The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

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‘Cut paddy, not farmers’ income’
Vibha Sharma talks to MS Swaminathan, Rajya Sabha Member and agriculture scientist

Eminent agriculture scientist MS Swaminathan is the man behind the Green Revolution in India, which laid the foundation of economic prosperity in Punjab. He recently gave a presentation before the Consultative Committee of the Agriculture Ministry to support his point that it was important for the region to move away from the dominant cropping system. But at the same time saying that since wheat and paddy are the important cash crops of Punjab, the Centre should not suggest a cropping system that may reduce the income of farmers.

How can Punjab and Haryana be weaned off the wheat-paddy cycle? How can farmers replace the profitable cycle?

I suggest a three-year rotation. For the rabi season, two crops of wheat and one of berseem; and for kharif, two crops of rice and one of a suitable pulse crop or bajra. In between, short duration vegetable crops like the mini corn can be adopted. The choice of short-duration crops can be based on market opportunities. The idea behind the cereal-legume cropping system is to build soil fertility, reduce ground water exploitation and provide a stable income. The government should ensure that the minimum support price is paid to farmers. The production of seeds of berseem, lucerne and other fodder legumes must be encouraged. The infrastructure for the dairy industry should be developed on the lines of the Amul pattern in Gujarat.

Alternative crop patterns sound workable, but complex economic issues are involved.

If farm economics and farm ecology go wrong, nothing else will go right in agriculture. Monsoon and market are major determinants of a farmer’s well being. The Centre should not suggest a cropping system that will reduce the income of farmers. Agriculture is the riskiest profession in the world and farmers should be assured satisfactory income. The rice-wheat cropping system has caught the imagination of Punjab farmers because of its high-yielding varieties and the Centre and state governments have been purchasing the produce at the fixed MSP. It is not advisable to discourage rice cultivation since over 2 million hectare (ha) under paddy in Punjab are under high-value Basmati varieties.

The annual Basmati exports have crossed Rs 10,000 crore and domestic trade is up to Rs 15,000 crore. Punjab produces 36-40 per cent of the total Basmati produced in the country — about 2.8 out of 7.8 million tonnes. The productivity of rice in Punjab is about 4 tonnes/ha. Over 5.2 lakh ha (74 per cent of the area under Basmati) is under Pusa Basmati 1121. Pusa Basmati 1121 yields 4.2 tonnes/ha in 145 days. The Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) has also developed Pusa Basmati 1509 which matures in 120-125 days, saving at least five irrigations.

In India, the land is individually owned, unlike China where it is socially owned. The decision on what crops to grow rests with farming families. Hence, home needs and market opportunities will determine the choice of crops. The land use pattern in Punjab, Haryana and western UP should be based on ecological soundness, livelihood security and food and trade security of the nation. An environmentally sustainable cropping system is needed.

Who will provide technological and research expertise?

Technical support can come from not only the PAU, IARI and NDRI but also the Wheat and Rice Directorates, besides successful farmers. Farm schools should be established in order to promote farmer-to-farmer learning.

As an alternative, can the Northeast take care of India’s food security?

In Eastern India — described by the National Commission on Farmers as the ‘Sleeping Giant’ of Indian agriculture — the gap between potential and actual yields in wheat, rice, maize and other crops is very high. Water is not the main limiting factor. The region has started making progress. Bihar will be able to double wheat and rice production during the next couple of years. We need not worry about the capacity of our farmers to provide wheat and rice needed for the public distribution system, particularly when the proposed National Food Security Bill becomes law, if we continue to procure at a remunerative price.

Some favour the paddy-wheat cropping pattern.

The rice-wheat cropping system has advantages from the point of view of food, income and trade security. It can be promoted on scientific lines with attention to soil health, care and enhancement and efficient water use based on principles advocated under the System of Rice Intensification (SRI).

Do you foresee any role for the FDI?

There is no need for FDI at this stage. What is important is the organisation of demonstrations on an area basis on the economic soundness of the cereal-legume cropping system and its ecological desirability. Grain legumes like pulses can be promoted where irrigation water is a limiting factor. The MSP should be C2+50 per cent (total cost of production plus 50 per cent). Farmers should be provided with loans at 4 per cent interest rate and the mismatch between production and post-harvest technologies should be done away with by strengthening the infrastructure for the safe storage and distribution of food grains purchased for operating the PDS. An efficient crop insurance system should be introduced and credit linked to insurance should be popularised.

profile
Taking the Jaipur Foot forward
Harihar Swarup writes about DR Mehta, social worker

People who live in war-torn zones, from Afghanistan to Rwanda, may have never heard of New York or Paris, but they know of Jaipur — the birthplace of Jaipur Foot, which has changed the life of land-mine amputees. The Jaipur Foot, developed in 1970, is low-cost, light and mobile. Those who use it can run, climb trees and even pedal a bicycle. While an artificial limb can cost several thousands of dollars in the US, the Jaipur Foot costs only $30 in India.

As aid pours in war-ravaged Afghanistan, a special consignment from India is probably bringing more happiness to Kabul than the rest of the world’s cargo put together. The consignment consisted of 1,000 pieces of Jaipur Foot and was flown by a special IAF aircraft to Kabul as a goodwill gesture. The step has earned India more appreciation than any amount of diplomacy.

Along with the consignment went a team from Bhagwan Mahavir Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS), which provides over 16,000 prosthetic fittings a year, besides 60,000 calipers, appliances and other aids — all free of cost.

