The Hindu Business Line : Farmers’ plight

This refers to the report “Help came…but he is as miserable now, if not more” (Business Line, August 12). The plight of Bheemrao Manigempure of Karnataka reminds one of a well-known proverb: “Indian farmer is born in debt, lives in debt, dies in debt, bequeaths debt and indebtedness is his only companion, from cradle to graveyard”.

Fixing a pair of bullocks at Rs 20,000 (in the cattle-subsidy scheme) when the market price is around Rs 14,000, providing cattle but not carts, and so on, reflect the poor agricultural planning in the State.

It is imperative that the Government formulates a package (comprising all the infrastructure required for enhancing the farm production, income and non-farming occupations during the lean period) for farmers to help them lead a decent life. This is indeed applicable for all the States and Union Territories.

Though there is no dearth of programmes (such as Integrated Rural Development Programme and National Rural Employment Programme, to mention a few) in India to improve the farmers’ economic condition, their ineffective implementation has failed to achieve the desired results.

The miserable economic condition has forced many of the farmers to even commit suicide in States such as Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.

It is indeed sad to note that even 60 years after India’s Independence, the same old agricultural problems continue to remain insurmountable. Is India really an agricultural country?

S. Ramakrishnasayee Ranipet