Who would feed those who feed the country?

Hi Time analyzes the scenario where as the sensex rises, the suicides rise too

BEFORE WRITING THE TEXT OF THE ARTICLE, IT IS WORTHWHILE TO PUT HERE WHAT MR. VP SINGH, FORMER PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA, FELT ABOUT THIS ARTICLE. IN A LETTER HE WROTE TO MR. ATUL KUMAR ANJAAN, SECRETARY, CPI, THAT HE APPRECIATES "THE MANNER IN WHICH THE FACTS HAVE BEEN PROJECTED". MR. V.P. SINGH WROTE:

DEAR SHRI ATUL KUMAR ANJAAN JI,
I WAS JUST GOING THROUGH THE ARTICLE "WHO WOULD FEED THOSE WHO FEED THE COUNTRY" IN THE LATEST ISSUE OF THE HI TIME EXPRESS (COPY ENCLOSED).
I APPRECIATE THE MANNER IN WHICH THE FACTS HAVE BEEN PROJECTED. I WISH TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR VIEWS ON THE ISSUES OF THE FARMERS, ESPECIALLY THE INJUSTICE BEING DONE BY THE GOVERNMENT TO THE FARMERS, BY ACQUIRING PRIME AGRICULTURAL LAND IN THE NAME OF DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS.
THANKING YOU,
WITH WARM REGARDS.
YOURS SINCERELY,

SIGNED (VP sINGH)

TO,
SHRI ATUL KUMAR ANJAAN
GEN. SEC., ALL INDIA KISAN SABHA (CPI)
CPI HEADQUARTERS, AJAY BHAWAN,
15, KOTLA MARG,
NEW DELHI-110002.

The article is as follows:

This is the pitiful irony of present day India! The sensex is rising, the industry is booming, the GDP is growing, but the number of farmers committing suicides is growing day by day.
The same is the case of UP. Mulayam Singh Yadav is boasting of highest development during his regime since Independence. But he is also apologizing to farmers for not acting in time so that they could be saved from after-effects of drought. Troubled by money-lenders, no body to go to for succour or help and facing the ignominy of harrasment, the farmers continue to commit suicide.
What's more! News have poured in that cheques of Rs. 5 and Rs. 20 have been given to the drought-hit farmers of Bundelkhand, Sonebhadra and Ballia as relief. Several of these cheques could not be encashed, as account payee cheques, for amount less than Rs. 100, are not entertained by banks. Was this the politician's way of making a mockery of that 70% population that brought them to power?
Consequently, villagers in UP are pitted against their own government, which till now was not ready to accept the severity of drought and refuted reports of suicides by drought-affected villagers. Instead of taking timely measures or corrective measures when the damage had already been done, all that Mulayam could do prior to forthcoming Assembly elections is to issue an apology. Wonder whether the apology would fill the stomachs of those who are feeding the rest of the country.
Says Atul Kumar Anjaan of CPI: "More than 72% of people are employed or dependent on argicultural sector or agricultural activities, but what are they gaining other than miseries and poverty." Adds he: "Car is being insured in this city, small shops too are insured. But the farmer's crop, which has to face pest, excess monsoon, floods, drought and all sorts of natural calamities, are not insured. Nobody has come forward to give a helping hand to them."
He claims that in this country, from 1998 till January 2006, more than 70000 farmers have committed suicde. This was more or less agreed by the Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on the floor of the house, when he said on 25th July, 2006 that between 1980 and 2004, 1,12,000 farmers committed suicide. Knowing that the suicides are continuing from 1980 onwards and growing, it should rather be called state-sponsored killing and not suicide. Somewhere something is wrong and the most unfortunate thing is that the Governments of the day have not woken up to the plight of farmers barring a few sorrowful utterances at fresh news of suicide. Media too has largely not touched the subject, accustomed as it has become to write or show those who matter.
The concern should have come from the Prime Minister. Or P. Chidambaram or Montek Singh Ahluwalia of Planning Commission of the Planning Commsion should have raised questions. Even the opposition party BJP is silent on this. Why? Since Congress and BJP are the greatest champions of liberalization and free economy and know that the problem is directly related to the policies being pursued by them, they are silent on the subject. And the lone voices that are heard, airing the farmer's grievances are those of VP Singh of Jan Morcha and the Left Parties.
Anjaan feels pity that in spite of more than one and a half pages devoted to agriculture and farmers in the Common Minimum Program, not much is being done for them. What's more, Manmohan Singh gave yet again public statement claiming that next five-year plan is aimed at 10% development with majority of it coming from the Agriculture sector. How would that be possible has not been spelt out yet?
Even today the irony lies in the fact that the Indian agriculture which contributes around 25% of India's GDP gets only 1.3% of investments.
Says VP Singh: "Even those who talk of agriculture do not talk of farmers. Unless you address the problems of farmers, agricultural growth will continue to remain stagnant." Adds he: "When it comes to agriculture, Birla to Tata all take the benefit, but the farmer gets nothing." Raj Babbar too is speaking on these issues regularly these days, particularly the issues related to transfer of land of farmers to industiralists, be it for the sugar lobby or for a corporate giant like Reliance.
And Atul Anjaan cites the case of Australian Wheat Board, which first came to India to purchase huge quantities of wheat at basic price and is now selling the same wheat to India at a price that is several times higher. "This could not have happened without active patronage of people in the ruling party," says he. "I kept aying, do something. ?Why should companies like ITC, Reliance and Australian Wheat Board purchase all the wheat? But the Government didn't act until most of the wheat had been purchased."
Anjaan has a list of three people whom he blames for all the woes. Says he: "I accuse, on record, that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram and Planning Commission Dy. Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia have not shown sympathetic attitude towards farmers."
Farmers are watching all this with hope... hope that these politicians will over playing politics and really do something for them now.