The Bihar Legislative Election of 2010 is going to be remarkable on many counts; especially it would leave a high shot ground for acid test among the peoples of this state. Aspirations that led to ending of fifteen years parochial rule during the 2005 election and succession of a trusted man called Nitish Kumar is still very much resonant and relentless for completion of turnaround in the Bihar. The three spoiler stakeholder in Bihar politics since 1990-Congress, Lalu Prasad Yadav and Ramvilas Paswan accounted for irreparable socio-economic losses that completely broken the soul of this region and forced to camouflage the state into a mockery institution.
Peoples were dragged to clown status under the black sordid political state of affairs…hopelessness were as rampant as loss of opportunities inside the state-institutional proposals like opening of IIM in Patna used to be ridiculed by non the other than Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav; crime had overt patronization from CM office and enterprises under this Dickensian collaboration were fixed ransom and other inhumane trade.
The pseudo assertion of social justice flashed much in start during the early nineties when simultaneously Mr.Yadav has started demeaning the party structure for a lethal nexus of caste and religion. Surprisingly, in spite of partial treatment to Muslim-Yadav combine and staggering statistics in terms of their representation, plight of common folks from these communities as well didn’t remain indifferent from rest of oppressed Bihari. Power and prestige used to be the prerogative of either the close one from kinship or die-hard sycophants without having personal character for judgment between right or wrong.
Caste remained a factor in the politics of Bihar albeit it was never so blind folded before the nineties…worst of all, confusion among the Communist brigade and theirs parasiteness over Congress finally consumed their impressive base in north and middle Bihar that fuelled the situation further. Their’s stake didn’t remain the same again after the mid nineties…meanwhile once a sporadic performer in state, BJP emerged as a substantial force following their strategic alliance {NDA}accession in Delhi-theirs paradox partnership with disillusioned Nitish Kumar started from here. I am reiterating over the word “paradox” since despite representing contrast views on some crucial issue; they could remain together with eyeing the path of development as major plank for politics in Bihar.
Before the British colonialism, terrains of present Bihar known for the all good reasons; later the Bengal presidency proved to be worst on development indices-following the shifting of British base from Calcutta in 1911.However, the state of this region, Assam, Bihar, Meghalaya, Orissa, Tripura, West Bengal improved a lot for at least next two decades after the independence but in present scenario, only Bihar could be figured out on the healthy development criteria.
Once “An Area of Darkness” termed by “The Economist”, Bihar today is a beacon of fair change among the Indian state with consistently relying upon the sole framework of development. Despite facing the massive floods and successive two years of drought with spiraling two-digit inflation, state did fairly well in improving physical infrastructure, law&order, education, primary health facilities etc-besides growth of service sector and checking an outbound migration is Herculean accomplishment.
With the less volatile contribution of tertiary sector {59.5%}, State GDP growth registered an average 11.35%in the last five years against an average of merely 3.5%in the RJD rule-Per Capita Income rose from Rs7, 442 in year2004-05 to Rs13, 559 in 2008-09. Poverty rate too halted at 38%-a satisfactory level even if not an ideal figure; these statistics are not manipulated as the State’s Economic Survey2010 has been closely monitored by the Central agencies and other think tanks working in the sphere of economic research. Apart from political compulsions, Nitish Kumar government has shown enough willingness for change with appropriation of dynamicism and innovation that were a long due.
He emphatically focusing on the balance prospect of growth, especially in the social domain-after five years, he is indeed now more capable to lead Bihar towards a bright economic prospects; if he would come back whose chances are very strong than state of affairs will touch an unprecedented positive pace. For me, it’s a matter of great exuberance that at least Bihar among the Indian States is banking upon the theme of development. From Kashmir to Kanyakumari and Arunachal Pradesh to Rajasthan –themes of politics are different and governance is being put aside. Development of Bihar is essential for itself and whole nation…hope the political laboratory of India would manufacture some sensible inferences out of the verdict in this election.
Atul Kumar Thakur
October20, 2010, Wednesday, New Delhi
atul_mdb@rediffmail.com
Showing posts with label Developmental issues. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Developmental issues. Show all posts
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Case of Food Security
International Cricket Council {ICC} Chief and also co-incidentally the Union Agriculture Minister of India, Mr.Sharad Pawar has recentally came out with his shocking though expected denouncement of Supreme Court’s sincere observation that “In a country where admittedly people are starving, it is a crime to waste even a single grain”, such out of consineful convictions are usual features within the top legislative authorities…his economic sense allows him to count the salvage value of lakhs of tones rotting grains every year during the monsoon season {from flood affected North Bihar districts to debt-ridden districts of Maharashtra-Andhra Pradesh},instead to disburse them to millions of hungry Indian citizens.
Apart from flawed macro agri policy formulation, shortage of hygienic storage capacity and tall greed of Food Corporation of India {FCI} officials are exactly making things hell. UPA II government is fixed with obstinate ideology and economics that visualizes every welfare scheme including the universalization of food as “Subsidy burden”. Slashing of Rs.450 Crore, from food subsidy in the current fiscal; truly explicit the government’s role as an enabler, contrary to the erstwhile interventionist role.
Every basic means, either the money or grains are being presented as an obstruction by the government, despite witnessing a fabulous growth and adding 49 billionaires and 100,000 millionaires in a decade. Alas! This fortunate wealthy class hardly reflect the actual pulse of India’s real economy…Raghuram G Rajan has rightly noticed such overwhelming increase of Indian wealthy class as by product of theirs connection or Juggad with political affluents{Fault Lines}. Among those wealthy class, the top three sectors of theirs interest have been tax-exempted near the Rs.500, 000 crore during the last budget; dualism has taken its course and no hue& cries were raised from the fiscal management point of view though entire machinery were exactly the same.
For curtailing the universalization of Public Distribution System {PDS} which is not less than a backbone for the both urban and rural poors, a flawed Above Poverty Line{APL}-Below Poverty Line{BPL} created and were propagated as enemy camp. Such folly making lives terrible for countless families who stuck with the APL status and loosing all the government’s aid in spite of having only slightly different socio-economic status.
So, categorization poses similar adversity as of policy directives for majority of Indians; consequently the average daily net per capita availability of food grain between 2005-08 was a dismal 436 grams per Indian against the 440 grams per Indian in 1955-58-further, decline of pulse consumption is havocking, from 70 grams in 1955-58, it came down to 35 grams in 2005-08 {P.Sainath, Oliver Twist seeks food security, The Hindu, August 12, 2010}. Such terrible consumption level among the majority of Indians are the result of growing commercial pressure on forming that forces farmers to opt for cash crops instead of food-corps and inability of government to either distribute the rotting grain or release it at low prices through the PDS.
Except Tamil Nadu, where each family is entitled for 20kg grain/Rs1/kg, no Indian state could claim for universalization of PDS. The success of the scheme in Tamil Nadu relies heavily on groundwork and such universal coverage deserves accolades for both practical and political reasons {S.Vydhianathan, R.K.Radhakrishnan, Behind the success story of Universal PDS in Tamil Nadu, The Hindu, August11, 2010}. In such stark scenario, proposal of Food Security Bill appeared as pleasant surprise but it couldn’t endure as National Advisory Council {NAC} recommendations badly lacked the universalization contents in food security. Initially, 150 most backward districts were suggested for disbursement of 35 kg rice or wheat at Rs3/kg, which seems completely unrealistic and discriminatory from humane point of view.
