Letter to the Government- Shineson

8/7/2019 Letter to the Government- Shineson

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A letter to the government- A young Indian's reaction to farmer's suicides in India

S.Shineson,

I year Aeronautical Engineering,

Park College of Engineering and Technology,

Kaniyur,Coimbatore.

I am much elated to write a letter to this government which consists of exalted statesmen,

eminent lawmakers and efficient officers who are governing my honoured motherland in one way or

the other. At the same time I am feeling sad about the reason behind writing this letter. Yes, I am

writing here about the tears of blood falling from the farmers' eyes who are tilling my motherland

inorder to provide food to the people of this great country.

Farmers-Once exalted people:

Man need three essential things: Food, clothing and shelter. Farmers provide the first two

essentials (i.e., food and clothing). They provide food by cultivating food crops like paddy wheat etc.,

and clothing by cultivating cash crops like cotton. They were much respected in earlier societies when

they were landowners.

They live who live to plough and eat;

The rest behind them bow and eat

said the Saint Poet Thiruvalluvar in Thirukural. Thus was the exalted condition of farmers in

early civilizations, because in most of the early civilizations the farmers were landowners. They earned

pemanent revenue from their land.

Feudal system- Declining respects:

But, in the middle ages most of the European countries and Asian civilizations took a step ahead

into feudalism. Once independent farmers became slaves called serfs. They became subjects to a

landlord who owned thousands of acres land. The serfs were under the pay of the landlord. They

cultivated his land. Vassals or serfs had no respect in the period of Feudalism.

India experienced a terrific 'Zamindari' system. 'Zamindar' is the name given to the Indian

landlord. The name 'Zamindar' created terror among his serfs. He owned all the land and paid very little

to these surfs. Those who dared to protest against the landlord was severely punished.

Gandhiji's Dream:

Gandhi dreamed of an agrarian society. He constructed a farm at Phoenix in South Africa, with

his many friends and their families. His ideas were not completely original nor they were completely

Indian. He explained that he got those ideas from Ruskin's writings and Tolstoy's writings. He also

experimented and tried to sow his idea in India. But in an rapidly industrializing world his ideas were

completely ignored. Even his political disciple Nehru did not seem to support his ideas about an


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agrarian nation. Nehru led the nation towards rapid industrialisation. He introduced a lot of latest

technologies in India. Nobody was ready to implement or even experiment with Gandhiji's ideas after

his era. Though Vinobhaji took some efforts, he got nearly failed.

A call from the forests- Development of extremism:

By the time that India was near to independence, the landlords feared that they may lose their

privileges. So, most of them joined the Congress party with hope that they can enjoy their privileges

even after independence. In the heavily industrialized areas, communism spread its tough and hard

roots. These rich and new congressmen had to face the wrath of communism. In the Telengana plateau

area, people were armed by the communists and took the land and shared among themselves. But the

Indian government did not supported this actions.

Most of the youths from an agrarian families lost faith in the government. They took the course

of arms. They embraced Naxalite and Maoist ideologies. Naxalism spread its heavy roots in West

Bengal. They tried to induce the people towards revolution so that farmers may became the

landowners. They are trying to bring out a revolution by both ammunition and ideology. Till now the

government is struggling at its best to destroy the Naxalites. Nowadays most of the land is owned by

the farmers. But the Naxalites are on a never ending fight to establish a communist society.

Everybody knows something or everything of the above said things. The eminent statesmen and

efficient officers may wonder what is the relation between the above said things and farmers' suicides.

Yes. There is a relation. The farmers were happy when they owned the land. But when they

worked for the landlords they were not glad because of the low pay and torture of the landlord. In these

modern times they own the land. But, still they were not happy. What is the reason? Tracing the reason

behind this problem is the main purpose of writing this letter.

General Problems of agriculture:

Industrialisation and its negative effects:

Industrialisation and westernisation are the developing trends in modern India. India is basically

an agricultural country. But the government policy is industrialisation. The accused behind the Bhopal

tragedy had escaped from the clutches of the Indian law. But in their own country, if such tragedy had

happened, then their company would be closed down and all their properties would be ceased. But the

Indian law satisfied with a nominal indemnity to the victims. I like to stress that Development of a

country will be impossible with indusries upon peoples corpses.

Is there any relation between Industrialisation and this letter? Yes. Thousands of acres of fertile

land had been ceased for building up industries. I think that the government should understand that


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peoples cannot eat silicon chips and computers.

Reduced cultivation of food crops:

Now the farmers had gone into the cultivation of cash crops. Because they are meeting losses in

the cultivation of food crops. The southernmost tip of India, the Kanyakumari district i.e., my native

district is a best example for this situation. Coconut plantations, banana plantations, paddy cultivations

are razed up and rubber which is a costly cash crop is now cultivated in these places. Though, this do

not have any immediate effects, this may lead to food scarcity in the future. Farmers mostly reinstate

into this course because, they get very less profit if they cultivated food crops. Further they had to toil

for months to get a good harvest. But when cash crops are cultivated they get much profit. Also the

cultivation of cash crops won't need much effort.

Now I feel that I have strong base to go on into my argument.

Reasons for farmers' suicide:

1) Frustration:

Thiruvalluvar said that the world should bow to the farmers. But now the farmers had to beg

and bow the co-operative banks, state owned banks and private banks to get a loan so as to raise the

crops. They had to go after that officials and if they are unsuccessful they get frustrated and they can

find no way for a living.

2)Immense Debts:

Since they get frustrated with banks they turn to private money lenders. These shylocks takes

advantage of the farmer's worse situations and lend money to them at high interest rates. Since the

farmers were mostly illiterates, the money lenders were preparing shylock bonds and cheating the

farmers. Then they cease their lands. In some rural parts of India there was a custom of taking up the

daughters and sisters of the poor farmer to solve their debts. The farmer's losing their self respect will

have no option than ending their life.

