Judicial Appointments

समय, धर्म और परिवर्तन

Dr Ambedkar Park Lucknow

Constitution of India

Indian Agriculture, Its Chalenges & Future Roadmap

Indian agriculture which is not just feeding world's second largest poppulation but also have surpluse in agricultural produce. In past, Indian agriculture has witnessed anomalies like drought and flood but policy of Green Revolution has transformed India from Straving  to Food Surpluse and Self-Reliant country. Agriculture along with its allied sector have a share of 17% of our GDP. It is the largest sector regarding employment generation and providing livelihood for more than 52% of our total population and also is one of the trade surpluse sector. Having such an important place in economy, Agricultural Sector of our Economy is struggling for a sustainable growth. There are several impediment in its growth and development.

First, India have 13.78 crore farmers out of which 11.71 crore are small farmers having less than two hectare of land. Ninenty five percent of these small farmers have less than Rs 6500 per month. Due to poppulation growth, the land fragmentation is enhancing year by year which lead to smaller and smaller landholding. This ultimetely results in low productivity, increased use of fertilizers, deterioting soil health,decreasing per capita land holding etc.

Second, The youth do not take agricultural sector as a productive and respectable means of job and use to migrate towards metros in search of employment.

Third, more than 65% of rural women are directly engaged in agriculture but they have no land holding on their own name. Neither Govt recognize them as farmer nor Banks provide them easy loan. This led them to the door of money lenders which ultimetly results in debt trap.

Fouurth, India having 17% of world population and 15% of World Cattle with only 4% of Water over 2.4% of land is very disadvantegiously placed. The high population lead land fragmentation with low productivity has resulted in low income. Low income of these small farmers do not allow them to Heavy Machinary over small land, High cost technology, inefficient use of water in irrigtion, dependent over mansoon for major land, high cost seed etc.

Fifth, Post harvest crop management in india is in very sorry state. There is a huge gap between need and supply chain regarding procurement. The result is the wastage of grains.

Sixth, Intermediatries are still present leading to the distortion of profit sharing. Market chain is also in very indisiplined manner.

Seventh, Srinking agricultural land area due to industriliztion, urbanization, infrastructure development, plant instalation etc. Agricultural Heart like panjab which has two persent of total agricultural land but provides more than fifty percent of total grain production is facing the problem of salinization, unbalance and unsustanable use of chemical fertilizer, too much water for irrigation all these leads to deterioting soil heath, decreasing productivity etc.

Keeping all above in veiw govt has to come with a holistic approach towards agriculture. To crop 4% growth rate in Agriculture govt. have to make some structural change. First of all, all above problems are related to fund and finance. Govt should make a seperate budget for agriculture excluding rural development aspect. Financial inclusion should be penetrate up to grass root level in general and Dalits and other weaker section in particular.

Second, The education system of india need a relook. The Agricultural Universities should provide need based enterpenuerial education and skill development and enhancement oriented aproach. So that when they pass out the university, they need not to roam in search of job. Rahter they should be job provider rather then job seeker.

Third, Our Scientific innovation, engineering and technology like irrigation technology, Soil testing facility, soil errosion technique, machinary etc should be the Mass Technology available at low price, effectively usable in small farming and farmer friendly. The Call center, Demostration in field,

Foutth, Recognization of Women Farmers along with Loan, Banking and Demostration facility. We all know that major agriculral activity involves women in general and Diary sector in particular. The Diversification in croping pattern is the need of hour. The Honey Bee farming, Horticulture, lLowericulture, Diary etc. This integrated farming will provide a better renumerative to farmers in general and small farmers and women farmers in particular. The Women and Small farmers have very huge potential what they need is the proper support and security net from the govt.

Fifth, We all konw that even a peon have a well established social security net. But, our food producing community in general and small farmers and women farmers in particular do not have any kind of such security net. During crop failure they are helpless. Debt trap compells them sold their land, starve by months and sucide. Govt of India must come with such a act which provide a supportive social security net at the time of crop failure and other contingencies.