DR Mehta, a social worker, established the BMVSS in March 1975. He was honoured with Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award last month. The award carries a citation and a cash component of Rs 5 lakh and was conferred on Mehta for his outstanding contribution towards the promotion of communal harmony and goodwill. Former recipients of the award include Mother Teresa, Ustad Bismillah Khan, Lata Mangeshkar, Sunil Dutt and Dilip Kumar.

Born in Jodhpur, Mehta joined the IAS in 1961 and held important positions in the Rajasthan Government and later, the Centre. He is now an honorary volunteer of the BMVSS, which has emerged as the largest organisation for the handicapped in the world, benefiting over one million people so far.

Mehta’s focus on combining social service with science led to a memorandum of understanding between Stanford University and the BMVSS, resulting in the development of Jaipur Knee. It was hailed by the Time magazine as one of the best inventions of the world for 2009. Mehta is also an animal activist and has been associated with animal homes. He has also published literature on animal welfare.

As many as 10 million people in India are suffering from loco-motor disabilities. The fitment of artificial limbs and calipers and other aids has to be further augmented on a large scale. This will entail huge finances and fundings.

An article published in the American Journal of Prosthetics and Orthotics says, every year 25,000 fresh amputees get added to this number. This translates into enormous effort to rehabilitate them with the required aids.

good news
No twist in his giant leap to big league
Girisha, who won silver in the London Paralympics, competed with able-bodied athletes in college
By Shubhadeep Choudhury

ressed in a suit and tie, Girisha is a picture of poise as someone puts a turban on his head and garlands him. There is indulgent laughter when he flashes the “V” sign with his palm inwards. Someone tries to check him, but Girisha continues to do it his way.

The occasion was a felicitation function organised by Karnataka Sports Minister Appachu Ranjan to honour Girisha for winning a silver medal in high jump in the recently concluded London Paralympics. Those cheering him in the auditorium were sportspersons in wheelchairs and crutches.

“Girisha has become an icon,” says his coach Satyanarayana, who works in the railways. But the two support staff members — Viswanath and Govind — do not have a permanent source of income and are hoping that Girisha’s victory will translate into something good for them as well.

Girisha, whose left foot is malformed, made a leap of 1.74m to win the medal. The difference between what Girisha cleared and what the silver medallist in the Olympics crossed is about half a metre. Erik Kynard of the US took silver at the Olympics with a 2.33m jump.

The feat

While the barefoot Girisha won the silver at the Paralympics, the gold went to Fijian Iliesa Delana. Though Girisha’s leap matched Delana’s, he had to settle for silver for taking more jumps. The 24-year-old bachelor has become richer by over Rs 70 lakh (Rs 30 lakh awarded by the Centre and Rs 20 lakh by Karnataka Government). He has come a long way from his humble beginning at Hosanagara village in Hasan district of Karnataka, where his parents Nagarajegowda and Jayamma depend on 2 acres of dry land for their livelihood.

Girisha at the London Paralympics high jump event.

Girisha was born with the deformity. His parents were told that it could be corrected through surgery, but they backed out. People in Girisha’s neighbourhood are accustomed to seeing health matters that are not life threatening being left unattended to for want of doctors and money. So, his deformity did not attract any particular attention.

Turning point

“As a child, I was rarely teased for the way I walked. Right from the start, I was interested in high jump, even though it was not easy for me. This impressed my classmates and the people of my village,” he recalls.

Girisha also played volleyball and cricket with his friends. A memorable feat was when he won the first place in a college competition with able-bodied athletes at Sirangala.

“It was a turning point in my life,” he says. He decided to take on able-bodied athletes again in 2006 at an inter-college sports meet organised by Mysore University. The authorities were reluctant, but since he had already won the first place in a competition held earlier, they had to allow him to participate. Girisha won the third place and came second in two subsequent inter-college sports meets.

He won the gold at the national Paralympics in Bangalore, following which he was chosen for the IWAS World Junior Games in Ireland. “He is a disciplined and dedicated boy. He did not go for his sister’s wedding as he had to participate in a sports event,” his coach says.

When Girisha won the silver medal in the Paralympics, his parents wanted that he should be given a government job. Their wish is soon to become a reality as Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar has offered him a job as a coach.

Asked what he would do with the money he has been awarded, Girisha says he would complete the construction of his house. Built seven years ago, the walls are yet to be plastered.

Off the cuff

You are zooming around in armoured Jaguars and people are jumping to open doors for you. But it didn’t feel grand. It felt like jail. The police accompanied me even to a lavatory.

Salman Rushdie, writer
Talking about a book he’s writing on life after fatwa

There is a massive loot of natural resources. The government says law will take its own course. I’m bored of this rhetoric. It must correct its own course and drop ministers pending investigations.

Sharad Yadav, jd(u) president
Commenting on illegal coal block allocations

I wouldn’t want to sit at home and rear children forever. Someday my kids will grow up and have a life of their own and then what? I will never give up my work.

Rani Mukerji, actor
On the shelf life of a Bollywood heroine

I’ve become an antique piece in the theatre of economic activities. The advantage is I can speak freely in the form of advice, but the disadvantage is I cannot implement what I believe must be done.

Pranab Mukherjee, President of India
On moving away from active politics

What kids see on the Internet is mostly pornography and that is dangerous. The Net is being used as a platform for misinformation, selling spurious drugs and for terrorist activities.

Kapil Sibal, Union HRD Minister
On the misuse of the Internet