The Hindu : National : "Debate farm component of deal with U.S."

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jan 15, 2007
ePaper

National

National

"Debate farm component of deal with U.S."

Special Correspondent

Conditions totally detrimental being imposed upon farmers, scientists

CHENNAI: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday demanded a comprehensive debate in Parliament on the agriculture component of the 2005 India-United States agreement.

Accusing the Centre of not bothering to bring that aspect of the agreement before the people, Murli Manohar Joshi, former Union Minister, told journalists that in the name of a second Green Revolution, conditions totally detrimental were being imposed upon farmers and scientists.

The appointment of two multinationals companies on the panel to go into the implementation of the agreement on the farm sector was an irony, he said and expressed apprehension that the farmers would lose their fundamental right of producing, using and trading in seeds of their choice. They would be forced to adopt genetically modified seeds, which would be produced by the MNCs under a strong patent regime. Costly pesticides would cause a catastrophe for the heavily debt-ridden farmers.

To a query, Dr. Joshi recalled that when the Green Revolution was accomplished in the later part of the 1960s, farmers, scientists and the Government had a major role to play. But no such role was envisaged now. There were certain adverse consequences in the wake of the Green Revolution. Instead of correcting them, the Government was seeking to provide a remedy worse than the disease.

He called for a farmer-oriented union budget this time.

The BJP leader said the conditions in the U.S. were completely different from those in India. While India suffered from paucity of water resources, the U.S. had plenty of water. Farming was considered part of the culture in India, whereas it was a business venture there. Landholding, geographical and demographical factors were all completely different.

Dr. Joshi criticised the Centre for the recent killings in Assam and said the situation in the northeastern State was even more frightening than that of Jammu and Kashmir. This was due to its policy of not throwing out the Bangladeshi infiltrators.

He wanted the Government to urge the U.S. administration to stop all types of aid to Pakistan following reports of the presence of Al-Qaeda offices there.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National