Friday 25 November 2011

Pre-industrial farmer in modern post-industrial Era




We moved on to post-industrial era when computer age commenced. And with coming of the mobile phones we move on to post post-industrial ultra modern Era. It is anachronistic to find the farmer tilling the soil with plough and driving a bullock cart to sell his produce. But it is happening here. When rich rural farmers log on to the net (AGMARNET) and see the demand for specific commodities, they purchase the poor farmers produce at very cheap price. The poor farmer cannot farm profitably and gives up. And the difference among the rich and poor rural India widens. Protests come from rural unrest--uprising against SEZ(Special Economic Zone), rail-blocks, road blocks, farmers led or misled by glib politicians, and they go on. No social welfare schemes work out well and address to the needs of the poor farmer from the older civilisation. By giving them rights over their fields, by making proper land records, their plight can be addressed. If he moves to cities, there is no place for an unskilled farmer in urban India. Where will he live?What will he do?These are the issues of the present era--dealing with an old civilisation while modernising

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