Here hunger and malnourishment are being measured more from the geographical status than rational socio-economic criteria. Without universalization, food security program have no valid reason to exert much differences in the current state of affairs. At that point government must think on ushering in food security program through pilot project routes, instead they must follow the much imperative Comprehensive Universal Programme that covers all basic requirements of human life without discriminating on the basis of any artificial criteria. Atleast for the staple diet, there should not be any bad politics…
Atul Kumar Thakur
August28th 2010, Saturday, New Delhi
atul_mdb@rediffmail.com
Apart from flawed macro agri policy formulation, shortage of hygienic storage capacity and tall greed of Food Corporation of India {FCI} officials are exactly making things hell. UPA II government is fixed with obstinate ideology and economics that visualizes every welfare scheme including the universalization of food as “Subsidy burden”. Slashing of Rs.450 Crore, from food subsidy in the current fiscal; truly explicit the government’s role as an enabler, contrary to the erstwhile interventionist role.
Every basic means, either the money or grains are being presented as an obstruction by the government, despite witnessing a fabulous growth and adding 49 billionaires and 100,000 millionaires in a decade. Alas! This fortunate wealthy class hardly reflect the actual pulse of India’s real economy…Raghuram G Rajan has rightly noticed such overwhelming increase of Indian wealthy class as by product of theirs connection or Juggad with political affluents{Fault Lines}. Among those wealthy class, the top three sectors of theirs interest have been tax-exempted near the Rs.500, 000 crore during the last budget; dualism has taken its course and no hue& cries were raised from the fiscal management point of view though entire machinery were exactly the same.
For curtailing the universalization of Public Distribution System {PDS} which is not less than a backbone for the both urban and rural poors, a flawed Above Poverty Line{APL}-Below Poverty Line{BPL} created and were propagated as enemy camp. Such folly making lives terrible for countless families who stuck with the APL status and loosing all the government’s aid in spite of having only slightly different socio-economic status.
So, categorization poses similar adversity as of policy directives for majority of Indians; consequently the average daily net per capita availability of food grain between 2005-08 was a dismal 436 grams per Indian against the 440 grams per Indian in 1955-58-further, decline of pulse consumption is havocking, from 70 grams in 1955-58, it came down to 35 grams in 2005-08 {P.Sainath, Oliver Twist seeks food security, The Hindu, August 12, 2010}. Such terrible consumption level among the majority of Indians are the result of growing commercial pressure on forming that forces farmers to opt for cash crops instead of food-corps and inability of government to either distribute the rotting grain or release it at low prices through the PDS.
Except Tamil Nadu, where each family is entitled for 20kg grain/Rs1/kg, no Indian state could claim for universalization of PDS. The success of the scheme in Tamil Nadu relies heavily on groundwork and such universal coverage deserves accolades for both practical and political reasons {S.Vydhianathan, R.K.Radhakrishnan, Behind the success story of Universal PDS in Tamil Nadu, The Hindu, August11, 2010}. In such stark scenario, proposal of Food Security Bill appeared as pleasant surprise but it couldn’t endure as National Advisory Council {NAC} recommendations badly lacked the universalization contents in food security. Initially, 150 most backward districts were suggested for disbursement of 35 kg rice or wheat at Rs3/kg, which seems completely unrealistic and discriminatory from humane point of view.
Here hunger and malnourishment are being measured more from the geographical status than rational socio-economic criteria. Without universalization, food security program have no valid reason to exert much differences in the current state of affairs. At that point government must think on ushering in food security program through pilot project routes, instead they must follow the much imperative Comprehensive Universal Programme that covers all basic requirements of human life without discriminating on the basis of any artificial criteria. Atleast for the staple diet, there should not be any bad politics…
Atul Kumar Thakur
August28th 2010, Saturday, New Delhi
atul_mdb@rediffmail.com
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Debacles of Mismanaged Growth
Something very fundamental have changed over the years, the last budget speech of Finance Minister marked it lucidly. Probably on such occasions, first time in history of modern India, private sector had framed in top order. Proposed catalyst role of non-governmental actor in new economy were coincided with other slew of statements; very notable among them was that government will now act as an enabler for poors of this country which mean, now protection of governmental intervention would be confine as prerogative rights of the wealthy class of this nation.
I have stout faith in the state and no idea is as lovable as “Idea of India” for me-the crux I raising here has lot to do with my faith as its tantamount would be graver then we perceive today.
Consine and consciousness, both have shrunken horribly in their respective spaces-barring few, we can see it in every sphere…media have been consistently shifted from its whistle-blower role to a compromising entity, in the name of commercial compulsions and sustenance.
UPAII government, which would be known for the failureness of ministerial obligations and departure of its custodians towards the pastime with greener pasture. Recently, Agriculture Minister has taken over the charge of ICC Chief-interestingly; he never had any footprint in the gentlemen game of Cricket. Further, exactly in bizarre move, he offered to reduce his ministerial burden to focus more on his penchant and to getting away from the obstinate inflationary challenges.
Shockingly, he displayed his penchant for the politics of Cricket in wrong time when agriculture as a primary sector was passing through its worst phase. Czarism of Cricket surpassed the basic needs of India’s two-third population…ridiculously, barren field was substituted by the Empowered Group of Ministers {EGOM} to channelise the hyped food security programme. Is it feasible in the world’s largest democracy to run with a part-time Agriculture Minister?
Obviously, negligence at macro level has turning agriculture farming and services, both as an unviable employment option. In recent years, cultivation cost has radically grown up-millions of farmers moved from conventional food corps to cash corps in the influence of mad commercialization. Increased cost of production, and failureness of marketing frequently leading them to suicides as an option to escape the unbearable humility of debtors.
In last twelve years, last six years were even more horrific-National Crime Record Bureau that solely takes into account of farm suicides reveals the grimness of situation. During2003-08, average one farmer commits suicide in every thirty-two minutes; Maharastra, which account highest farming suicidal incidents, alone have 22 billionaires in the Forbes list from total 48 Indian billionaire’s entry.
Leading voice on rural affairs, P.sainath gives a very realistic account of persisting problems; through rising food prices and diminishing values of farming activities lead 50-60% of their spending alone on foods, 18%on fuel-clothing and rest on everything? Transformation in the farm sector resulted with two hundred thousand of farmers suicide {from1970 to date} in sheer dark depressions…cases are rampant where whole villages have emptied in search of job to cities where there is no opportunity? As par, last Census, Average Per Capita Expenditure/month of farmers in India revolves around Rs.503…even current Census may dwarf this figure further.
Farmer’s indebtedness that grew from 21to 48% since1991 is the real bone of contention behind the farming distress and overall desperation prevailing in the rural areas.
In last two decades, banking presence getting freezed and even lowered in the rural terrains-micro loans are being marginalize in favour of sizable loans despite the government’s best effort in this regard. Despite all tall claims, Public Sector Banks {PSBs} have share of merely 7.61% in the total rural debts-if excluded the Regional Rural Banks{RRBs} stakes, then contribution would remain very abysmal from PSBs. New classes of Moneylenders {MFIs} are dwelling with many operational flaws and impractical policy maneuverings, so they hardly appearing remarkable as an institutional alternatives.
