Gandhi enlightens Park U. students
A once in a lifetime opportunity…A class I’ll never forget…Inspiring… These were among the avalanche of positive comments from Park University students who were fortunate enough to attend one of several presentations this week by professor, author, and scholar Rajmohan Gandhi, the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi. 

Prof. Gandhi visited two Park peace studies classes (Intro to Peace Studies and Peace Journalism) and held an informal discussion with new student seminar freshmen as well. 

In peace journalism class, Prof. Gandhi addressed the shortcomings of media, but left the students hopeful that media can become more responsible. He said he was impressed by the work that many U.S. journalists do, and the “commitment and quality of social journalists.” Prof. Gandhi said he was depressed because of a “lack of substance,” media bias, and the media’s desire to “keep viewers glued to the screen” through sensationalism. He was critical of Fox News’ “unfortunate bias” that supports the “curious notion” of white supremacy that suggests that only whites are the rightful owners of the U.S. “The way to confront them (white nationalists) is with the real American ideal” upon which the country was founded. “The U.S. has stood for justice and equality. We have to remind America of this,” he said. 

The discussion about nationalism in the U.S. and elsewhere continued in Intro to Peace Studies class. Gandhi said that nationalism in the U.S. means ”reclaiming” of the country for whites; and in India, “reclaiming” the country for Hindus, despite Mahatma Gandhi’s lifelong struggle trying to build bridges between Hindus and other religions. Prof. Gandhi also answered a question about the viability of non-violent approaches to peace. While he acknowledged that these tactics haven’t always worked, he said it is an unassailable fact that “violence hasn’t brought peace.” Gandhi further defended non-violence with the logic that violence begets violence, leaving non-violence as the only viable option. 

In both of his classroom stops at Park, Prof. Gandhi discussed the current crisis in Kashmir, where 2,000 people have been arrested, the internet and phone service shut off, and over 400,000 Indian troops are deployed. He mentioned-repeatedly-that the recent Indian government decision to strip Kashmir of its special limited sovereignty status was made “without consulting even one Kashmiri.” He firmly believes in the right of self-determination for Kashmiris, a right he said has been trampled by the current Indian government. 

Park University students were thrilled to meet and be inspired by Prof. Gandhi. “I was impressed by the transmission of calmness and knowledge when he talks,” said Marcelo Aquino. International student from India Aadarash Chandan noted, “His views about the events are realistic, practical, and yet polite. His audacity is unmatched.” Destiny Webb spoke for many students when she commented, “He gave good advice and a better outlook on a non-violent society. His words were extremely wise.” Finally, Nathan Moore said, “His views and thoughts on peace were very informative and got me to thinking about peace in my community.” 

I know I speak for my students when I say we were truly honored by his presence and his wisdom. 

Next: Some personal reflections on the 72 hours I spent with Professor Gandhi.

READ MORE -

Gandhi: The first peace journalist
When asked to describe Mahatma Gandhi, most would say he was an Indian independence leader, human rights defender, and spiritual guide. However, “People don’t think of him as a journalist” even though “he was a journalist from an early age, and died as a journalist.”

Prof. Raj Gandhi, on peace and peace
journalism, at Park U.
(Photo by Phyllis Gabauer)

This is according to professor, historian, and author Rajmohan Gandhi, the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi. Professor Gandhi was the featured speaker at a program titled “Gandhi: The First Peace Journalist,” held at Park University on Aug. 26.

The evening began with a presentation by Gandhi documentarian Cynthia Lukas about Gandhi’s background as a journalist. Gandhi was a prolific journalist and editor who was well-known in India for his articles stressing social justice in such publications as Indian Opinion, Young India, and Navajivan (A New Life). Lukas said his writing avoided inflammatory, “poisonous journalism” (as Gandhi termed it). Instead, Mahatma Gandhi emphasized civility and politeness in his articles, striving always to “step into the shoes of our opponents.”

Professor Gandhi agreed, adding that it is “certainly correct to describe Gandhi as a journalist.” His grandson said Gandhi was a staunch defender of the free press who nonetheless understood the need to avoid inflammatory rhetoric, to “put a curb on his own pen.”