Sixth, Food saved is food produced. Govt should use the local potantial and support of intersted people in procurement of food grain at feasible price near by the farmers. This kind of micro Cold Storage will be better to manage and to provide better facility to farmer to near by their village. Procurement of crops should not be limited to few crop only. This should be increased for example pulses, oil seed etc should also be procured in these storages.

Seventh, Govt should educate, demostrate, train and enhance their skill regarding value addition. This will provide them extra employment and income. The marketing of grain should be farmer friendly. Intermediatries should be eliminated. This will help to farmer to get the adequate price. And, consumer were also please to directly purchasing from farmers.

Eighth, Fallow, uncultivated, saline, revine land development program should be planned and executed in mission mode. This will help to use the unused land. This will help to increase the farm land. Govt also should avoid the aqusition of farm land unless the fullest possible utilization of already aquired land.

One Nation Theory for India : A Detrimental Concept

"World knows that India is one among the beautiful countries of the world. And, The beauty of Our India lies in its diversity which ranges from Geographical to Ecological , Social , Cultural, linguistic and many more. And, most importantly, Acceptance of this Diversity by Indians is the Jewel of its Beauty.

But the slogan of Nationalism erupted during freedom struggle has questioned the beauty of India and imposed a continues threat for not only its beauty but also its unity and integrity. This very nationalism had been resulted in Communal Nationalism - Hindu Nationalism and Muslim Nationalism. And, These two major Nationalism had led to Inhuman bloody partition of India where millions had lost their near and dears.

And even today, No doubt that being in majority, Hindus always try to impose their own ways and means over others. And, this kind of act and mental construct is disastrous for the unity & integrity of our India.

Threats for our unity and integrity are many more but the major one are Forceful imposition of Language, Religious Scripture, Religious Conversion, Regional Personalities, Hate Speech and Culture of Ban etc.

As for language is concern, India has hundreds of languages and many scripts in its different parts. And, every language has its own poetry, saying, stories, scripture etc. Their people are communicating in that very language since their birth. So, they have a very close and special love, affection and bondage with that language for example Marathi people likes marthi, Tamilian like Tamil, Karnatka like Kannad, Kerala for Malyalam, Northern India like Hindi, North Eastern Indians like their respective language such as Garo, Khasi , Manipuri etc.

And, These should also be there. But, To love our own Mother Tongue does not mean to impose it over others which has been tried since freedom struggle period to even till date. We welcome the Promotion of language by means of establishing institutions and by other posivitve and constitutional ways and means but not by forceful imposition. And also, India has rejected one language theory for whole of India and its different states and awarded and respected their regional language and its identity- which is very much visible from the Creation of states on the basis of language like Andhra, Tamil, Panjab, Gujarat, Maharashtra etc. But unfortunately, it has been a tradition in India since Freedom Struggle to impose Hindi to all over the India. This kind of implosion will only disintegrate us rather than unite us.

In similar way, majority of Hindus are also trying to insert their religious scripture in main stream education system as a compulsory subject for example Gita. In our mind questions erupts.......Why only Gita, Why NOT Quran, Bible and scriptures of Jainism and Buddhism and others also ? And, What kind of purpose are going to be served ? Is there any need for such books in our basic education ?

And, most importantly, India is a secular country. Then, How State can impose any religious scriptures over others ? State can only provide an avenue to read all these but can not compel the kids to read them against their own will.

We think, Religion and Religious Books must be kept away from our Educational System. And, What kind of Religious book should read and what not .... it must be decided by the kids and their parents and individuals NOT by the communal forces or by religious corporations or by State ? And, if any compulsion is going on in any state then it is fully unconstitutional, undemocratic, null & void. And, if this unconstitutional act and mental construct of Hindu Nationalism or Hindu Rashtra or any such other evil will remain in action then it will lead to only the destruction of unity and integrity of India.

As for as Religion and conversion in India are concern, Religious freedom is the basis structure of our constitution. One can follow any religion what he thinks fit for him. No one can compel them to follow a particular religion. One has Right to Freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion. But this does mean that He has right to convert the others. Conversion must be on the free will of that person who want to convert.