Indeed, there is need of reform in present subsidies mechanism but it must start from the Corporate Sector who doesn’t deserve more then a fair atmosphere of business as government assistance. Gulf between interest of business and rudimentary necessities of common citizens must be taken into account at the all levels of policy implementation otherwise impressions of growth would remain subdued and cause of aberrations for the majority of deserving stakeholders.
Atul Kumar Thakur
July16, 2010, Monday, New Delhi
atul-mdb@rediffmail.com
I have stout faith in the state and no idea is as lovable as “Idea of India” for me-the crux I raising here has lot to do with my faith as its tantamount would be graver then we perceive today.
Consine and consciousness, both have shrunken horribly in their respective spaces-barring few, we can see it in every sphere…media have been consistently shifted from its whistle-blower role to a compromising entity, in the name of commercial compulsions and sustenance.
UPAII government, which would be known for the failureness of ministerial obligations and departure of its custodians towards the pastime with greener pasture. Recently, Agriculture Minister has taken over the charge of ICC Chief-interestingly; he never had any footprint in the gentlemen game of Cricket. Further, exactly in bizarre move, he offered to reduce his ministerial burden to focus more on his penchant and to getting away from the obstinate inflationary challenges.
Shockingly, he displayed his penchant for the politics of Cricket in wrong time when agriculture as a primary sector was passing through its worst phase. Czarism of Cricket surpassed the basic needs of India’s two-third population…ridiculously, barren field was substituted by the Empowered Group of Ministers {EGOM} to channelise the hyped food security programme. Is it feasible in the world’s largest democracy to run with a part-time Agriculture Minister?
Obviously, negligence at macro level has turning agriculture farming and services, both as an unviable employment option. In recent years, cultivation cost has radically grown up-millions of farmers moved from conventional food corps to cash corps in the influence of mad commercialization. Increased cost of production, and failureness of marketing frequently leading them to suicides as an option to escape the unbearable humility of debtors.
In last twelve years, last six years were even more horrific-National Crime Record Bureau that solely takes into account of farm suicides reveals the grimness of situation. During2003-08, average one farmer commits suicide in every thirty-two minutes; Maharastra, which account highest farming suicidal incidents, alone have 22 billionaires in the Forbes list from total 48 Indian billionaire’s entry.
Leading voice on rural affairs, P.sainath gives a very realistic account of persisting problems; through rising food prices and diminishing values of farming activities lead 50-60% of their spending alone on foods, 18%on fuel-clothing and rest on everything? Transformation in the farm sector resulted with two hundred thousand of farmers suicide {from1970 to date} in sheer dark depressions…cases are rampant where whole villages have emptied in search of job to cities where there is no opportunity? As par, last Census, Average Per Capita Expenditure/month of farmers in India revolves around Rs.503…even current Census may dwarf this figure further.
Farmer’s indebtedness that grew from 21to 48% since1991 is the real bone of contention behind the farming distress and overall desperation prevailing in the rural areas.
In last two decades, banking presence getting freezed and even lowered in the rural terrains-micro loans are being marginalize in favour of sizable loans despite the government’s best effort in this regard. Despite all tall claims, Public Sector Banks {PSBs} have share of merely 7.61% in the total rural debts-if excluded the Regional Rural Banks{RRBs} stakes, then contribution would remain very abysmal from PSBs. New classes of Moneylenders {MFIs} are dwelling with many operational flaws and impractical policy maneuverings, so they hardly appearing remarkable as an institutional alternatives.
Indeed, there is need of reform in present subsidies mechanism but it must start from the Corporate Sector who doesn’t deserve more then a fair atmosphere of business as government assistance. Gulf between interest of business and rudimentary necessities of common citizens must be taken into account at the all levels of policy implementation otherwise impressions of growth would remain subdued and cause of aberrations for the majority of deserving stakeholders.
Atul Kumar Thakur
July16, 2010, Monday, New Delhi
atul-mdb@rediffmail.com
Friday, April 30, 2010
Immeasurable Poverty
The debate on the extent of poverty in India has been a matter of global interest in the recent years since the position of emerging India is matter of great concern in the today’s era of global trade convergence. Though in the wake of economic reforms, poverty estimation itself emerged as a challenge which making this crucial matter more complex and distant from actuality.
In India, poverty estimation is primarily carrying by fixing a poverty line based on a differentiated calorie-norm; this approach has been developed as a custom over the years since its prioritization by a task force of the Planning Commission in 1979 that defined the poverty line as on per capita expenditure at which the average per capita-per day calorie intake was 2400 calories in rural areas and 2100 calories in urban areas.
Unfortunately, this method remains instrumental as authentic tool of poverty estimation which work on average per capita expenditure incurred by that population group in each state which consumed these quantities of calories-the 1973-74 survey of NSSO had taken it into account as the poverty lines. Based on the observed consumer behavior in 1973-74, the poverty lines at Rs49.09 per capita per month in the rural areas and Rs56.64 per capita per month in urban areas-these poverty lines were updated over the years by simply accounting for changes in Consumer Price Indices {CPI}, thus the all-India poverty lines updated for 2004-05 were Rs356.30 in rural areas and Rs538.60 in urban areas, per capita per month.
That faulty standard explicitly revealed the government’s inflexible mindset on policy intervention which always rely on the collective generalizations as major tool-regardless of what the Planning Commission comes up with, the empowered ministers remained stick to their prefixed line.
In such stodgy working method, two most important determinants of poverty;Purchasing Power Parity {PPP} and deprivation remains excluded at the cost of calorie, that itself creates lot of perplexity in true judgment of poverty. Absence of universalization of social security schemes and access of all BPL families to Public Distribution System {PDS} further engraving the situation; based on urban line of poverty measurement, total number of poors in India have risen from about 403 million in 1993-94 to about 407 million in 2004-05.
Wrong exclusion of around 77% of population living merely on R16/day {National Commission on Enterprise in Unorganized Sector, 2004-05} is making India’s performance pathetic on the Global Hunger Indexes-surveys of multilateral agencies like UN and IFPRI demonstrate the actuality through its Human Development Reports.
There are many impediments are haunting on the way of poverty alleviation but its measurement is most daunting one among them which keep teasing to targeted efforts-asymmetry could be understand through these figures, National Sample Survey’s {2004-05} poverty rate compilation showed the variance on poverty level among nodal agencies, as per Planning Commission {27.5%}, NCEUS {77%}, Suresh Tendulkar Committee {37.2%}, Rural Development Ministry’s {50%}-on which data ones should rely? After a long slumbering, government and Planning Commission have accepted the report of Suresh Tendulkar whose projection on poverty rate is much higher than earlier contemplation of government.
The gross failure of government’s standing shows that, act is more important than preaching on the issue of hunger and poverty estimation. There is need to extend the stake to these 77% population of country who are dwelling with low access of food, sanitation, finance, education etc.