My presentation followed, and supported the premise that Gandhi was indeed a peace journalist. I listed several characteristics shared by Gandhian and peace journalism. These include rejecting “us vs. them” narratives; journalism as public service; media as a tool to de-escalate conflicts; using journalism as a means to foster reconciliation; carefully choosing one’s words to avoid sensationalism; giving a voice to the voiceless; and emphasizing facts and truth.

Gandhi: The First Peace Journalist, 8/26 in the Park University chapel.
(Photo by Phyllis Gabauer)

Regarding language, I shared a quote with the audience. Writing about the “Indian Opinion” journal, Gandhi said, “I cannot recall a word in those articles set down without thought or deliberation, or a word of conscious exaggeration, or anything merely to please…”

The truth, and facts, had no more strident champion than Gandhi. I presented this telling quote from 1926: “The way to peace is the way of truth. Truthfulness is even more important than peacefulness. Indeed, lying is the mother of violence. The truth of a few will count; the untruth of millions will vanish even like chaff before a whiff of wind.”

Professor Gandhi agreed with my assessment that Mahatma Gandhi was indeed a peace journalist. He cited an incident where the Mahatma called out those who had labeled an opponent a snake. “To liken someone to a snake…is a degrading performance,” the professor quoted his grandfather.

The final speaker was Park professor Abhijit Mazumdar, who discussed inflammatory and often hate-filled speech in South Asian media. He cited examples from social media, including hash tags like #HatePakLovers, as well as inflammatory name-calling on Indian TV like “shrieking raccoon” and venomous snake.” In addition, he noted many examples of false news that have been reported by Indian television. Professor Gandhi added that Indian media often spread “toxicity.”

The event closed with a Q&A session for the presenters, though the questions were understandably directed at Professor Gandhi, who shared his frank assessment of the media’s shortcomings as well as his optimism that media can be more responsible. Several questions asked about how individuals can be peacebuilders. Prof. Gandhi encouraged the audience to spread the word about what he believes is oppression of the Kashmiri people. He reminded the audience that anyone can be a peacebuilder, and inspired them with his hope and belief that the world can become a more peaceful place.

The event was sponsored by Park University’s Center for Global Peace Journalism.

PERSONAL NOTE:
It was thrilling, and surreal, to share the stage with a peacebuilding icon like Professor Raj Gandhi. It was heartening to hear that we share many of the same attitudes about peace and those who impede peace, and about the potential of peace journalism to guide a more productive discourse in the media. It’s gratifying to have one’s work validated by one of the world’s most celebrated peacemakers.

Next post: Prof. Gandhi visits Park University students, classes.

At Park U event, L to R: Barbara Youngblood, Usha Gandhi,

Prof. Raj Gandhi, Dr. Greg Gunderson, Park U.President,

Laurie Gunderson,Steven Youngblood

READ MORE -

IPCC report on 'Climate Change and Land' -- Fails to provide policy guidelines

Painting by Michel Granger

At a time when half the country is recovering from a flood fury, especially in Kerala where massive landslides following incessant rains have taken a huge human toll; and much of the remaining half of the country is reeling under a continuing drought, the latest special report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) titled ‘Climate Change and Land’ couldn’t have come at a more appropriate time. The 1,300 page report, a summary of which was released last week, presents a lot of scary facts, which were being talked about, but perhaps needed an official endorsement.

Speaking to The Guardian, Dave Reay, a professor at the University of Edinburgh who was an expert reviewer for the IPCC report summed it up: “This is a perfect storm. Limited land, an expanding human population, and all wrapped in a suffocating blanket of climate emergency. Earth has never felt smaller, its natural ecosystems never under such direct threat.” Although integral to the discussions on climate change, the direct relationship land has with climate change had never been so loudly emphasised. It however restrains from making any policy recommendations and that in my thinking is its biggest drawback. To illustrate, if fossil fuel subsidies have grown to $ 400 billion in 2018, unless a phase out programme accompanied by adequate public sector investments in sustainable food production systems or land management etc is provided, it is futile to expect any meaningful contribution towards protecting the climate from going haywire.

