Making MGNREGA self sustainable

Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar has recently announced his plans for mega mechanisation in agriculture sector in the 12^th Five Year Plan. This, he said, was to address the issue of “scarcity of labour” as a result of the “successful implementation of the MGNREGA” (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Guarantee Act). While the issue of scarcity of labour in agriculture may be true, the reason behind it cannot solely be attributed to MGNREGA. Further, one doubts if MGNREGA has been implemented “successfully” as the Minister has us believe.

It is in such a situation that there needs to be a serious rethinking as regards the implementation of MGNREGA. While it is true that the scheme has provided widespread employment to unskilled rural masses, what with the Government increasing the budgetary allocations to 40,000 crore rupees in the 2011-12 budget, recent studies have shown that a large amount of work is either non productive or there is simply no work allocated. To add to such miseries, even when labourers have put in work, the salaries have not been paid for days together. (In June this year, in a protest of one of its kind,members of the Karnataka Pranta Krishi Koolikarara Sangha in Gulburga staged a dharna demanding immediate release of dues pending for labourers under MGNREGA.) There are also reports of fake offer letters being circulated in many parts of the country, thus raising concerns if this scheme too will end up becoming just another toothless government scheme.

The drawback

According to Census 2011, since the time census began in India, for the first time ever the urban population has grown marginally more than the rural population. While rural India added 90.6 million people, the same was 91 million for urban area. The only possible explanation for such a development seems to be the large scale migration of rural masses to the cities where the construction industry is booming. If MGNREGA was “successfully implemented”, perhaps such large scale migration would not have happened.

If Mr Pawar thinks that most workers prefer MGNREG scheme to working as daily labourers in the farm sector, the problem lies in the scheme itself. One of the main drawbacks of MGNREGA is that as of now the work can be undertaken only on government owned land. This indeed defeats the purpose. If the ideals of the scheme were to be true, the scheme seeks to become self sustainable in the years to come. However, in the six years since the Act was implemented, it has not shown any signs of becoming self sustainable.

Earlier this year, speaking at the award presentation ceremony of effective initiative under MGNREGA, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said, “If MGNREGA work were to help rebuild productivity through water harvesting, drought proofing and ground water recharge, these labourers can go back to full time productive farming. Or they could take up other livelihoods on the foundation of water security created under MGNREGA.” In fact, the purpose of the scheme was exactly that. But, as it has turned out, the productivity has been just minimum.

Work under MGNREGA taken up on government land in most cases turns out to be non productive. It is true in some states like Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh construction of kuccha roads have led to rural connectivity. In some places works like water harvesting and a-forestation have also been useful. However, such works are limited. There is a large scale criticism that in most places the labourers end up playing with soil just to get salaries with no productivity. This is unfortunate.

Government needs to bring about an amendment in the scheme and allow works to be taken up in private land as well. Labourers under MGNREGA can be lent to rural private agriculture sector. This will result not only in productivity, but eventually the revenues drawn can help the scheme become self sustainable. Of course, the process has to be strictly monitored and no room should be given for foul play. Certain political will can make a big difference.

Further, if a labourer under MGNREGA has some cultivable land, he or she should be encouraged to work in his/her own land rather than undertake unproductive labour. For this they must be given incentives under the scheme. This too has a double effect. First, the end result will be highly productive and second, one who works in one’s own land has greater commitment to labour than working in an alien land.

While the West has dearth of human resource and hence can justify mechanisation in agriculture, the strength of India is its large scale population. Instead of mechanising the farm sector on a large scale, Government needs to take proactive steps to make good use of the availability of widespread human labour in the rural area. While mechanisation might seem an easy way out, it will rob thousands of people of their livelihood making only a few richer by leaps and bounds. Government must immediately stop any such plans and bring about a policy change in MGNREGA to not only make itself self sustaining, but also to make it credible and viable scheme for the poverty stricken rural India.

Plan panel’s idea of ‘tightening the belt’

One would have liked to term it as a comedy of errors, but sadly it was not. Even as the country’s inflation hovered around 9.78 per cent, the Planning Commission of India in an affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court on September 20, declared that anyone earning Rs 25 in urban areas and Rs 20 in rural areas is not poor.

