THE COST OF DEMOCRACY – THE SUPPORT PRICE

The present model of cadre based political party system in India, where strength of a party is demonstrated by the size of crowd in public meetings may not be a good sign on the overall development of common people. Larger the crowd, bigger is the dimension of unemployment, illiteracy, poverty, hunger, and economic disparity. Such a large section of population is the capital for the political parties to mobilize power of the powerless to carry flags, shout slogans, write posters, block roads and whatnot. This scenario will continue to prevail with the patronage of political parties and elections being held almost round the year, where conducting one by-election costs Rs.15 Crore (150 million) and money flows down the drain. In such a situation, should India opt for ‘Two-Party, One-Election’ system and divert election expenditures towards basic developments? No doubt, a million-dollar question, more so where getting engaged in politics is the most lucrative business of profit and way to multiplying assets in geometrical progression, barring a few.

Remember the call ‘GARIBI HATAO’ (Remove Poverty) given by the most powerful PM as back as 1971 but number of poor are still on rise, linearly. India is an agrarian country with an assembly of large number of hungry and malnourished surviving on heavily subsidized or free foods and cash dole as oxygen introduced by the present Govt in 2020. So, ‘Garibi Hatao’ was a political dry run since last 50 years! Anyone having ground reality on the diversity in agriculture in India crop by crop; familiar with cropping systems and sequences may agree, the mission on ‘Doubling Farmers’ Income’ with the present approach, may cause back fire. ‘Fairy Tales of Doubling Farmers' Income, in next five years, by 2022' Mukti Sadhan Basu, Ph.D | 24-Sep-2017’ https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/fairy-tales-doubling-farmers-income-next-five-years-2022-basu-ph-d

On the event of Agriculture being a State Subject, the rational of meddling in procurement of agri produce by fixing of prices, deciding markets, etc. by the Govt at the Centre appears unjust and not noticeably clear. State should have the liberty to decide about the crops, subsidies, procurement price, marketing and stock making. The Central Govt may procure the commodities at a price fixed by the Sate as required to supply through PDS to economically oppressed and deprived socially.

Government is responsible to put the taxpayer’s money in proper use for a balanced growth including minimizing growing disparity between 2.0 million rich, reasonably large farmers and 90.0 million hand to mouth smallholders. So also, in the existing system there should be state specific commodity wise quota for procurement under MSP. Govt should not continue to remain helpless and bound to buy whatever is produced unilaterally by the farmers. That is the reason the Central Govt must bring out a State specific Balanced Crop Production Plan to fulfil the commitment ‘‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas’.

Dr. MS Basu, MD SBSF Consultancy; Formerly, Director ICAR; Visiting Scientist ICRISAT; Independent Consultant to BPD, NAIP (Funded by World Bank) & UNIDO International Consultant on Aflatoxin (Africa). Email: [email protected]