Interim Budget 2019: Did India’s Farmer Upheaval Move the Stagnant Rocks of Sustainable Change?
This year’s budget highlights some key points of visionary modifications for farmers. Income tax reliabilities, financial aids, pension schemes, and the overall upliftment through dynamic change have been officially promised by the democratic sovereigns of our country. Before going into the intricacies of the ‘winds of change’ that is expected to restore sustainable and financial reforms, we should address the elephant in the room and narrate an excerpt of why and how a $2.3-trillion economy led to an organized rebellion for fundamental existence.
The viable circumstantial indicators of climate stability, investments and the inter-layered junctures that lead to a sustainable farming compass are disrupted across state borders. As a result of constricted income, debt charges, personal tiffs, land-owners’ debacles, unaccounted hierarchical sabotage and more, the path to global glory has led to unaccountable farmer suicides over the years of political evolution in India. However, protests, hunger-strikes and every other pace in triggering a positive change have been organized time and again. The economic state and its betterment as promised by the flag-bearers of slowly changing political bodies have failed, oh-so-miserably to provide for the farmers. Official statistics show there have been an odd 300,000 farmer suicides since 1995, a tally that is expected to become a bigger and better solid integer. Let that sink in.
Official reports released in 2016 say that the average annual income of a farmer in our country is less than Rs. 20,000. Basic sustainability entails the minimum average income for a farmer to make and break bread should at least be Rs. 18,000 a month. The final draft of economic growth that signs off corporate loans showing reformative changes and a momentary appreciation of media subjugation are a subtle rendition of ‘a rich man’s joke is always funny’.
So what are these apparent commitments for farmer revival that Piyush Goyal presented in the Lok Sabha of leaders, dignity, and intellect?
- Income support under PM-KISAN Samman Nidhi scheme
Rs. 6000 will be allocated for landholders annually in three quarterly installments with cultivation land up to 2 acres in an Rs. 75,000 crore estimation supposedly benefitting 12 crore marginal and small farmers. Quoting our finance minister, “Those sitting in AC rooms cannot understand the plight of the small farmers. Keeping this in mind, we have introduced Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme. This is a historic decision.” This historic decision evaluates into Rs. 16 per day. Thanks but no thanks.
- Loan incentives
Farmers hit by calamity will be receiving a 3% interest subvention in place of the extant 2% if and only if they pay off timely loans. Oh, the Lord of small blunders!
- Bovine reform funds
The effective Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog is in line for a subsequent formation for sheltering and up-grading the productivity of our cows. Inside joke, isn’t it?
So much promise and so little funding credentials in the long-term monumental change? The sarcasm comes from years and years of generic exploitation. We, the privileged mass of office-goers may not feel the immediate effect of subsidiary drawbacks, but standing here, today, who is to say which is which? As we close the chapters for another fiscal year to magically radicalize India’s economy, society and all things comparable, let us buy and rely from and on direct farmers before the standards of occupational and sustainable jurisdiction leave the air high and dry.
Easy rider, easy glider, incomprehensive life definitions, movies and coffee, mist and mountains and also prolific dissociation. If I break the frenzy into concrete steps of hows and whats, the anticipation will be gone. Life is but a shipwreck of all our corporate plannings. It is awful but oh so beautiful!