The report says that since the pre-industrial period (1850-1900) the global mean land surface temperature (till 2006-15) has almost doubled when compared with the global mean surface temperature, which is the average for land and ocean temperatures. While the land surface temperature has increased by 1.53 degree C, the rise in the mean land and ocean temperatures had hovered around 0.87 degree C. In other words, this report shows that to cap the rise in global temperatures to 1.5 degrees, the world will have to ensure that any further rise in the land surface temperature is kept under control. Further, global warming has already brought shift in climatic patterns in many parts of the world, including expansion of the arid climate zones and contraction of polar zones, and has also unleashed extreme weather fluctuations, inducing long dry spells, prolonged heat period, heavy floods, enhanced frequency of cyclones, permafrost thaw thereby resulting in massive land degradation, loss of biodiversity and posing a threat to global food security. The gloom that has descended following the rapidly changing climatic patterns has to be contained by rapidly evolving policy fixes.  

Recent studies have shown that ever since the time man started recording temperatures, July has been the hottest month. The Himalayas are losing more than one and a half foot of ice every year since the year 2000, and Swiss glaciers have lost more than 0.8 billion tonnes of snow and ice in the month of June. While the IPCC report says that cultivated soils are being lost at a rate 100 times faster than it is being formed (and 10-20 times in no till areas), a major study by ETC Group had earlier shown that nearly 75 billion tonnes of soil is lost every year to erosion, with damages costing Rs 400 billion a year. In another report, published in Scientific American, a UN official was quoted as saying that if the current rate of degradation continues, the world’s top soil would be gone in 60 years.

Global food production systems, and that includes, agriculture, forestry, livestock and other land uses account for 13 per cent carbon dioxide, 44 per cent methane and 82 per cent nitrous oxide emissions, accounting for a third of all greenhouse gas emissions. However this appears to be quite a scaled down estimate from another UN report on the Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) for Agriculture and Food released last year which pegged greenhouse gas emissions from the same activities to be somewhere between 49 to 57 per cent. Nevertheless, the challenge to reduce emissions without any negative fallout on food security remains paramount. It has socio-economic as well as political implications.

The IPCC report does suggest sustainable agricultural practices, increasing crop productivity, moving away from bio-energy programmes, and for shifting dietary preferences from meat based to plant based foods among measures that could make a significant dent on the greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, almost a quarter of the food produced, is either lost or wasted. Several studies earlier have pointed to the enormous damage resulting from food wastage and in turn the environmental footprint it leaves behind. If food wastage was a country, it would have ranked third in greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, the food that goes waste in US for instance is good enough to meet the needs of sub-Saharan Africa.

Between 1961 and 2013, an additional 1per cent of world’s drylands had turned into drought. This however cannot be entirely blamed on climate change. In India, for instance, increasingly the drylands are getting into the drought zone because of a large number of water guzzling hybrid crops that are cultivated with impunity. Common sense tells us that drylands need crops which require less water. But it is just the opposite – crops that require more water are being grown in water scarce regions for several decades now. In Maharashtra, 76 per cent of the available irrigation is consumed by sugarcane alone, which occupies only 4 per cent of the cultivable area. The remaining 96 per cent of the crops that are cultivated are therefore faced with a terrible water stress which has little to do with global warming.

The IPCC report clearly mentions desertification, deforestation, industries, and urbanisation to exacerbate global warming. It also lists draining wetlands to be responsible for releasing carbon dioxide back into atmosphere. Kerala is particularly a victim of flawed policies that have drained wetlands, and by encouraging rampant quarrying in fragile areas of Western Ghats turned it vulnerable to landslides. In a quest for higher economic growth, natural resources are being ruthless devastated. 

I found the report to be very useful for academic purposes. Environmentalists will surely lap it up. But in the absence of any mandatory guidelines and policy directions that G-20 countries must be asked to adhere to more so at a time when the world is faced with a climate emergency, the IPCC simply let the opportunity go. #

IPCC report comes up short. The Tribune. Aug 21, 2019
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/comment/ipcc-report-comes-up-short/820230.html?fbclid=IwAR0mPWda_EGCkdvlQIqiY0poYObXr8j2zggrpmOmwT7nnDhJwuqDdqE57X0

READ MORE - IPCC report on 'Climate Change and Land' -- Fails to provide policy guidelines

How To Appeal A California School Suspension When Your Child Did Not Do It

By Michelle Ball, California Education Attorney for Students since 1995

The phone rings- and it's your kid's school.  First thoughts: "Oh no, is something wrong?  Is my child hurt?"  When you answer, you hear:  "Come to the school as Johnny has done wrong and has to go home."  He was suspended.  The facts of why are abbreviated and you are seriously confused.  The drive to school is strained and when you arrive, you immediately believe what the school administrator says Johnny did is true as he is a "respectable school official."  [mistake number one]  Meanwhile Johnny sits with his head down in the corner, silent [silence here may actually be positive].  You sign the suspension form [mistake number two] and take Johnny home and maybe punish him.  Eventually you review the suspension form and find that it says Johnny did something that he did NOT DO, or find he was NOT involved in the matter alleged.  Horror sets in as you realize Johnny's college chances are now potentially lessened and he is labelled a troublemaker.  What can you do?  APPEAL!

