The Hindu : Emulate Bangladesh

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, May 25, 2002

Opinion

Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Emulate Bangladesh

Sir, — It is very disturbing that our farmers in Punjab should be suffering to the extent that they are ready to ``sell'' themselves to pay off their debt which has mounted owing to repeated crop failure.

There is an urgent need on the part of the State Governments and NGOs to launch a programme for providing necessary financial relief to our poor farmers. Their outstanding debts should be waived and they should be given cash grant to tide over their financial crisis. It may be worthwhile to emulate the example of the local level institutions such as the Grameen Bank of Bangladesh or Proshika, a Bangladesh NGO, which has been working for the socio-economic uplift of the landless. Our own initiatives like Mahila Samriddhi Yojana can also be exploited to bring about the desired change in the present rural financial crisis.

Tish Malhotra,

Delhi

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