It is India. India has been poor, ignorant and mostly corrupt since its birth as a free nation. India has been facing many problems – almost life threatening problems. Political instability, caste and creed politics, snail-pace economic progress, extreme poverty of majority of Indians, religious terrorism and conversion, rapid religious demographic change of India!
From 2014 to 2020, there is Narendra Modi govt in India. It looks, at last India is on the move for the better. Political stability is restored, corruption in high places of govt is checked, religious terrorism is hard hit and economy is put on the fast track by opening it to the private sector – allowing capitalists like Ambani and Adani to invest their money, create prosperity and help rise India. Ambani and Adani are not the only capitalists in India – but they are the symbol of Indian capitalism.
India seems to be rising by all yard sticks in the foreign estimation.
In India, all should prosper – all should share the prosperity of a rising India! Aĺl would agree to this proposition – even Ambani and Adani would agree.
All should share this prosperity – Kisan too should share this prosperity of a rising India. But in what proportion should this prosperity be shared?
It should be shared equally. If this done, it will bring paradise (!) on this corner of earth called India! But all would not agree to such proposal – Ambani and Adani would not agree to this, not on any cost!
This is the dispute of Kisan of India – that is why they are doing “andolan” in Delhi.
Where does Narendra Modi – the Prime Minister of India – stand in this dispute? With Ambani and Adani or with Kisan?
Potato chips is made of potatoes, biscuit is made of wheat and potatoes and wheat are grown by Kisan in his land but potato-chips and biscuits are made and sold by Ambani / Adani and their friends.
Uncle Chips sells its chips of 100 grams weight for Rs. 20, which comes to Rs. 200 for 1 kilogram, and Kisan sells his potetoes at Rs. 5 for 1 kilogram. Parle sells its biscuits of 100 grams weight for Rs. 20, which comes to Rs. 200 for 1 kilogram, and Kisan sells his wheat at Rs. 15 per kilogram. These are rough pricings and used only as examples of the great disparity in price of an item when in the hands of a Kisan and when in the hands of a capitalist. This has been going on since ages.
Now under the new contract farming law enacted by the Modi govt, Ambani and Adani will go to villages, make agreement with, say, Kisans of ten villages for growing potatoes in their fields at an agreed price (which may be a good price first and later on with his monopoly or cartel created in this business is bound to be at a very cheap price). Monopoly is where the entire business in one commodity is in one hand and cartel is where all businessmen dealing in a commodity agree among them not to buy or sell an item above or below an agreed rate.
As an example, why should Ambani or Adani get Rs. 200 for one kilo for their potato chips and Kishan get only Rs 5 for one kilo of his potatoes, out of which potato chips are made?
Ambani / Adani put their money to buy machines to cut and process potatoes, pack chips and distribute them to sell in the market. For this money, why should Ambani / Adani get a lion’s share (Rs. 200 / kg) and for his land and labor why should a Kisan get a small share (Rs. 5/kg)? In making potato chips the contribution of land and labor of Kisan in producing potatoes is more than the contribution of a capitalist in processing potatoes into chips. Honesty demands to accept this truth.
And, this is the beginning – it will go worse for Kisans with the passage of time. Monopoly, cartel, reducing a farmer helpless destitute on his own land, buying cheap from Kisan and selling at exorbitant price to consumers are staring the Kisan in his face. Is this the prosperity of India and Indians or of Ambani and Adani?
This is the dispute of Kisan with the Modi govt. Where does shri Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, stand?