There is no code section mandating a suspension appeal in California.  For this reason, parents who call the school or show up asking to "appeal" a suspension are met with statements such as "You can't appeal," or "There is no appeal process."  Yet, we all know that even when there is no "formal" appeal, there is always a way to try to get something overturned if you talk to the right people.

In some school districts, there are actual suspension appeal policies and even a form sometimes to complete, but this is not the norm.  If there is a policy and form, these should be completed fully and WRITTEN evidence attached proving all points.  If there is no form (most likely situation), that does not mean parents are out of luck.  In that case, parents can still file a suspension appeal whether authorized or not.  This would be done by submitting written arguments with written proof to the Principal, and then moving up the line to the Superintendent's office personnel and to the Superintendent if possible.  

Pursuing a suspension appeal could involve the following steps :

1)  Obtain the relevant Education Codes/Board policies (usually found online) that are cited in the suspension form as being breached and read them to see how they apply or don't apply.  Review other education codes relevant to suspension (such as Education Codes §§ 48900-48929) to understand how these things work generally.

2)  Obtain a copy of any/all evidence the school has, such as witness statements, and your own child's statements.  Sometimes schools don't turn these over to parents and legal intervention may be needed to clarify that these documents ARE student records and need to be coughed up.  Unfortunately, California Education Code (Ed §49069) allows them 5 business days to provide them, but you can plead for these sooner due to the situation.

3)  Develop written documentation on the matter proving your arguments.  This can be in the form of sworn declarations of the student or their friends who witnessed the situation (you would need to contact those students directly).  Even email from a teacher on the matter can be evidence.

4) Draft a very well written, truthful, professional document with an outline of the facts from your viewpoint, the laws/policies that apply, and with actual arguments why these don't or should not apply to your child.  State what you want- the student to be returned to school and the matter to be rescinded and/or expunged.  Note: it is inadvisable in the document to include personal attacks or name calling.  

5)  Some Districts actually allow a student to return to school while a suspension appeal is pending and this also could be explored if available (this is not the norm).

Everything should be in writing and submitted to the relevant school officials, asking for a prompt meeting.  It is usually a good idea to provide the letter in advance of the meeting so the personnel can review it and understand the issues before you arrive.

If this fails, you can pursue other alternatives to attempt to correct the record, such as inserting your statement about the matter into the student's records or pursuing a formal records correction request.

Who knows, if you try, maybe your child's suspension will be reversed.  The truth is that administrators assume kids are guilty just because someone says they are, and parents must challenge them when they are wrong.  It will take a lot of intensive work to do it....  but little Johnny and his future are worth it!

Best,

Michelle Ball

Education Law Attorney 

LAW OFFICE OF MICHELLE BALL 

717 K Street, Suite 228 

Sacramento, CA 95814 

Phone: 916-444-9064 

Email:help@edlaw4students.com 

Fax: 916-444-1209

Website: http://www.edlaw4students.com/

Blog: http://edlaw4students.blogspot.com/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/michelleaball

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/EdLaw4Students

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Law-Office-of-Michelle-Ball/191273330901857

[please like my office on Facebook, subscribe via twitter and email, and check out my videos on Youtube!]

Please see my disclaimer on the bottom of my blog page. This is legal information, not legal advice and no attorney-client relationship is formed by this posting, etc. etc.!  This blog may not be reproduced without permission from the author and proper attribution of authorship.

READ MORE - How To Appeal A California School Suspension When Your Child Did Not Do It

Big event-- Gandhi: The First Peace Journalist

Join us at Park University (Parkville, MO; Greater Kansas City area) for an event celebrating Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birthday. The event features Prof. Rajmohan Gandhi, scholar, author, and grandson of Mahatma Gandhi.