3)Crop failures:

Unless the fruitful shower descend

The ploughmen's sacred toil must end,

said the saint poet Thiruvalluvar.

Ya, without rain the crops will fail. As I had spend many years of my life in a village, I can

easily imagine a dry season in a paddy field. Cracked land, dried up crops, dried wells and such sure

signs of failure. If the crops failed they had to get loans to buy seed for the next season. This will lead

to the accumulation of debts, lose of self respect and finally into despair they will end the life.


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4)Insecticides and their negative effects:

We are manufacturing insecticides to destroy the crop eating insects, not the farmer's life. The

insecticides which are used now are having negative effects on crops and they produce harmful

diseases both to crops and human beings consuming the crops. The diseases they produce on the crops

may lead to crop failure which in turn lead to the road of death.

5)Hybridly transferred crops:

The introduction of PT brinjals became a great issue before sometime. These hybridly

transferred crops may produce a great effect on the land and its fertility. They had to go after the same

company again if they liked to cultivate again to get seeds, since the grains produced by the cultivation

is unworthy to be used as seeds. The land may became unsuitable for other crops. The farmers became

dependent upon the company and the land becames much cultivated with hybridly transferred crops,

then the soil will lose all its fertility and will become worthless soil. The farmers who lost the land's

worhty will go into immense debts due to less harvest and will go into a hellish ordeal.

6)Land acqusition:

Nowadays the government is very much involved with the acquisition of lands. Most of the

fertile lands are ceased up and they are used up for building up roads and industries. Farmers are paid

up with very less indemnity which is much less when compared to the land's original worth. They will

have no way to go on with their life further. They will go on into immense debts and go to hell as they

have no other way.

7)Floods and other natural calamities:

The farmers in certain delta areas had to experience floods occasionally. Though these floods

may bring fertile soil, they have disastrous effects. The crops may be completely destroyed on such

occasions. Heavy storms and wind may break up banana plantations. Natural calamities destroys the

cash crops also. The farmers are saved if they had insured their crops. But if they had not done so, then

they will seek their end by some means.

8)Real estate mafia:

Nowadays cities were occupied by real estate mafia who are feeding themselves by occupying

fertile rural areas near the city. They will sell them for reasonable price and go on becoming rich and

the farmers will be pushed into poverty and finally will be starved to death.

Analysing various options:

1)Returning back to an agrarian society:

Is it possible? Is returning to the Vedas and the old style agrarian life possible? History had

taught us that it was impossible.

We can't hold the past and its glory for all its characteristics.


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Is Gandhiji's dream of agrarian India possible? No. It is highly impossible.

The development in science and technology is highly irrversible. We can't leave the industries,

software businesses and get back to farms and huts. So, we can leave the choice of going back to an

agrarian society. So what can we do?

2)Granting concession to the farmers:

Nowadays, Tamil Nadu Government was granting many concessions for the farmers. They are

providing free electricity to the farmers. Also, they are providing 2 acres of land to landless farmers.

But still the farmers' conditions had not improved. Why?

There was a popular tradition in our country. If 100 paise was allocated on the budget for the

welfare of the people, then half will go to the black sheep politicians, remaining will go to the pockets

of officers and officials and people will get a welfare plan of one or two paise.

If two acres of lands were provided to the farmers, then those who do not have the capability to

cultivate it will sell it to the real estate businessmen. So I strongly feel that this plans will be of no use.

Then where is the solution?

Every problem has a solution, however complex it may be. Then what is the solution to end the

farmer's misery? It lies in your hands. By saying you, I mean the exalted statesmen, eminent lawmakers

and efficient officers.

1)Providing Monetary fund:

Government must ensure that farmers are getting loan within a short period, so that they can be

saved from the shylocks. Educational loans should be provided to the farmers at zero interest rate.

Government should organise a department which is likely to buy products from the farmers at a much

reasonable price.

2)Modernizing farming and setting up co-operative farms:

Co-operative farms must be set up in rural areas. Farmers must be respected as any other

professional. The government must provide each co-operative farm with necessary farming equipment.

The government must also provide the farmers with eco friendly insecticides and manures at low cost.

Government must provide the farmers with seeds with which they can came up with high yield.

Government must make sure that these co-operative farms had been insured against natural calamities.

3)Encouraging studies on agriculture:

The government must set up a Nationwide Agricultural Research foundation. Scholarships must


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be provided to the students studying agriculture. A great agricultural university with colleges on every

nook and corner of the state must be set up. A special civil services study termed as Indian Farming

Service (IFS) must be set up, which will be allocated for the offsprings for the farmers. District

Farming Office must be set up and it must act independently from the administrative body of the

district.

4)Reducing land acquisition and settling land disputes:

Government should not cease the agricultural land for any reasons whatever they may be. If

there was no other way than the acquisition of fertile land. Then the government must provide

equivalent fertile land to that private farmer. There was a popular Tamil saying that Varappukkaka

vakkilidam ponaal vayalayum izhakka vendiyadhu thaan (If you go for the advocate to settle a border

dispute, then you will lose the whole land). The government must ensure that quick judgement is

provided in land dispute cases. I hope that setting up co-operative farms can reduce the land disputes

and acquisitions.

I am sure that by these simple measures farmers' suicides can be stopped. I hope that the exalted

statesmen, eminent lawmakers, efficient officers will heed my suggestions. Thank you, Indian

government for providing freedom of expression to write this letter.

Let India lead

Letter to the Government- Shineson

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