By providing entitlement of basic necessities to these marginalized section, government can ensure the equitable growth which is very essential in the size of country we have-alienation of such size is in no manner a feasible option before the government or any other party involved. One must not forget that, if these two-third population would be empowered in true sense, our position would be much maximized on the developmental front where we desperately struggling presently-this is only foreseeable reason where presently we are lagging behind from China where the relative is very feeble in comparison of ours. Let us see, how the implementation is going to work this time…
Atul Kumar Thakur
April 26th2010, Sunday, New Delhi
atul_mdb@rediffmail.com
In India, poverty estimation is primarily carrying by fixing a poverty line based on a differentiated calorie-norm; this approach has been developed as a custom over the years since its prioritization by a task force of the Planning Commission in 1979 that defined the poverty line as on per capita expenditure at which the average per capita-per day calorie intake was 2400 calories in rural areas and 2100 calories in urban areas.
Unfortunately, this method remains instrumental as authentic tool of poverty estimation which work on average per capita expenditure incurred by that population group in each state which consumed these quantities of calories-the 1973-74 survey of NSSO had taken it into account as the poverty lines. Based on the observed consumer behavior in 1973-74, the poverty lines at Rs49.09 per capita per month in the rural areas and Rs56.64 per capita per month in urban areas-these poverty lines were updated over the years by simply accounting for changes in Consumer Price Indices {CPI}, thus the all-India poverty lines updated for 2004-05 were Rs356.30 in rural areas and Rs538.60 in urban areas, per capita per month.
That faulty standard explicitly revealed the government’s inflexible mindset on policy intervention which always rely on the collective generalizations as major tool-regardless of what the Planning Commission comes up with, the empowered ministers remained stick to their prefixed line.
In such stodgy working method, two most important determinants of poverty;Purchasing Power Parity {PPP} and deprivation remains excluded at the cost of calorie, that itself creates lot of perplexity in true judgment of poverty. Absence of universalization of social security schemes and access of all BPL families to Public Distribution System {PDS} further engraving the situation; based on urban line of poverty measurement, total number of poors in India have risen from about 403 million in 1993-94 to about 407 million in 2004-05.
Wrong exclusion of around 77% of population living merely on R16/day {National Commission on Enterprise in Unorganized Sector, 2004-05} is making India’s performance pathetic on the Global Hunger Indexes-surveys of multilateral agencies like UN and IFPRI demonstrate the actuality through its Human Development Reports.
There are many impediments are haunting on the way of poverty alleviation but its measurement is most daunting one among them which keep teasing to targeted efforts-asymmetry could be understand through these figures, National Sample Survey’s {2004-05} poverty rate compilation showed the variance on poverty level among nodal agencies, as per Planning Commission {27.5%}, NCEUS {77%}, Suresh Tendulkar Committee {37.2%}, Rural Development Ministry’s {50%}-on which data ones should rely? After a long slumbering, government and Planning Commission have accepted the report of Suresh Tendulkar whose projection on poverty rate is much higher than earlier contemplation of government.
The gross failure of government’s standing shows that, act is more important than preaching on the issue of hunger and poverty estimation. There is need to extend the stake to these 77% population of country who are dwelling with low access of food, sanitation, finance, education etc.
By providing entitlement of basic necessities to these marginalized section, government can ensure the equitable growth which is very essential in the size of country we have-alienation of such size is in no manner a feasible option before the government or any other party involved. One must not forget that, if these two-third population would be empowered in true sense, our position would be much maximized on the developmental front where we desperately struggling presently-this is only foreseeable reason where presently we are lagging behind from China where the relative is very feeble in comparison of ours. Let us see, how the implementation is going to work this time…
Atul Kumar Thakur
April 26th2010, Sunday, New Delhi
atul_mdb@rediffmail.com
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Perils of Indian Maoism
Stiff arms resistance of left extremist groups within the boundary of a strategically sound country like India manifests some noble pattern to deal with it in its own terms and conditions.
It would be worthwhile to recall here that Maoists are currently operate in 231 of 626 districts in the country with at least 20,000 ideologically determined armed activists whose assertions against state and civil society straightly reflects through violent method which indeed shaping their plights and demands far from proper materialization.
Infact,senseless use of violence by Maoists deterred the state authorities and entire civil society for a better deal with their plights; nonetheless, it’s required to see this grave problem in new light.
Confrontation with the Maoists has raged since 1967 just out of first Maoist rebellion, although it strongly consolidated in early years of present decade following the formation of the CPI (Maoist) in 2004 through the merger of two strong naxalite groups, the Peoples War Group (PWG) and the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC).
After consolidation Maoists have been remain equivocal in their real intention as they largely failed to conceive the exact political nature of India; they still believing India as semi colonial country which radically altered them from mainstream and being a leading force of working class movement and mass mobilization.
Their relentless violent act basically emerged from their confused reckoning of modern and consolidated Indian state with the feeble Nepal or1950’s parochial China where their parent ideology had gain the momentum albeit the ground realities in India is entirely different as its democratic pillar and mainstream left movement is in very fine tune with the state and mass citizens; so, India as a Nation state very much exists in the mind of its citizens and all the institutions of democracy.
This is the major cause of failure for such radical movement in the country way back from Ekbari (Bihar) to Naxalbari (West Bengal) in 1960’s and ongoing battle from West Bengal to Karnataka.They all poised to fail because their central leadership started from Charu Majumdar, Kanu Sanyal to Kobad Gandhi and his wife,Amitav Bagchi (Dada) etc couldn’t win the trust of common mass although they partially succeeded to win the sympathy of a chunk of radical intelligentsia and like minded university students but that alone may never be suffice to run successfully a mass movement.
What is imperative from the entire mass movement and not specifically of Maoism is to come across the entire length and width of larger reality and form a new insight to handle the prevailing discrimination and other inequitable practices which creates harbinger and belligerence among own peoples for basic rights.
Second practices that’s utmost imperative is to change the mindsets of brutality since it’s explicitly evident from the history that alone violence can never be triumphant and only dialogues have capacity to parley and resolve any specific issue; so, beheading policemen’s and methods of “Individual killing” of political opponents is nothing short than Talibani practices as they use same tactics to shunt their rivals.
Leaders of these movements have to keep in their mind that great growth stories of communism in U.S.S.R, China or Cuba haven’t woven by such hide and seek game instead they resolute and adopted the core ideology in the local conditions without following any sub nationality as tragically as Indian communists have been availing it’s on many critical junctures.
It’s equally important re-looking on the relevance of Maoism as an ideology in India since still two third of its population solely rely on fateful agricultural and allied occupation with very little saving in their hand.
so drawing a line after core theme of Marxist-Leninist ideology and its conditional adaptation in Indian socio-economic reality would be more rational as these integrated ideology of communism have entrusted with the universal applicability unlike the Maoism that’s completely a local phenomenon reliably shaped for China.
So, time is ripe now to hold some exhaustive debate on ideology and core of problems which creates impatience among the bottom of pyramids and high minded sympathetic's; for the state point of view any promotion of arms fraternity in civil society, like “Salwa Judum” or brutal retaliation against our own aggrieved citizens (Maoist Cadres) must be timely checked since they are creating big hurdles in peace process.
Being the largest democracy of the world, Indian state must have to ensure the equitable distribution of resources and opportunities because these left arms movement indeed reflects the lack of entitlement that emerged from the chronic scarcity of basic means of livelihood and rampant feudal, corporate and state atrocities in the name of development against the downtrodden who have been living in chaotic order even after the sixty two years of independence.