7:00-8:30-Monday, Aug. 26, Park University Chapel
Gandhi: The first peace journalist 

What lessons can Gandhi teach us about journalism and public service, and about the responsibility of journalists in a conflicted society? This program features Prof. Rajmohan Gandhi, scholar, author, and grandson of Mahatma Gandhi; Gandhi filmmaker Cynthia Lukas, and Park University Professors Abhijit Mazumdar and Steven Youngblood, who is also the director of the Center for Global Peace Journalism.

Admission is free, and no pre-registration is required.

READ MORE -

Suspension or Expulsion for Actual or Attempted Hate Violence

By Michelle Ball, California Education Attorney for Students since 1995

Parents every day face suspensions of their children for a myriad of reasons, some legitimate and some not so legitimate.  One section I see infrequently used by schools is California Education Code §48900.3, which allows suspension or expulsion for "hate violence."  This could be good or bad depending on who you represent.

Specifically this section states:

...[A] pupil in any of grades 4 to 12, inclusive, may be suspended from school or recommended for expulsion if the superintendent or the principal of the school in which the pupil is enrolled determines that the pupil has caused, attempted to cause, threatened to cause, or participated in an act of, hate violence... [Ed §48900.3]

The Education Code looks to the criminal code (Penal Code) in California to define this term "hate violence" (see Ed Codes §§48900.3 and 233 and Penal Codes §§422.55 422.6, 422.7, 422.75).  This makes it a bit hard for the average individual to track, and perhaps even school employees to discern, what 'hate violence" IS.

First, although the word "violence" is included in the Education Code, when one reviews the relevant Penal Codes, it is clear that no actual violence needs to happen for a suspendable or expellable offense to occur.  Unfortunately, only an "attempt" or "threat" of hate violence could be enough.

Basically, a student may be guilty of  "hate violence" if that child interferes with another person's constitutional rights (not a small concept here for a student or school employee to fathom- law libraries are filled with large dusty law books defining "constitutional rights") because of their "actual or perceived characteristics"including:

(1) Disability.

(2) Gender.

(3) Nationality.

(4) Race or ethnicity.

(5) Religion.

(6) Sexual orientation.

(7) Association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics. [Penal  Code 

§

422.55]

I rarely, if ever, see this section used, at least not as the main charging allegation, but it would apply perhaps when a student is targeted with malicious acts due to being a disabled student (something I DO frequently see) or due to their ethnicity or other protected characteristic(s).  It could also apply if a student's Free Speech rights were cut because the student was not heterosexual, or if a student were cut off from a group (Freedom of Association) due to their race.

This section applies starting in the fourth grade, similar to sexual harassment offenses, so your third grader should not see this section on any suspension form.  

As far as allowing a student to be punished for an "attempted" or "threatened" hate violence, this is a tad unusual, as the majority of sections in the Education Code allowing suspension or expulsion do not allow "attempts" to commit an act to be a basis for discipline.  This means if someone throws a water balloon and attempts to hit someone due to their religion or race but misses, they could conceivably be punished.  

Now, I wonder how much education really goes on in schools about "hate violence" and breach of "constitutional rights."  I thought United States History was not until senior year of high school and if so, students will need to be better informed of things that could be "hate violence."  Probably they get just a single brief assembly in the beginning of the year which everyone promptly forgets.  Just another in the long list of punishments our kids could be subject to in the wacky school universe!

Best,

Michelle Ball

Education Law Attorney 

LAW OFFICE OF MICHELLE BALL 

717 K Street, Suite 228 

Sacramento, CA 95814 

Phone: 916-444-9064 

Email:help@edlaw4students.com 

Fax: 916-444-1209

Website: http://www.edlaw4students.com/

Blog: http://edlaw4students.blogspot.com/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/michelleaball

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/EdLaw4Students

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Law-Office-of-Michelle-Ball/191273330901857

[please like my office on Facebook, subscribe via twitter and email, and check out my videos on Youtube!]

Please see my disclaimer on the bottom of my blog page. This is legal information, not legal advice and no attorney-client relationship is formed by this posting, etc. etc.!  This blog may not be reproduced without permission from the author and proper attribution of authorship.

