The Achilles Heel in the UPA Government

If there is one person in the UPA Government who is the cause of most of its problems, one would have to say it is Sharad Pawar. More a politician and manipulator than a manager or leader, he has likely contributed more to the looming agrarian crisis in India than anyone else. Over the last five years, while the crisis in the farms has deepened, he has simply allowed things to fester, nevertheless finding time to indulge in his pet hobbies of promoting his family and playing politics in cricket! Sadly, the compulsions of coalition politics comes in the way of people in the government even recognizing or acknowledging this reality.

Sample this: Pawar famously said publicly that he had not had time to read the report of the National Commission on Farmers. The Commission had been constituted by him with much fan fare when the UPA was formed, with none other than Dr M S Swaminathan, international authority on agriculture and the brain behind India's first Green Revolution.

Nobody today talks about the mess in the PDS, which comes under Pawar. In our media induced euphoria of India's economic growth rate, we have lulled ourselves into believing that we do not have to be self sufficient in food and can neglect the plight of our farmers. How can it be otherwise, when Pawar and his friends see an opportunity in the plight of the hapless farmers? What else is the loan waiver announced in the last budget but capitalizing on misery that has been wantonly created? For short term political gains in an election year?

What can be done? I have been watching the press to see if there is one commentator who is willing to call a spade a spade and lay the responsibility for this mess on Pawar. So far, I have not found anyone. All of them speak of the long drawn morass in Indian agriculture, systemic issues, endemic problems and so on. However, the fact remains that with its diversity of climate, rich water resources and the inherent innovation of the small farmer, India can be granary to the world in the next two decades. Only if we can persuade the government in power to have a full time, hands-on, young, forward looking Minister for Agriculture and Food Supplies who has a vision to realize the possibilities that beckon us.

Gurumani, April 3 2008