Synopsis of the Agri Economic Development Corporation (AEDC) Scheme submitted by Prof Shyam Borawake to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in August 2020.
THE PROBLEMS:
1. Indian agriculture is at crossroads because of the lack of incentives& improvements in the marketing infrastructure & the increasing gender inequalities which have sullied the rural social fabric. We have somehow failed to use agriculture for foster development. We do not have a holistic approach nor do we promote jointness as the first necessary step.
2. Amidst plenty we have managed to harvest hunger and food insecurity.
Starvation is still being tolerated at National level. So also quality control issues are not yet being properly monitored and administered on the required mega scale. The multidisciplinary help is not being able to be given by those concerned. There are few wide scale genuine action plans to reduce the rural women's problems speedily in an integrated way.
3. Social problems and ecological problems come hand in hand. Increasing indebtedness of the agriculturists is leading to growing despair, discontent and suicides. With the loss of the male bread earner the surviving wife and family are the worst sufferers. Increasing rural poverty is nullifying the gains from urban poverty reduction.
4. It is a fact that pollution, contamination, adulteration and residual effects of harmful chemicals, poisoned aquifiers are leading to increased diseases like cancer, allergy, breathlessness, chest pains, gastrointestinal problems etc. in the rural areas, half of whom are women. Cancer Express from Bhatinda to Bikaner does not make our nation proud. So also the hundreds of deaths due to Endosulfan poisoning in Kerala in2001 was an equally tragic story. Today we are seeing the merry-go-round of the yet to be taken final decision of banning harmful pesticides (already banned worldwide) between the multiple government departments! What can be more shameful? All this at the cost of SOCIETY!
5. We have failed to take cognizance of the international success stories of post conflict intervention in agriculture like the MARSHALL PLAN for Europe and Japan and the JOINT COMMISSION ON RURAL RECONSTRUCTION (JCRR) in Taiwan. Agriculture was at the heart of reconstruction after World War II, as the first necessary step.
6. The benefits of globalisation and liberalization have accrued only to the elite industrialists, traders and affluent few. Food and Agriculture have remained the last on the agenda of the reforms program of our successive governments. Over-production also throws in additional facets of grievances, besides the vagaries of nature.
THE REASONS FOR AGGRAVATION OF THE PROBLEMS.
1. Institutional and bureaucratic rigidities, policy distortions, maze of regulations, red tapism, multiplicity of departments and decision takers have complicated all matters relating to Agriculture, Nutrition, Horticulture, Fisheries, Food, Food-Security and Food-Safety issues. Innovative suggestions are rarely paid attention to the voice of the voiceless is hardly heard in the higher echelons.
2. The rural masses are awaiting for their bread and employment but the lack of appreciation & sense of priorities is causing misery and blocking their path to prosperity and Social Justice. The marketing opportunities for the foodstuffs and handicrafts made by the rural people are still very insufficient.
3. Infrastructure problems, post harvest impediments, lack of alternative channels of marketing, lack of required helplines are all holding back the progress on the agro and aqua produce marketing and their processing fronts. Trying to coordinate itself is an overarching exercise.
4. In the last 70 years, we as a nation have failed to properly address the agro marketing failures which were requiring priority attention from the State and Central Governments for ensuring the economic well being of the majority of the people living in Bharat. The administrative capacities and capabilities to usher in the changes have been lacking.
5. The state of rural poor especially women has degraded to the extreme, due to dehumanisation. We have yet to awaken to the explosive character of the rural society in which frustration and anger has grown beyond limits. The Corona pandemic has complicated the matters still further. A little spark will be sufficient to set in an inferno and this needs to be avoided at all costs. Some more Maaya is required to be shown to the living dead.
6. Nonexistent MOTHERLY MEDIUM to help solve the various existing problems and rising set of new ones to uncage /unshackle agriculture. The Mother Dairy at Anand,helped to usher in the white revolution but at present there is no such medium to usher in the yellow (cooking oil), blue (fish) and the evergreen revolutions in synchronisation.
THE SOLUTION
● To overcome all the foregoing impediments, obstructions and many other factors which restrain the growth and prosperity of the rural masses, especially agriculturists and fishermen, the solution is to institutionalise in all states AGRI ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS (AEDCs) with SPECIAL PURPOSE FOOD INSTITUTE at Apex level which will help to develop the much needed CORE COMPETENCE to eradicate poverty, malnutrition and effectively control/ reduce and overcome starvation and by providing a new instrumentality for gainful employment to the rural folks.
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● The institutionalization of the AEDC & SPECIAL PURPOSE FOOD INSTITUTE will lead to:
1) Stop the onslaught of market economy from making Bharat the Pawn of Materialism, favourable only to the traders, industrialists, the urban folk and the rich.
2) Increased rural incomes will provide enhanced opportunity for the emancipation of the rural women.
3) Provide equal opportunities to all, especially to the small farmers and rural poor and usher-in the golden era of freedom.
4) Give an actionable direction to the felt needs of the people.
CONCLUSION
It is necessary to regenerate and help empower the rural men and women, to create their own destiny with help of new type of comprehensive, coordinated and integrated vestibules between the corporate and rural sectors.
Things should change/move without out judicial interventions.
The will of the progressive intellectuals and government authorities can make the difference and provide the the realistic helpline for the unfortunate majority living in the rural areas to grasp time and help start the era of providing better food security and food safety to the whole nation.
It will help to break the fretters of thousands of years, to bring about human freedom which is divine and magnificent.
Prof. Shyam Borawake
Consultant,
Hemant Building,
Taramandal Coop Hsg Soc,
New Shreya Nagar
Aurangabad (Maharashtra)