But unfortunately in India , Religious conversion by Hindus, for example Ghar Vapsi, is rampant but not on the basis of free will rather than by other such ways and means which are Unconstitutional and Undemocratic. And, this will only divide us rather than uniting us.

This concept of Hindu Nationalism or any other kind of Nationalism, expect Indian, Democratic and Constitutional Nationalism, will only harm the India in all possible ways and means. And, if Hindus, shamelessly, will tried to impose their way over India then NO one can stop the fragmentation of India. And, This time fragmentation, by the same very evil of Narrow Nationalism, will be at least more than 35 in number. 

And as for as regional personalities are concern, No personality like Shivaji, Rana Pratap, Akbar The Great, Laxmi Bai etc can be a Pan India personality. All these are regional leader who have fought for their own need and aspiration NOT for common welfare of common man of whole India. No Religious Aspect or Regional Personality have such a potential be an Pan India Personality expect Social Reformers like Dr. Ambedkar, Mahatma Phule, Ram Mohan Roy, Ishwarchandra Vidhyasagar, Periyar, Narayana Guru, Guru Ghashidas, Nanak, Kabir, Mahatma Saint Raidas, Mahatma Kashi Ram ect.

And, Yes keeping the emotion, sentiment of people in view one should not unnecessarily criticise the regional personalities and religions. But at the same time, regional people must also know that they must not work against the Research Work and freedom of Speech & expression of others for example Marathi people have adversely objected when one scholar researched that Shivaji was NOT the biological child of Shahji Bhosle. Secondly, The Hindus : An Alternative History by Wendy Doniger, is a wonderful book has been banned in India just because of some fickle minded Hindus felt their sentiment got hurt. Thirdly, India's Daughter an Sociological and Educational work by Leslee Udwin has been banned by a local court in India. Fourthly, Ban on books like One Part Woman written by Perumal Murugan and many more. All these bans must not be there. Because, all these are work of Scholars with research & facts. And, India, being a country Ruled by Law, must favour the Facts over Sentiments of Narrow minded people of its soil.

Now a days, Indian Executives, Legislature and respective State Executives and State Legislators have also acted unreasonably for example arrest of two girls because of facebook post in Maharashtra, a boy way arrested in UP  because of facebook post, Priya Pillai was stopped at airport etc, are religiously performed by executives which are unconstitutional. Our Executive and Leadership must be free from narrow mindedness during the process of decision making, Opposition and Protest.

And, most importantly, our judiciary which has pronounced many landmark and revolutionary judgements, kept silence on the issue of unconstitutional bans. In most of the time they use to show that they they are very active. And, only judges are working and free from all kind of evils whereas rest are passive and corrupt. But, when we look into Hate Speech, Religious Conversion, Riots, Ban Politics, Unreasonable arrest etc Judiciary keep following the procedure of hierarchy. Whereas they have the power of sou motu. And, if Supreme Court has taken the all above kind of cases as sou-motu basis then we think ..... No such huge arrest and ban politics takes its birth. But unfortunately Ban, Sentiment Hurt etc have become the culture of India.

And, Each and every Indian along with Government, leadership and other governance organs of India must know that India is a country of Diversity. Here can NOT be One Language, One Religion, One Way and Walk of Life, One Thought, One Sentiment for whole of India. Diversity means diversity in Geography, Language, Religion, Sect, Traditions and Customs, Thought, Conscience, Ideas, Life Style etc. India can NOT be one Nation in any case. India is One State with multiple notions and Nations. And, all Indians must accept it. Here only few things are common all over the India. And, These are The Holy Constitution of India, English Language, Single Indian Citizenship and Feeling of Being Indian. And, Holy Constitution of India, Tolerance, acceptance of Diversity and English Language are the uniting tools of India. And, We all should live with these tools only.

And, if any organization or any group which may be majority or minority ever will try to unite India on the basis of One Nation Theory then This will only Disintegrate the Unity and Integrity of India."

Rajani Kant Indra

Faculty of Law, Lucknow University, Lucknow

April 01, 2015