READ MORE - Suspension or Expulsion for Actual or Attempted Hate Violence

Investing in agriculture is the best way to create domestic demand

Pic courtesy: Deccan Herald

A few days after the Cafe Coffee day founder V M Siddhartha reportedly ended his life, five farmers attempted suicide consuming pesticide in the office of the district collector of Akola in Maharashtra. They were demanding speedy compensation for their acquired land. Almost at the same time, another farmer who had been sitting on a dharna in Haryana for past four months died. He was protesting for a higher compensation for his land acquired by the state government.

While the death and attempted suicide by these farmers had largely gone unnoticed, a huge uproar by the industry had occupied the media space following the circumstances leading to the tragic death of the coffee King. Most industry captains linked his death to the ‘tax terrorism’ that prevails and knowing that the investment climate remains subdued sought more investments, tax concessions and of course wanted tax freedom. Many business journalists and columnists echoed the industry sentiments without even caring to find out that the Cafe Coffee Day owner carried a massive debt burden, which at some stage had peaked at Rs 11,000-crores.

Nevertheless, while the industry may have genuine economic reasons for seeking more sops, including an economic stimulus package to tide over the continuing slowdown, the continuing spiral death dance on the farm did not evoke even an iota of concern; forget about any response in the media. If the late Siddhartha was an entrepreneur who needed support in his difficult times, the fact that is not being acknowledged is that farmers too are entrepreneurs and given the state of distress that prevails all around are perhaps in dire need of hand holding. If only these farmers had got the right amount of compensation and that too in time, they too could have unleashed their entrepreneurial skills. But an opportunity denied, is opportunity lost.

At a time when the industry is already getting an economic stimulus package of Rs 1.8-lakh crore every year, which has continued to pour in since the global economic meltdown in 2008-09, the nationalised banks stare at massive stressed loans of Rs 17-lakhcrore, including roughly Rs 10-lakh crore of non-performing assets (NPAs). In other words, the industry has received Rs 18-lakh crore in the past ten years by way of an economic package, and still remains deep in crisis. Further, newspaper reports quoting the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) statistics say that almost Rs 8.36 lakh crore of bad debts have been written-off in the past 12 years, between the fiscal 2007 and 2019. It’s time to see whether the slowdown is the reason for the slackening performance of the industry, manufacturing sector and exports or whether the huge bank defaults have led to an economic slowdown.

Between fiscal 2007 and 2016, the total amount written-off by banks stood at Rs 2.88-lakh crores. But following this, huge amounts have to be written-off in quick succession – Rs 1.33-lakh crore in 2016-17; Rs 1.61-lakh crore in 2017-18 and a record Rs 2.54 lakh crore in 2018-19 – sucking the banks dry. Whatever be the reasons, the fact that the RBI is reluctant to make public the names of over 9,000 wilful defaulters is clearly an indication that the write-offs hide more than what we need to know. Although the government appears keen to launch a clean-up process, and the introduction of an Insolvency and Bankruptcy code (IBC) in 2016 was considered to be one of the strong approaches to curb the menace, the efforts to dilute the regulations have certainly hit at the possibilities. At a time when the industry receives huge tax concessions ever year, as much as 5 per cent of the GDP according to the Niti Aayog, there is no justification for the industry to cry hoarse when the tax sleuths come knocking.

Now contrast this with how the system works for farmers. Over the years, hundreds of farmers have been publicly humiliated and thrown behind bars for defaulting banks. While lakhs of crores are being written-off for the industry, unable to pay even one bank instalment lands farmers in jail. The banks first confiscates his movable and immovable property, and when the farmer is still unable to pay an outstanding instalment the banks deposit blank cheques taken from farmers at the time of extending the loan, which converts the civil case into criminal. Farmers are then sent to jail, with orders to pay back the original amount plus the interest on it. If only the farmers could pay the instalment I don’t understand why he would have defaulted in the first place. And when some State Governments waived farmer’s bad loans, up to a maximum of Rs 2-lakh for small farmers, economists and economic writers are up in arms warning that the fiscal deficit will hit the roof. But when banks quietly write-off corporate loans I have never seen any mention of fiscal deficit widening and the question of where the money will come from. In fact, the industry is now asking for an economic stimulus package of Rs 1-lakh crore !