I think these are the reason of violence in state’s growth agenda; so it must be acknowledge that without streamlining the system as a whole, Indian growth story wouldn’t be complete, so state has to reward basic and dignified life for all.
Atul Kumar Thakur
November11th2009, New Delhi
atul_mdb@rediffmail.com
It would be worthwhile to recall here that Maoists are currently operate in 231 of 626 districts in the country with at least 20,000 ideologically determined armed activists whose assertions against state and civil society straightly reflects through violent method which indeed shaping their plights and demands far from proper materialization.
Infact,senseless use of violence by Maoists deterred the state authorities and entire civil society for a better deal with their plights; nonetheless, it’s required to see this grave problem in new light.
Confrontation with the Maoists has raged since 1967 just out of first Maoist rebellion, although it strongly consolidated in early years of present decade following the formation of the CPI (Maoist) in 2004 through the merger of two strong naxalite groups, the Peoples War Group (PWG) and the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC).
After consolidation Maoists have been remain equivocal in their real intention as they largely failed to conceive the exact political nature of India; they still believing India as semi colonial country which radically altered them from mainstream and being a leading force of working class movement and mass mobilization.
Their relentless violent act basically emerged from their confused reckoning of modern and consolidated Indian state with the feeble Nepal or1950’s parochial China where their parent ideology had gain the momentum albeit the ground realities in India is entirely different as its democratic pillar and mainstream left movement is in very fine tune with the state and mass citizens; so, India as a Nation state very much exists in the mind of its citizens and all the institutions of democracy.
This is the major cause of failure for such radical movement in the country way back from Ekbari (Bihar) to Naxalbari (West Bengal) in 1960’s and ongoing battle from West Bengal to Karnataka.They all poised to fail because their central leadership started from Charu Majumdar, Kanu Sanyal to Kobad Gandhi and his wife,Amitav Bagchi (Dada) etc couldn’t win the trust of common mass although they partially succeeded to win the sympathy of a chunk of radical intelligentsia and like minded university students but that alone may never be suffice to run successfully a mass movement.
What is imperative from the entire mass movement and not specifically of Maoism is to come across the entire length and width of larger reality and form a new insight to handle the prevailing discrimination and other inequitable practices which creates harbinger and belligerence among own peoples for basic rights.
Second practices that’s utmost imperative is to change the mindsets of brutality since it’s explicitly evident from the history that alone violence can never be triumphant and only dialogues have capacity to parley and resolve any specific issue; so, beheading policemen’s and methods of “Individual killing” of political opponents is nothing short than Talibani practices as they use same tactics to shunt their rivals.
Leaders of these movements have to keep in their mind that great growth stories of communism in U.S.S.R, China or Cuba haven’t woven by such hide and seek game instead they resolute and adopted the core ideology in the local conditions without following any sub nationality as tragically as Indian communists have been availing it’s on many critical junctures.
It’s equally important re-looking on the relevance of Maoism as an ideology in India since still two third of its population solely rely on fateful agricultural and allied occupation with very little saving in their hand.
so drawing a line after core theme of Marxist-Leninist ideology and its conditional adaptation in Indian socio-economic reality would be more rational as these integrated ideology of communism have entrusted with the universal applicability unlike the Maoism that’s completely a local phenomenon reliably shaped for China.
So, time is ripe now to hold some exhaustive debate on ideology and core of problems which creates impatience among the bottom of pyramids and high minded sympathetic's; for the state point of view any promotion of arms fraternity in civil society, like “Salwa Judum” or brutal retaliation against our own aggrieved citizens (Maoist Cadres) must be timely checked since they are creating big hurdles in peace process.
Being the largest democracy of the world, Indian state must have to ensure the equitable distribution of resources and opportunities because these left arms movement indeed reflects the lack of entitlement that emerged from the chronic scarcity of basic means of livelihood and rampant feudal, corporate and state atrocities in the name of development against the downtrodden who have been living in chaotic order even after the sixty two years of independence.
I think these are the reason of violence in state’s growth agenda; so it must be acknowledge that without streamlining the system as a whole, Indian growth story wouldn’t be complete, so state has to reward basic and dignified life for all.
Atul Kumar Thakur
November11th2009, New Delhi
atul_mdb@rediffmail.com
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Euphoria of Migration
According to latest Human Development Report2009 (HDR, U.N) - migrations are hugely beneficial for the poors; further it reveals that poorest and the low skilled could benefit the most by moving, yet they face the largest barriers to movement: legal, financial, and social.
Report that came through a well groomed survey team with statistical precision might be true in their observation since upward mobility to a productive posture indeed makes the migrant prosperous and if we could prolong it to international migration then its impacts seems more visible.But it’s regret to say that these perceptions are mechanized which normally taken into account by visiting the results on the basis of economies of scale that hardly able to judge the problems in its true light.
The gains are higher for international migrants, so international migration has received much public attention in recent years especially short term migration for work.
Such migration shows lucid distinction and separate avenues for male and female labors; male migrants tends to move in the productions and constructions sector and very few in low end service activities. Contrast to that most of female migrants are found to be working in less productive service activities.
Presently they accounts for around half of the world’s migrant population, so their plights are very worthwhile to judge the actuality of benefits that migration conferred …its quite striking to found that at least in lower strata, migration makes women’s more vulnerable in absence of education and proper exposure to outer world although its varies on patriarchal patterns and official policies of that specific areas as well.
Gender perspectives on migration is very crucial since the report estimates that nearly one billion peoples across the glob are migrants, among these 740 millions are internal migrants-almost four times as many as those who have moved internationally;so,it’s now an issue of survival to the one seventh of the world population.
As per the report, India stands at 134th position with HDF value of 0.612 which marks hardly a rosy picture for Indian growth story; what this report shatters most is the complete obliviousness of the rural migration from India and other developing countries and their same valuation with high profile migration that normally tends for positional change and career advancement rather than a quest for survival.
Mass migration from north Bihar, Terain region of Nepal, Chakmas of Bangladesh can’t be compared with the inter state migration in U.S or even it couldn’t comparable with the exodus from Kerala to Gulf countries.
The basic thing which this report is severely missing the distinction between low end migration and high profile migration; for understanding better the plights of forced migrants, it would be essential to look from cultural and ecological perspectives apart from economic ones.
Subordination of villages and degradations of city life are more or less the outcomes of same development agenda that pushes common men for wrenching migration for attaining even minimum rudimentary facilities that hardly appeared before them at their native places.
For saving the villages and stopping the forced migration, it should be first task for development agencies to end the disguised unemployment in rural areas by creating proper productive atmosphere and strive make these areas the true place of productions.
For ensuring the dream of equal and just societies as well the attainment of financial inclusion plan, it should be foremost task of every policy makers to strive for seizing these areas as place of consumption by spurting a new entrepreneurial revolution from villages. Hope in future time we would see some positive change in our rural landscape through inclusive planning.