Even the World Bank’s international poverty line is $1.25 a day, which amounts to about Rs 60. But the Planning Commission seems to have its own logic. A decent vegetarian meal these days would cost not less than Rs 20-25. If one goes by the Planning Commission’s numbers, a poor man has to eat only once a day. Health and education is a luxury which, at this rate, poor people should never think of. A recent Asian Development Bank report says that the price rise of food items that India is seeing these days will push another 30 million people into below poverty line in the country. National Health Survey points out that over 46 per cent children in India are malnourished.

That is at a time when the food grain production in India reached an all time record of 246.6 million tons in 2010-11. It is, of course, another story that nearly 20 per cent of the food that is meant for these children is eaten up by rodents and moths. Denial mode What surprises is the fact that the Planning Commission is in a denial mode. One of the members of the Planning Commission, Abhijit Sen, said, “The poverty figures in the affidavit are the ones given by the Tendulkar Committee and the government has to accept it.” But the figures of the Tendulkar Committee are those of 2004-05 when the country’s inflation averaged around 5 per cent and the population was 1.09 billion. Today the inflation has almost doubled and the population stands at around 1.21 billion. The Arjun Sengupta Committee Report on enterprises in the unorganised sector had said that over 836 million people in India lived just on Rs 20 a day. In other words, over 70 per cent of the Indian population was indeed below poverty line. But the government chose not to consider that report seriously; rather it is making much of the Tendulkar Committee report which has since been criticised by many economists. The State, though, found an easy way out to raise the poor from their penury: it compromised on the per capita income to lift the poor to above poverty line. Perhaps, the government thinks it can, thus, live in what is known as ‘happy illusion’ that all is well. There seems to be a panic like situation in the media and government circles when the stock markets are plummeting. Even depreciating rupee value against the dollar too seems to be a cause of concern for many. However, the fact that thousands of people, especially children, are dying due to poverty and hundreds of farmers are committing suicides due to the callous attitude of the government and its wrong policies, does not seem to catch enough attention. This is because poor people matter to the government only during elections and not otherwise. Gandhi had famously said, “Poverty is the worst form of violence.” Unfortunately, the government, instead of reducing, seems to be perpetuating this violence. For example, most Indian states today have the worst public distribution system. The food that is supposed to reach the poor households is sold in the open market for a price. There cannot be worse violence than this. It is time the government acted in a manner that is worthy of a true democratic state. While it is true that the government did a commendable job by introducing MGNREGA scheme in 2005 for rural employment, the scheme needs to be strengthened. Just 100 days of labour is not sufficient. There is a need to increase the number of days to at least six months, as most farmers in the villages are unemployed for over six months. Also, minimum wages need to be increased to at least Rs 200, as the cost of nearly everything, and especially the fuel, has gone up incredibly in the last one year and the inflation does not seem to ease out. Instead of playing with numbers and living in illusion, the government needs to take proactive steps to alleviate hunger from this country. It is unfair that millions go hungry everyday while the government tries to escape responsibility by playing the number game.

Adding to fuel to inflation

Harold Wilson, the former Prime Minister of UK, had once said, “One man’s wage rise is another man’s price increase.” If we were to alter that quote a bit for today’s context we could perhaps say, ‘one commodity’s price rise is multiple price increase of almost everything.’ And the price rise has been so steep that wages can never be on par with it.

Take, for example, the steep hike in the oil prices. On May 14 the price of petrol was hiked by as much as Rs 5 per litre. On June 25, the diesel prices went up by Rs 3, kerosene by Rs 2 and LPG by Rs 50. Since the time the government deregulated the petrol price in June 2010, the petrol price has increased eight times to almost 12 rupees. If one takes a glance at the last two decades, the price of just petrol has gone up by an incredible 60 rupees. It was around Rs 8 in 1989. Today the cost of petrol is hovering around Rs 67-68 per litre.

What is more hurting is the fact that the government increased the prices of diesel and LPG even as the inflation went up to 9.13 per cent and the Finance Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, dubbed such high inflation as ‘unacceptable’. And now, the prices in general and food prices in particular will rise further in the coming days as there is a cascading effect with the fuel price rise. Already, the state transport department of Karnataka has increased its ticket fare by over 6 per cent.