For several years now, enough pointers were available indicating a slowdown in the economy. Farm incomes had plummeted to the lowest in 15 years, and some studies had shown that even rural jobs were badly hit. Accordingly, 3.2- crore casual labourers in rural areas lost their job between 2011-12 and 2017-18. Roughly 3-crore of these were farm workers. But the bigger tragedy is that policy makers ignored the loud warnings emanating from a distressed agriculture and only woke up when cars and automobiles sales dipped for months together, cutting tens of thousands of jobs, and when FMCG sales too failed to show any growth. The point I am trying to make is that if agriculture remains perpetually in crisis, Indian economy too will remain in limbo. A thriving economy depends on rising consumption, which in turn depends on how much demand can be created. What has to be understood is that rural sector plays a significant role in spurring up domestic demand. And this will mean more public sector investments in agriculture and farming in the years to come, clearly a shift from the effort to enhance privatisation and provide more stimuli to the industry.

The answer therefore lies in revitalising agriculture, pumping in more money in a sector that promises to provide millions of livelihoods, and in the process create more domestic demand. Agriculture, which caters to nearly 50 per cent of the workforce, receives less than half a percent of the GDP in public investment , 0.4 per cent to be exact, between 2011-12 and 2016-17. This has to change. #

Why this double standard? Deccan Herald, Aug 8, 2019

https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/main-article/why-this-double-standard-752841.html?fbclid=IwAR1OYg30qh3yPNIGtX9BCZUqdZyuY0z7EVxV8CEii0YyquM0VX2PEH3YFSo

READ MORE - Investing in agriculture is the best way to create domestic demand

Minimum Support Price for farmers can be raised three times.

Pic courtesy: Hindustan Times

Finally, the government has admitted in Parliament that it is not possible to double farm income by 2022. Replying to a question by Samajwadi party leader Ram Gopal Verma in Rajya Sabha, the Minister of State for Agriculture Purshottam Rupala, categorically stated: “We agree with Ram Gopalji’s query that it is not possible to double farm incomes with the current growth rate in agriculture sector. “

With a growth rate in agriculture hovering at less than 4 per cent annually, the minister agreed it wasn’t possible to double farmers’ income in the stipulated period. The Dalwai committee on Doubling Farmers Income (DFI), set up in April 2016, had projected a farmer income growth rate of 10.4 per cent to achieve this, and many economists say this would require a very high economic growth rate.  Knowing this may sound too ambitious, I am glad the minister has finally put a lid on a promise that wasn’t so easily workable. He agrees to follow other approaches, including enhancing non-farm income.   

This should hopefully put an end to endless series of seminars, conferences and workshops on Doubling Farmers Income that are being held in universities, institutes, colleges and by civil society organisations for over two years now knowing very well that it wasn’t possible to do so. At a time when real growth in farm incomes had remained ‘near zero’ in the past two years, and prior to that the Niti Aayog had estimated real farm incomes to be growing at less than half a percent every year during the five year period 2011-12 to 2015-16, not many talked of the radical structural transformation that agriculture is crying for. Instead the emphasis remained on following upgradation and refinement of available approaches by focusing on schemes like soil health cards, neem coated urea, Fasal Bima Yojna, National Agricultural Markets (e-NAM), more crop per drop etc., which are important but surely not enough for doubling farm incomes. What is needed is direct income support, which is a better way of income augmentation.  

Although the government has set up an Empowered Committee for implementation and monitoring of the recommendation of the DFI Committee report, submitted in Sept 2018, the acknowledgement that doubling farmer income in the next two years is not possible, it will certainly help in initiating long-term reforms that the sector is in dire need of, and where the focus needs to shift to. The first and foremost is the need to boost public sector investment in agriculture. The continuing bias against agriculture becomes apparent when one looks at the Reserve Bank of India statistics, which tells us that the public sector investment in agriculture had remained close to 0.4 per cent of the GDP between 2011-12 and 2016-17. Considering that nearly half the population is dependent on agriculture, this speaks volumes of the deliberate neglect of farming.