Atul Kumar Thakur
October8th2009, New Delhi
atul_mdb@rediffmail.com
Report that came through a well groomed survey team with statistical precision might be true in their observation since upward mobility to a productive posture indeed makes the migrant prosperous and if we could prolong it to international migration then its impacts seems more visible.But it’s regret to say that these perceptions are mechanized which normally taken into account by visiting the results on the basis of economies of scale that hardly able to judge the problems in its true light.
The gains are higher for international migrants, so international migration has received much public attention in recent years especially short term migration for work.
Such migration shows lucid distinction and separate avenues for male and female labors; male migrants tends to move in the productions and constructions sector and very few in low end service activities. Contrast to that most of female migrants are found to be working in less productive service activities.
Presently they accounts for around half of the world’s migrant population, so their plights are very worthwhile to judge the actuality of benefits that migration conferred …its quite striking to found that at least in lower strata, migration makes women’s more vulnerable in absence of education and proper exposure to outer world although its varies on patriarchal patterns and official policies of that specific areas as well.
Gender perspectives on migration is very crucial since the report estimates that nearly one billion peoples across the glob are migrants, among these 740 millions are internal migrants-almost four times as many as those who have moved internationally;so,it’s now an issue of survival to the one seventh of the world population.
As per the report, India stands at 134th position with HDF value of 0.612 which marks hardly a rosy picture for Indian growth story; what this report shatters most is the complete obliviousness of the rural migration from India and other developing countries and their same valuation with high profile migration that normally tends for positional change and career advancement rather than a quest for survival.
Mass migration from north Bihar, Terain region of Nepal, Chakmas of Bangladesh can’t be compared with the inter state migration in U.S or even it couldn’t comparable with the exodus from Kerala to Gulf countries.
The basic thing which this report is severely missing the distinction between low end migration and high profile migration; for understanding better the plights of forced migrants, it would be essential to look from cultural and ecological perspectives apart from economic ones.
Subordination of villages and degradations of city life are more or less the outcomes of same development agenda that pushes common men for wrenching migration for attaining even minimum rudimentary facilities that hardly appeared before them at their native places.
For saving the villages and stopping the forced migration, it should be first task for development agencies to end the disguised unemployment in rural areas by creating proper productive atmosphere and strive make these areas the true place of productions.
For ensuring the dream of equal and just societies as well the attainment of financial inclusion plan, it should be foremost task of every policy makers to strive for seizing these areas as place of consumption by spurting a new entrepreneurial revolution from villages. Hope in future time we would see some positive change in our rural landscape through inclusive planning.
Atul Kumar Thakur
October8th2009, New Delhi
atul_mdb@rediffmail.com
Monday, August 31, 2009
Revisiting NREGA
In a short span of time National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) emerged as one of most profound government scheme for addressing the socio-economic plights of poor and marginalized rural workforce and infrastructure. NREGA introduced the finest example of cash for work model in India with some distinctness but same rudimentary propositions like some cash transfer programmes in other countries; Oportunidades (Mexico), Social Protection Network(Nicargua), Bolsa Escola and PETI(Brazil), Family Assignment Programme(RAF-Honduras), Chile Solidario (Chile) and Programme of Advancement through Health and Education(Jamaica).
These all implementation are in respective fields and making choices available to the poor beneficiaries.The NREGA evolved out of a political response to relentless people’s movement and the articulated needs of rural workers; indeed civil campaigns has been playing crucial role in its enactment and further in their functioning.
The NREGS is the first employment generation Programme in the country that holds socio-economic rights in a statutory framework and paves a comprehensive nexus between the mass rural workforce and the state authority which layout not only the NREGS albeit also a solid stride of democratic governance. It must be an exaggeration to expect from the partial success of this rural employment Programme to address all the hurdles of vast rural economy even though it’s a universal truth that NREGS has increased the bargaining power of rural farm and other workforce.
On many front NREGS have enhanced the prospect of revivals in rural economy but magnitude of its performances has been found uneven through region wise evaluation of its impacts on respective milieu. Despite this NREGS involves in creating productive assets, enhancing purchasing power, strengthening the Panchayats (Institution of local self governance) besides encouraging new height of transparency.
With broadening the horizons of NREGS it also raised the concern for medium and small marginal farmers as they are coping with higher and competitive labour costs for the farming; surely it’s a positive outlook in many ways but the deficiency of a rational support price, inclusive institutional credit facilities. Crop insurance, subsidies on basic inputs, cross border trade management etc are some haunting issues which jeopardizing the conditions of farmers.
This is a major issue before the government (Both the Central and State) to enabled these farmers through additional financial stimulous by that they would be able to sustain fetching the farm labourers in competitive scenario of rural labour market.
Governments must show better accountability to innovate and broaden the NREGS Programme to the other productive sectors which would further left the assumption that all poor are ready and willing to engage in physical work only. Such innovated NREGS Programme would be entrusted with the more meticulous and varied opportunities to lessen the vulnerability of literate rural unemployed. Implementation of this innovated employment guarantee Programme may come out with various challenges. The potential beneficiaries are expected to be the crucial issue that would be needed an innovative proposition in handling by the policy makers and governments as well.
Implementation of last fifty years of development programmes could make some sense in forming amicable solution of people’s entitlement that also broaden the stimulus and meet the human and social needs of diversified population.
First of all it’s most imperative to expand the existing works under NREGS and make enabling provisions to employing educated unemployed persons as support staff for the NREGS which would also fulfilled the shortage of staffs in projects. There also existed huge chances of spurting entrepreneurship with absorbing literate workforce for more useful productions which would left with finer implications like checking the outbound migration to urban areas; so NREGS could be used to maintain a fine balance and would retrieve the lost glory of Indian villages.
It may be unanimous view at least in proposition that NREGS bears the great entitlement with large pools of marginalized rural workforce that seems nearer to the Amartya Sen’s entitlement theory ‘That lack of access to food (Goods and Services) rather than failure in food supply leads to famines’ necessitated the importance of entitlement; fortunately which is core of NREGS programme.
NREGS holds very healthy composition of workforce; fifty percent of workers are women and rest of workforce consisted with majority of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, so its aim of socio-economic empowerment is much focused and well structured. Despite having many goods things in its wish list, this programme suffering from routinely violation by authorities which fudging its proper success at execution level.
Delay of payment, absence of work in stipulated time, late redressal of grievances are some of alarming happening in the execution of NREGS; social scientist and activist like Jean Dreeze have made excellent effort to unleash the various payments related discrepancies in Jharkhand. Today it’s imperative to make NREGS work efficiently and wipeout its functional maladies rather than blindly amending it.Attempts of Ministry of Rural Development to craft the format of “NREGA2” should be introduced only with a long range of debates that must involves its core constituents and ensure the basic foundation of NREGA more strengthened. The focus should be concentrated on demand based availability within the stipulated time frame without any frills and its further extension of 100 days work into a regular mode of job. Indeed with great commitments and vision this target is achievable.
Atul Kumar Thakur
31stAugust 2009, New Delhi
atul_mdb@rediffmail.com
These all implementation are in respective fields and making choices available to the poor beneficiaries.The NREGA evolved out of a political response to relentless people’s movement and the articulated needs of rural workers; indeed civil campaigns has been playing crucial role in its enactment and further in their functioning.