The prices of petroleum products in India are prohibitively high because of the huge taxes levied on them. In fact, the taxes on oil in India are one of the highest among most countries. Consider this: for every litre of petrol that we buy, more than 50 per cent goes as taxes of seven different kinds. The governments, both in the centre and the state, are reluctant to roll back the taxes for various reasons. The governments know that fuel is fundamental and directly connected to day to day living. Many things from transport to agriculture to industries depend on petroleum products. So the governments know that the surest way to fill the state coffers is to hike fuel prices constantly.

Even as the crude oil prices in the global markets go up, it is still possible to manage the local prices by reducing the excise and customs duties and rationalising several other taxes levied on petroleum products. But we hardly see this happening. This time the government reduced the customs duty which was levied last year on crude oil by 5 per cent. This is just an eyewash as the government has not really reduced any original customs duty. For the record, after the government deregulated the petrol prices last year, the oil companies have increased the prices on a monthly basis. The steep hike of about 12 rupees for petrol in the last one year after the government deregulated the fuel price has never happened when the government controlled the prices. However, it is interesting to note that from January to May 2011 the oil companies did not increase the price as per the government directive owing to Assembly elections in several states. It is indeed ironical that the same oil companies that crib all the time about their losses were able to manage when there were elections in the country. It is unfortunate that the government that promises moon to the voters during elections holds them to ransom after the elections.

Global price rise

Why are the global crude oil price rising so much? The main cause is the imbalance between demand and supply. Greater demand for crude oil is seen in rising economies like China and India. In fact, China overtook Japan as the world’s second largest consumer of oil in 2003 itself and is sure to become number one consumer ahead of USA in the coming days.

Analysts believe that the demand for oil will rise from about 90 million barrels a day to more than 140 million barrels in the next 25 years. In such a scenario we will only see further rise in oil prices in the coming days.

The challenge before India is to encourage renewable energy such as solar and wind on a massive scale. This can serve two purposes. One, it will bring down the demand for crude oil considerably. Second, it will reduce the carbon emissions, thus conserving the environment. Perhaps, we must take cue from many Western countries such as Germany and Denmark that have invested quite a lot on such renewable sources of energy and reaping fruits. The steep price rise of oil that we have seen recently is an indicator for us to wake up before it is too late and consider turning our attention seriously towards alternate sources of energy.

India needs to preserve its cultural heroes

It is said proverbially that a prophet is not welcome in his own country. One may not like to christen the legendary artist M F Husain as a prophet. But that an ardent lover of India, a true nationalist in his own way had to die an alien death in a foreign land does not augur well for a secular democratic country like India. It is indeed unfortunate that a country that recognised the contributions of M F Husain with several state honours such as Padma Shree, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan, could not give him security when it mattered the most and let him down eventually leaving him with no choice but to leave the country that he loved. All this even after the Supreme Court had refused to initiate any criminal proceedings against him in 2008.

It is not for nothing that Mr Husain has been acclaimed as the Picasso of India. Picasso was perhaps one of the greatest artists who with George Barque and others introduced cubism in paintings. He was also known for his anti war paintings during both the World Wars. Husain, on the other hand, had a blend of cubism and modern art in his paintings. He was widely known as the artist who gave a definite shape to Indian modernism. There was a certain mysticism emerging out of his unique creations. His classic depictions of Mother Theresa and his painting on corruption are but a few masterpieces which set him apart as a genius who was able to put on canvas what otherwise could have been difficult to express. The legendary British engraver and antiquarian writer Frederick Fairholt once said, “Truth is the highest quality of art.” Many may have had problems with certain renderings of Husain, but none must dispute the sincerity of his work.

Mr Husain had to face unending troubles because he was a painter. The communal brigade in India found fault with almost everything that he painted. In 1996 a Hindi magazine created a controversy by digging up old paintings of Mr Husain, painted in 1970s. The paintings in question seem to have been nude representations of Hindu goddesses. As a result of this, his house in Mumbai and several of his artworks were vandalised. It is an irony that the same persons who were after his blood are now calling Mr Husain “an asset to the country”. Unfortunately, though, they made sure that this ‘asset’ did not spend his last days in India.

