Let us say India is a confident nation?
No leader worth his or her salt says. What the Prime Minister said soon after the Vijay Parva? After the Gujarat victory? The PM asks counter questions. Harps on Hindutva. A great pity, indeed. The Opposition leader Ms.Sonia Gandhi hides her disappointment for not winning Gujarat elections. Other parties too indulge in wishful talks.
India is a vast country. And Hinduism is a strong, tolerant and vibrant religion. Then, why invoke insecurities, a fear psychosis, a discordant note?
Our society, the various threads that bind our people must be well-spun, around a self-confidence. Why create despondency?
Our people are our wealth, our people’s lives are very clear to us. 27 per cent of people live below poverty with average Rs.320 per month, we have surplus stocks of 60 millions of food in godowns, what a pity, the PM doesn’t talk of something noble, something uplifting. Our agriculture is our first foundation. The rest is built on this foundation.
Indian people can transform India by creating wealth at all levels. We don’t talk in numbers. That is the task of bankers and economists. Politicians, unfortunately, at this point of time, only talk in terms of fear psychosis. In terms of divisive politics. This mindset of politicians must go.
Politics will be there, in various permutations and combinations. coalitions or no coalitions. But our stability as a nation, as a people must come from basic securities, security in basic necessities, adequate food, health, education, shelter and latest technologies in giving these basic securities and services.
Luckily, there are many positive signs. Our IT and Communication technologies, our road networks and in general, the current globalisation, as Prof.Jagdish Bhagwathi pointed, is helping the poor, children and women a measure of progress to globalisation level prosperity. We believe globalisation can do a lot of good to our agriculture too Thus, Vadamalai had engaged the farmers, the farmers’ resources to transform India as an agriculture power. Agriculture Superpower, if you don’t mind.
What India needs is credibility in whatever area we do things to transform India into a super power in IT etc.
Take agri sector. What it lacks today is ideas, new and credible ideas to generate wealth, disperse the wealth in the countryside. Our urban-centric mindset is because of our politicians are mostly urban-born creatures.
In agriculture in particular, we need high profile Consultants like the TCS, McKinsey.
Our agri expertise is now largely bureaucratic or lethargic. That is why we at Vadamalai Consultancy Services, is stressing transparency in agricultural strategies. Farmers, in spite of showing alternative crops like aloevera, safed musli could fetch few lakhs per acre, there is this fear of losing money.
So, we have to overcome the psychological barriers of fear, mistrust and diffidence. We request all stake-holders, government departments, officials and bankers, and farmers to shed this mindset of suspicion and mistrust and come forward to demonstrate that wealth can be created in the agri sector, rural sector, among the farmers and villagers.
In this issue we have touched upon these issues, issues facing bankers, in lending money to farm businesses, lending bank loans to agri graduates and farmers for specified projects.
If only bankers, Nabard, agri depts, officials can come forward to interact with Vadamalai, we together can bring about a credible alternative on minor entrepreneurial success stories in the agri/rural sector.
We have already demonstrated on a modes scale what can be done through private sector initiatives. There have been many success stories by individual farmers.
If only we can institutionalise our joint efforts, we can show there is much wealth that can be generated and the persisting poverty, unemployment in the agri sector can be tackled. A agriculture superpower, India is waiting for your next first step. Jai Hind!