The NREGS is the first employment generation Programme in the country that holds socio-economic rights in a statutory framework and paves a comprehensive nexus between the mass rural workforce and the state authority which layout not only the NREGS albeit also a solid stride of democratic governance. It must be an exaggeration to expect from the partial success of this rural employment Programme to address all the hurdles of vast rural economy even though it’s a universal truth that NREGS has increased the bargaining power of rural farm and other workforce.
On many front NREGS have enhanced the prospect of revivals in rural economy but magnitude of its performances has been found uneven through region wise evaluation of its impacts on respective milieu. Despite this NREGS involves in creating productive assets, enhancing purchasing power, strengthening the Panchayats (Institution of local self governance) besides encouraging new height of transparency.
With broadening the horizons of NREGS it also raised the concern for medium and small marginal farmers as they are coping with higher and competitive labour costs for the farming; surely it’s a positive outlook in many ways but the deficiency of a rational support price, inclusive institutional credit facilities. Crop insurance, subsidies on basic inputs, cross border trade management etc are some haunting issues which jeopardizing the conditions of farmers.
This is a major issue before the government (Both the Central and State) to enabled these farmers through additional financial stimulous by that they would be able to sustain fetching the farm labourers in competitive scenario of rural labour market.
Governments must show better accountability to innovate and broaden the NREGS Programme to the other productive sectors which would further left the assumption that all poor are ready and willing to engage in physical work only. Such innovated NREGS Programme would be entrusted with the more meticulous and varied opportunities to lessen the vulnerability of literate rural unemployed. Implementation of this innovated employment guarantee Programme may come out with various challenges. The potential beneficiaries are expected to be the crucial issue that would be needed an innovative proposition in handling by the policy makers and governments as well.
Implementation of last fifty years of development programmes could make some sense in forming amicable solution of people’s entitlement that also broaden the stimulus and meet the human and social needs of diversified population.
First of all it’s most imperative to expand the existing works under NREGS and make enabling provisions to employing educated unemployed persons as support staff for the NREGS which would also fulfilled the shortage of staffs in projects. There also existed huge chances of spurting entrepreneurship with absorbing literate workforce for more useful productions which would left with finer implications like checking the outbound migration to urban areas; so NREGS could be used to maintain a fine balance and would retrieve the lost glory of Indian villages.
It may be unanimous view at least in proposition that NREGS bears the great entitlement with large pools of marginalized rural workforce that seems nearer to the Amartya Sen’s entitlement theory ‘That lack of access to food (Goods and Services) rather than failure in food supply leads to famines’ necessitated the importance of entitlement; fortunately which is core of NREGS programme.
NREGS holds very healthy composition of workforce; fifty percent of workers are women and rest of workforce consisted with majority of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, so its aim of socio-economic empowerment is much focused and well structured. Despite having many goods things in its wish list, this programme suffering from routinely violation by authorities which fudging its proper success at execution level.
Delay of payment, absence of work in stipulated time, late redressal of grievances are some of alarming happening in the execution of NREGS; social scientist and activist like Jean Dreeze have made excellent effort to unleash the various payments related discrepancies in Jharkhand. Today it’s imperative to make NREGS work efficiently and wipeout its functional maladies rather than blindly amending it.Attempts of Ministry of Rural Development to craft the format of “NREGA2” should be introduced only with a long range of debates that must involves its core constituents and ensure the basic foundation of NREGA more strengthened. The focus should be concentrated on demand based availability within the stipulated time frame without any frills and its further extension of 100 days work into a regular mode of job. Indeed with great commitments and vision this target is achievable.
Atul Kumar Thakur
31stAugust 2009, New Delhi
atul_mdb@rediffmail.com
Thursday, July 2, 2009
In Delhi or Waiting for Delhi
Being the capital of a billion plus size nation, it’s not surprising that Delhi draws a lot of attention from various quarters and spellbound the viewer who shows the concern with this vibrant city. Since the age old Delhi remains habitated and dominated by the so called outsiders; it may be a by chance phenomenon but it did happen in same manner.
In the view of top brass scholars from different fields, Delhi possessed the topnotch position due to its vibrant and consistent intellectual tradition. Off course there are many specialties in Delhi that could be found without making any hectic efforts. So, there should be no amazement if peoples across from the world are moving towards Delhi to enriched with such specialty but here my concern is towards some abnormal sort of craze towards Delhi and other metro cities of India which being arise from desperateness of rural workforce.
The prime reason of such escaping mentality is the improper consumption of workforce in rural areas because lack of proper mode of productions; so catching and utilizing best of their potential remains a distant dream so far. In my recent visits to several north Indian states I found the craze of escapement from their homeland among many peoples with whom I chatted; indeed most of them don’t do this in fantasy instead they are compelled for survival.
But among them I found some negative trend like the plan of short duration migration to cities that they alone think would enable them for bigger status in social hierarchy and street smart life. Such unplanned moves by these types of migrants are absolutely unhealthy for the prospects of their own original identity and where they fled mindlessly.
The real ironies is there living condition which still get inhuman sort of basic facilities in absence of regular income and social security in bigger cities. My real concern is with the grief of such migrants who lost both their cultural and emotional affiliation as well as the economic security.
Do only government’s facilities are inadequate so such state of affairs aroused? My reply will be partial yes because there are several factors like low investment (private as well), weak infrastructures, disguised unemployment, irregular opportunities, bandwagon effects etc are equally deteriorating their plight. Second categories of migrants are students whose rates are exceptionally high in state like Bihar; most of them have valid reason to fly in absence of proper higher educational facilities in their nearby areas in their state.
A state like Bihar must have proper and immediate university upgradation to check out the relentless exodus of their talent pool. Even though the level of governance has considerably improved in state but education sector is still lagging behind from actual paradigms.
Decentralization of central planning has immense potential for rural development, if their enactment will proceed in fair manners, many hurdles would be short; indeed which would benefit the rural hinterland most. So, with a sound rural economy Delhi would become able to welcome its new entrants in healthy manners and abundant civic facilities. We have a strong democracy with the sound constitutional base; we have to pick and make more resonant the two directive principles I. Upliftment of rural economy and II. Decentralization of power; to strengthen both the rural and urban area in equal manners. Hope we will see reverse trend in migration from urban to rural areas in next decades.
Atul Kumar Thakur
New Delhi, IInd July 2009
atul_mdb@rediffmail.com
In the view of top brass scholars from different fields, Delhi possessed the topnotch position due to its vibrant and consistent intellectual tradition. Off course there are many specialties in Delhi that could be found without making any hectic efforts. So, there should be no amazement if peoples across from the world are moving towards Delhi to enriched with such specialty but here my concern is towards some abnormal sort of craze towards Delhi and other metro cities of India which being arise from desperateness of rural workforce.
The prime reason of such escaping mentality is the improper consumption of workforce in rural areas because lack of proper mode of productions; so catching and utilizing best of their potential remains a distant dream so far. In my recent visits to several north Indian states I found the craze of escapement from their homeland among many peoples with whom I chatted; indeed most of them don’t do this in fantasy instead they are compelled for survival.
But among them I found some negative trend like the plan of short duration migration to cities that they alone think would enable them for bigger status in social hierarchy and street smart life. Such unplanned moves by these types of migrants are absolutely unhealthy for the prospects of their own original identity and where they fled mindlessly.
