generations are being snatched away. Today, I am reminded of my father’s stories as to how our colonial masters had indiscriminately fired and massacred hundreds of unarmed Indian? He used to narrate as to how brutally colonial Police had assaulted and injured Lala Lajpat Rai in Punjab?

Now a day, everyone is saying that the famous quote of Martin Luther King “Government of the people, for the people and by the people” has really transformed into “the Government of Goondas, for the Goondas and by the Goondas”. How can brute police force open indiscriminate fire and sacrifice four of unarmed innocent and helpless naked farmers. What mistakes have they done? Infact, the government rather than reviewing and solving the problems of farmers and their offspring’s livelihood, is adamant to grab the land by force. Do we need such governments is the question to analyze in present environment? Infact, the present ruling junta had already ensured that most of the small farmers migrate to distant greener pastures of the urban areas to live in ghettos and slums. The people say that what these poor farmers are seeking is not the matter for the ruling clan but what kickbacks would really transfer matters most.

How brutally our so called Indian police is treating our own people is a matter of shame and utter disrespect for our leadership? I will record two quotes of a great social reformer Shri Jagan Nath BA of Piplia in Uttrakhand;

•One; “To protect the interests of corrupt politician’s, the so-called apolitical Indian Army has not saved and build the nation from insurgents as much as she had killed and bled the nation’s youths in the last three decades”;, and;

•Two; the brutality with which own state police deals with the helpless, unarmed and simple Indian masses after independence is far ahead than by the British police under foreign rule”.

Both these quotes were recorded in 1997, when my father-in-law had witnessed the large scales beating and killing of farmers. Today’s massacre of four farmers at Nandigram in West Bengal had reminded me about a similar cold blooded massacre of peaceful farmers’ agitations at Pant Nagar in mid Seventies as a child. I was shivering then and begin to shiver today. We need to try such senseless leaders.

First, in view of the above, I am going to debate about the role of government in acquiring agricultural and cultivable land at throw away prices and render hundred of farmers and their future generations homeless as baggers and at the mercy of Industrialist’s for jobs to get killed at every pretext like Honda factory workers in Haryana. What is the use of such prosperity which is earned at the altar of citizens of sons of soil (SOS)? The economic growth is for whom if you kill your own citizens only than which country or people you want to please. I agree that every government had duty to ensure equal opportunities of developments to all but at what cost needs to be discussed.

I recommend that GOI should to;

•One; Look for waste land masses to be used for setting up industries;
•Two; develop waste arid, unbuildable and uneven land areas to reclaim;
•Three; identify and select areas where means of transportations can be created and linked;
•Four; Setup SEZ with a view to increase prosperity of farmers as well and not to only set up metal industries and make other people homeless;
•Five; develop every area on the principle of Kalpna’s Everlasting Economic Loop (KEEL) and Kalpna’s Continuous Cycle of Employment (KCCE) model.
•Six; all governments should create, provide and resettle livelihood earning opportunities to farmers first and later take over their land;
•Seven; under no circumstances such brutalities be allowed. If so-called our own police uses such third degree force methods then our aged people saying even today in many parts of the country, quote ”We were better under British Rule” unquote is not incorrect;
•Eight; Government must ensure that nearly 75% employment is given to locals. What happens, the cultivating land of farmers is taken away and their dependents are offered labor type menial jobs in such industrial units. I have visited three such SEZ areas and found that every where other than unskilled labor workers not a single educated youth is employed on respectable posts. How can you make a farmer give away his only means of livelihood? Government must ensure that farmer’s offspring gets surety of livelihood forever.
•Ninth; as Indian by and large consider land as their mother, therefore, why should government plays with the sentiments of the farmers?

I am reminded of other quote of my grandfather Shri Ramji Das Mehta of Baral quote “Common Indian should not feel happy that he had become independent, infact, the colonial rule had just been replaced by old Rajas rule and form of slavery has changed hands; and we would rather become not British but Indian kings’ slaves” unquote. How correct, he was in his perception, is proving true even after five decades of his death. Do we need to use such brutal force to occupy piece of land?

Second issue I am going to debate is as to why our political parties are making simple farmers’ scapegoats? Whether it is Mamta, Buddhadev or anybody else, why are shameless leaders are trying to draw political mileage from the thin streak of blood of poor farmers? I believe; it is a mere war of prestige of Haves (HV) and Have Not (HVN) and Metal versus Stomach. As I have already discussed that the present government has failed at all front in meeting a common man’s aspirations, she has again successfully killed four farmers so brutally. Will any enquiry return those invaluable lives?

As it is the present government has totally forgotten a common man, the fear of collapsing market is not new. I have already predicted that present government policies would ensure that our market index totally falls to same level from where she started in financial year of 2003. Indian market pundits should not be surprised with sudden death of rising index. I am not only assured but also totally convinced that current budget and the next budget together are going to further ruin Indian agro sector and collapse industrial sector as well after mid November 2007 or March-April 2008.

The present trend is not a healthy sign for any growing economy which neglects one sector to boost other. As water and grain both are live saving diets for human; similarly, Industrial and agro farming sectors are incompatible to each other. Once again I am asking as to why and why should we buy potato, which costs less than twenty paisa per kilograms in season over rupees 2200 per kilograms as chips wrapped in glittering papers. Is the cost of packing and transpiration is so much. No it is only bad Government policies. If it is not plundering than what is plundering of Indian citizens, our government should define? Why a five paisa needle three years before, is costing you rupees two to three today?

Our honorable PM and FM had to rjointly eply to a common man as to why should not people become accountable for government’s failures? Though the needs of a common man to survive are very meager but the rising price index of government had ensured that he is even unable to meet these needs also. Is minimum wages of rupees 94 fixed for a labor per day sufficient to live an honorable live? Even if he eats food with salt and water only but he cannot live with his family comfortably. He can not buy, more than half a day’s ration, for the family of four members. The common man has been totally neglected in the present form and needs a drastic step to protect his life and property. I hope the GOI would review all budgets with a aim of reducing common man’s miseries and not to compound it further to take unlawful course of action.

Article Source: http://www.content.onlypunjab.com

I, S Kalpna Sharma, am a freelance journalist who frequently write on various issues relating human values. My impetus of debate has been always focused on current issues which affect human beings life and social behavior. As always try to bring out debates on human values, my readers support base become large. I would elaborate further in my next article. Esteem Ezine readers views are solicited at Som_kalpna@yahoo.com.

Please Rate this Article

5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5 

Not yet Rated