Indian Constitution, as we know, gives freedom of speech and expression as a fundamental right in article 19. Of course, there are certain reasonable restrictions under which a person can be restrained legally. In the case of Mr Husain it was very clear from the High Court ruling in 2004 and the Supreme Court’s refusal to initiate criminal proceedings against him in 2008, that he had not done anything unconstitutional through his artworks. The judiciary through such rulings affirmed the maestro’s worth in a multi cultural country like India. However, despite such cognizance by the courts, the successive governments at the Centre failed to give protection to its cultural hero. This indeed was a sad development.

Nudity in art

There is a great deal of difference between nudity and vulgarity. While nudity can be aesthetic, vulgarity can lead to prurience and malice. Nudity is a common factor in modern art. Mr Husain’s art was not an exception to this. However, he was accused of depicting Hindu deities in nude postures. But India has a tradition of nude temple paintings and sculptures. No one thinks they are vulgar. It is also very naive to consider Husain’s paintings as vulgar. What fringe groups lacked was an aesthetic sense to make meaning out his classic works.

There have been several instances in the recent past of both religious as well as cultural intolerance in India. Several literary as well as art works have borne the brunt of the fringe groups that claim to be the custodians of Indian culture. The vote bank politics that political parties bank on these days has only boosted the confidence of these hate mongers. The sluggishness of the government in dealing with intolerant groups will only dent the image of our cultural ethos. The international media has taken strong cognizance of the fact that Mr Husain had to die abroad as a result of unfortunate circumstances. It is important that India learns a lesson at least now and makes sure that its cultural heroes feel secure here. Freedom of speech and expression has meaning only when all citizens are safe to express themselves and not face the wrath of certain anti social elements.

Well, the game is almost over; or is it?

Sorry! For two days Indian news channels, practically all of them, discussed and debated round the clock with utmost seriousness the dynamics at work at the IPL auctions. The intensity with which tv anchors and the ‘experts’ shot their opinion, one felt if this was a General Election. (Who knows, time may just come when candidates may be auctioned for various parties.)

Yes! It is true that cricket is larger-than-life-sport in India. What our political leaders cannot do, a one day cricket match can achieve, namely, make forget differences and be united – at least for that day. But should an IPL auction get that much coverage, that too during prime time, is a big question. The whole exercise exposes further the unholy nexus between the corporates and the media. Most of the IPL franchises are owned by the top corporates of India. Several of them also own very many media organisations. However, getting a nation-wide coverage of the auction drama would only add to the sale-value of their respective team. It is not for nothing that Kolkatta Night Riders has bought Goutham Gambir for 2.4 million dollars, or Irfan Pathan by Delhi Dare Devils for 1.9 million dollars. The corporates are not so much interested in these players as the money they (cricketers) can amass for their respective franchise. Hence, the likes of Laras and Gnagulys are a spent force and do not have any re-sale value. It is a shame that cricketers are reduced to roadside consumables so that mammon can fill the coffers of the corporate.

Indian tv channels had gone hammer and tongs exposing the corruption of the then IPL chairman, Lalit Modi sometime ago. The channels described IPL as a haven for corrupt practices. The same channels are now in awe of the IPL. An ironic volte-face, that is.

The idea of the BCCI to develop IPL like that of English Premier League would have looked good, except for the fact that IPL matches turn out to be a mere spectacle of glamour and sensation. The real game is forgotten and what remains in the minds of the spectators at the end of the day is sleaze and glaze of it. Further, the matches are just a medium for the advertisers to splash their product messages somehow. There is no more the game anymore. What is left is only the advertising game. It is indeed shocking to what extent they can go on doing this. We thought at least the six deliveries of an over will be spared. It is not to be! Now you are made to see ads even when the bowler bowls – not just below the screen, but in the middle as well. One wonders why the Indian fans still tolerate all this and do not protest. In the mean time, cricketers are not complaining, what with them making a killing out of the auction.