The real ironies is there living condition which still get inhuman sort of basic facilities in absence of regular income and social security in bigger cities. My real concern is with the grief of such migrants who lost both their cultural and emotional affiliation as well as the economic security.
Do only government’s facilities are inadequate so such state of affairs aroused? My reply will be partial yes because there are several factors like low investment (private as well), weak infrastructures, disguised unemployment, irregular opportunities, bandwagon effects etc are equally deteriorating their plight. Second categories of migrants are students whose rates are exceptionally high in state like Bihar; most of them have valid reason to fly in absence of proper higher educational facilities in their nearby areas in their state.
A state like Bihar must have proper and immediate university upgradation to check out the relentless exodus of their talent pool. Even though the level of governance has considerably improved in state but education sector is still lagging behind from actual paradigms.
Decentralization of central planning has immense potential for rural development, if their enactment will proceed in fair manners, many hurdles would be short; indeed which would benefit the rural hinterland most. So, with a sound rural economy Delhi would become able to welcome its new entrants in healthy manners and abundant civic facilities. We have a strong democracy with the sound constitutional base; we have to pick and make more resonant the two directive principles I. Upliftment of rural economy and II. Decentralization of power; to strengthen both the rural and urban area in equal manners. Hope we will see reverse trend in migration from urban to rural areas in next decades.
Atul Kumar Thakur
New Delhi, IInd July 2009
atul_mdb@rediffmail.com
Vanishing Villages
Villages constitute pivotal importance in Indian context unlike the counterpart western countries where hardly it symbolizes same connotation at cultural and social level. Since the time immemorial Indian villages were getting the distinction for their centralized role in national consolidation and unification. As a functional unit villages possessed their own set of characteristics which essentially differs it from urban composition.
But in recent time, such unique characteristics has up fronting severe challenges from burgeoning urban center in terms of leverages which have very rare presence in rural areas.In numbers, Indian villages has strength of nearby half million, but due to adverse planning almost two third of Indian population is compelled to live with marginalized basic facilities.
Such discrimination is completely unjustifiable since its forcing rural landscape towards subordinate position; indeed it’s terrible from any rational point of view. Problems are rambling very fast so their ramifications which being easily evident by visiting a village and forming own perception or relying on various disappointing data’s in this regard.
In recently held parliamentary election, very low turn out of voting (42%) in two major state U.P and Bihar creates antipathy towards electoral awareness; but truth is something more grimmer as it is not occurred solely because of foregone awareness instead it is consequence of mass exodus from these areas to big cities and metropolises in absence of regular opportunity and adequate means of survival.
Its matter of fact that such pattern of migration is so abrupt that it is far distant from being called the upward mobility; which effects the enhancement of position; instead such occurrence is caused by the deficient material state in their homeland. Crises prevail at organized and unorganized level of employment potential, by the effect educated, semi educated, and uneducated (including landless laborers) faces challenging scenario at urban places in their own set of capability and fortune which further impulses their psyches to alienate from their roots.
Such happenings are absolute case of subjugation before the unfortunate state of affairs.These sorry situations are way heading because the improper disbursement of industries and weak entrepreneurial activities in rural areas which further thicken the scale of opportunity and cause for living in these areas.
It’s need of hour at policy level to boost rural economy, and save it from the disgrace of parasite ness in terms of human resource management.Indeed social schemes are being functional in rural areas with very fine motives and their positive effects are being quite visible; schemes like NREGS, Mid Day Meal Scheme, Antyodaya Yojana, Old Age Pension, Indira Awas Yojana etc sustaining the plight of weaker sections to an extant.
But there is need of big booster which can grasp not only the illiterate work force butt all sorts of workforce; operationalisation of various services and huge investments at both the government and private level would be the prime impetus.
I mean to say by all the foregoing point that rural economy needs to be transforming from basically being the agro processing majors to a full scale entrepreneurial hub. We have very fine example of China where the government keeps redrawing plan to shape rural emancipation; consequently the situations has considerably changed there now. With appropriating all the urban amenities; new wave sophistication has entered which radicalized the rural picture in China.
PURA (Providing Urban Facilities in Rural Areas) is an ambitious stride by the Government of India for upliftment of rural masses and their socio-economic structure; hope such more plans with their fair and speedy enactment. For a balanced and inclusive growth it’s very essential to save villages not only as a demographic and political unit but as hub of employment generating services. If all these materialize we may be sanguine for its survival.
Atul Kumar Thakur
New Delhi, IInd July 2009
atul_mdb@rediffmail.com
But in recent time, such unique characteristics has up fronting severe challenges from burgeoning urban center in terms of leverages which have very rare presence in rural areas.In numbers, Indian villages has strength of nearby half million, but due to adverse planning almost two third of Indian population is compelled to live with marginalized basic facilities.
Such discrimination is completely unjustifiable since its forcing rural landscape towards subordinate position; indeed it’s terrible from any rational point of view. Problems are rambling very fast so their ramifications which being easily evident by visiting a village and forming own perception or relying on various disappointing data’s in this regard.
In recently held parliamentary election, very low turn out of voting (42%) in two major state U.P and Bihar creates antipathy towards electoral awareness; but truth is something more grimmer as it is not occurred solely because of foregone awareness instead it is consequence of mass exodus from these areas to big cities and metropolises in absence of regular opportunity and adequate means of survival.
Its matter of fact that such pattern of migration is so abrupt that it is far distant from being called the upward mobility; which effects the enhancement of position; instead such occurrence is caused by the deficient material state in their homeland. Crises prevail at organized and unorganized level of employment potential, by the effect educated, semi educated, and uneducated (including landless laborers) faces challenging scenario at urban places in their own set of capability and fortune which further impulses their psyches to alienate from their roots.
Such happenings are absolute case of subjugation before the unfortunate state of affairs.These sorry situations are way heading because the improper disbursement of industries and weak entrepreneurial activities in rural areas which further thicken the scale of opportunity and cause for living in these areas.
It’s need of hour at policy level to boost rural economy, and save it from the disgrace of parasite ness in terms of human resource management.Indeed social schemes are being functional in rural areas with very fine motives and their positive effects are being quite visible; schemes like NREGS, Mid Day Meal Scheme, Antyodaya Yojana, Old Age Pension, Indira Awas Yojana etc sustaining the plight of weaker sections to an extant.
But there is need of big booster which can grasp not only the illiterate work force butt all sorts of workforce; operationalisation of various services and huge investments at both the government and private level would be the prime impetus.
I mean to say by all the foregoing point that rural economy needs to be transforming from basically being the agro processing majors to a full scale entrepreneurial hub. We have very fine example of China where the government keeps redrawing plan to shape rural emancipation; consequently the situations has considerably changed there now. With appropriating all the urban amenities; new wave sophistication has entered which radicalized the rural picture in China.
PURA (Providing Urban Facilities in Rural Areas) is an ambitious stride by the Government of India for upliftment of rural masses and their socio-economic structure; hope such more plans with their fair and speedy enactment. For a balanced and inclusive growth it’s very essential to save villages not only as a demographic and political unit but as hub of employment generating services. If all these materialize we may be sanguine for its survival.
Atul Kumar Thakur
New Delhi, IInd July 2009
atul_mdb@rediffmail.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
