Industry bodies hold key for agri to industry migration

The farmers of this country constitute 60% of the workforce but contribute only 15% to the GDP. Needless to say then, that the agricultural workers or farmers of the country remain economically impoverished.

Although industrialisation and urbanisation hold the key to lifting the lot of those engaged in farming pursuits, the poor farmer is often made out to be a victimized hero and used as an election plank by politicians to win elections. The politician necessarily needs to be seen as pro-farmer in order to win elections. And despite providing jobs and sustainable sources of income, Industry in this country is perceived to be anti-farmer. There is, therefore, this huge disconnect between what politicians actually feel and admit behind closed doors, and what they project themselves as, especially when elections are approaching or when they need to resurrect their images after losing the elections while sitting in the Opposition.

Industry, in spite of being the engine of growth, becomes their favourite whipping boy and the people of this country inevitably fall for the pro-farmer and anti-industry card.

The present government is trying to bring in economic reforms but the Opposition dilutes the work each time by labelling the efforts as “anti-farmer”. The present stance against land acquisition reforms is a case in point. This way the process slows down and finally it is the farmer and the agricultural worker who are adversely affected, and development is stymied.

Therefore, I believe the industry associations have their task cut out for them – to connect directly with the farmers and agricultural sector workers to dispel this myth that “pro-industry” necessarily means “anti-farmer” or “anti-poor.” After all, it is industry which is the engine of growth that will create jobs and provide sustainable sources of income. So instead of depending on the politicians and bureaucrats, it will be far more effective if Industry Associations themselves engage with the farmers and persuade them to take up jobs as industrial workers in the cities.

Farmers will have to be convinced that the future lies in urbanisation and that a helping hand is being extended to them to work on their skill sets and move to cities to work as industrial workers to get a better life and to increase their contribution towards the country’s GDP.

It is the responsibility of the industry associations to take the veneer off the “Jai Kisan” slogan which resonates so strongly with the electorate of India. It needs to make a hero of the industrial worker in much the same way that the “kisan” is the hero. The objective is to get people involved more and more in industry and less and less in agricultural pursuits. In this, the government can only facilitate and take policy decisions but the real creation of jobs has to be done by industry itself.

The only way forward is to set up manufacturing bases and service centres for the people to participate in what is enshrined in the Prime Minister’s Make in India initiative. After more than 65 years of independence, the Prime Minister has called for “Minimum government and maximum governance”, and industry associations must play a critical role to achieve it. Instead of depending on the government and bureaucracy, the industry associations must proactively reach out themselves and appeal to the aspirations of farmers in order to make a significant impact to the economy of the country.

Industry is the engine for growth and development, and urbanisation is the future.