I don’t think any economist can vouch for a miracle in agriculture without adequate investments flowing in. Not even half a per cent of the GDP is being invested in agriculture year after year, primarily because the dominant economic thinking does not consider agriculture to be an economic activity. The entire effort therefore has been to move people out of agriculture rather than to focus on making farming a viable and sustainable enterprise. This has to change, and an indication to this came from the BJP manifesto which promised an investment of Rs 25-lakh crore in agriculture. But the Budget 2019-20 makes a provision for Rs 1,30,485-crores for agriculture, including Rs 75,000-crore allocated for the remaining three instalments of PM-Kisan scheme. Besides direct income support, agricultural market infrastructure (including warehouses and godowns) needs appropriate budgetary allocations along with investments for village link roads connecting villages with new upcoming APMC mandis.

Interestingly, while agricultural scientists and economists normally shy away from spelling out the radical reforms agriculture needs for enhancing real farm incomes as well as to restore the lost pride in farming, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has in a judgement said the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for agriculture should be three times the cost of production to save farmers from distress. “Though the MSP is being announced since 1965, but the stark reality is that it has not boosted the income of farmers to bring them out of abject poverty. Time has come when MSP be given legal force by granting legal rights to the farmers to get fair value for their crops.” The direction to provide a legal status to MSP by bringing in an appropriate legislation came from a division bench of Justices Rajiv Sharma and H S Sidhu who also spelled out a series of reforms measures, including removing middlemen, setting up warehouses, weather-based crop insurance, using internet technology, debt servicing, farmer suicides and so on that agriculture requires.

Earlier, the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) had also called for making MSP a legal entitlement. It had specifically highlighted how farmers in remote parts do not have access to regulated APMC markets and therefore have to sell their produce in the local haats much below the MSP. In the past two years, farmers had reportedly sold pulses, oilseeds and coarse cereals at prices ruling 20 to 30 per cent lower. Even in the case of wheat and rice, the two crops that are procured, farmers are unable to realise the minimum price except at places where a robust procurement system prevails. Low prices of wheat and paddy in Bihar for instance forces many unscrupulous traders to transport the produce to Punjab and Haryana to get a higher MSP. 

Making MSP a legal instrument instils not only confidence among farmers, but will also assured minimum price to farmers thereby enhancing farm incomes, reducing debt, and minimising farm distress. In addition, raising MSP to three times the average weighted cost of production, including imputed rent and interest on owned land and capital, is certainly a very valid recommendation. This alone has the potential to bring about a remarkable turnaround in the performance of agriculture. It is doable, and my suggestion is to have two price bands – one at which the procurements are made at MSP, and the second be the actual price that the farmer has to be paid. Considering that all farmers are now linked with Jan Dhan bank accounts, the gap between the two bands can be directly transferred to the farmer’s bank account.

Such a delivery system will ensure that food inflation remains in control, and at the same time farmers get the legitimate price they are entitled to but have been deprived of all these years. Of the Rs 25-lakh crore investment promised in the BJP manifesto, even if Rs 5-lakh crore are disbursed as enhanced price to farmers routed through the flagship PM-Kisan scheme, the face of Indian agriculture will change forever, for the better.

The time has come to emerge out of the continued obsession with growth figures in agriculture. It is time now to invest in human resource, which is the biggest strength of Indian agriculture. More investments in raising real farm incomes, more of farmers’ money will automatically be invested in improving farm techniques. Furthermore, higher the farm incomes, higher will be the rural demand generated, thereby speeding the wheels of industrial development. At a time when the country is passing through a slowdown, creating more demand remains the biggest challenge, which can only come from agriculture. Investing in agriculture therefore is the surest way to bailout the economy. This is the way to Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas.# 

READ MORE - Minimum Support Price for farmers can be raised three times.

Call for submissions: The Peace Journalist
You are invited to submit an article for the October, 2019 edition of the Peace Journalist magazine. We are seeking articles of 500-1500 words about peace and media projects, workshops, seminars, courses, and so on. Our magazine is journalism and media focused, so we do not seek articles about peace projects that do not relate directly to media and journalism. The deadline for submissions is September 5. Feel free to submit photos as well.

The magazine usually fills up quickly. You can increase your chances of publication by getting your article in early.

You can find a copy of the April, 2019 edition of the magazine here: https://www.park.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Peace-Journalist-Apr2019-web.pdf  .

Thank you for your interest in the Peace Journalist.

Steven L. Youngblood
Director, Center for Global Peace Journalism
Editor, The Peace Journalist magazine
Author, “Peace Journalism Principles and Practices”
Park University, Parkville, MO USA
steve.youngblood@park.edu
@PeaceJourn

READ MORE -