Agricultural Predicament

Mahatma Gandhi once said “Real India lives in rural villages”.Almost 70 percent of Indian population lives in rural areas.But today’s irony is that those who feed the nation go to bed without food.My understanding of rural India is a less developed countryside where the infrastructure is primitive, houses are of mud or brick but rarely painted well, the primary source of livelihood is agriculture, employment opportunities in the organized sector are negligible, eating choices are restricted to home-cooked simple food, schools are far away, health facilities are rudimentary and -- importantly -- the youth, while energetic and ambitious, are to be seen playing cards the whole day.Average income level is low.Penetration of consumer goods is low as compared to urban areas.Our rural folks have negligible access to banking services.Teledensity in rural area is far less than that in urban areas.

Indian GDP is growing consistently at the rate of 7 percent since 1991.Still our rural areas are underdeveloped.This indicates that fruits of higher economic growth are being enjoyed by people living in urban areas only.Rich are getting richer and poor are getting poorer. Indian marketeers  define today’s consumer as a person with higher disposal income aspiring for better lifestyle and convenience.But such consumer can be located only in urban area.If this is the fact, higher GDP numbers are meaningless. What has gone wrong with the rural conusmer?

Primary source of income of rural consumer is agriculture.Major agricultural land is not irrigated.So there is no option but to place bets on the arrival of good monsoon.Given the ecological  imbalance ,lately monsoon has become irratic.With the irregular monsoon,agricultural production has gone down. Also under the name of development ,agricultural land is being procured at throw away prices.Once agriculture was 50 percent of our GDP.Now it is less than 25 percent.As a consequence,agriculture has become less lucrative option to pursue as a profession. Urban migration has picked up momentum.Cities are getting more crowded which is resulting into regional imbalances.

Only government can correct the situation.Minimum support price paid by government for all kinds of crops is very low.Major beneficiaries are the middlemen who pocket major chunk of the retail price.Also infrastructure needed to store and transport agriculture produce is not in place.Major losses  occur at this stage.Some schemes have been floated by government  for the welfare of farmers.But major chunk of money leaks through a funnel called as beurocracy.

Correction in all the aspects stated above will improve the income levels and life of people living in the rural area.Then we can say that Indian GDP growth is all inclusive and Indian marketeers will stop discriminating between urban and rural consumers.

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Recipe for success

This is an inspirational story for all those who want to become big in life.

My father was a son of a farmer.My Grandfather wanted him to become a farmer.He wanted to learn.He ran away and came to Nagpur.He started working in a paan shop and  simultaneusly worked on his education.He didn’t have money to pay for his educational fees and lodging.He would work in a paan shop and pay for his expenses.Thats how he completed his MA.Then he joined as a teacher in a small school at Nagbhir.But he was ambitious.He started working on MPSC.He succeeded and became education officer.He was the only education officer of Nagpur district to remain in office for 11 years.

This is the story of a man who had nothing,But created a big thing  out of nothing.

Next story is of a man who is a God of Bhandara district.I have seen Nana Patole since childhood.As a family we didn’t have any political background.But I could see Nana relentelessly working for the welfare of people in our Bhandara district.He has a good understanding of people’s problems.He worked on those problems.He is representating Bhandara district as an MLA since last 15 years.

Morale of the story is that very few people take birth with a silver spoon in mouth.Most of the people have to work their way up.But many of the people do not have required knowledge,skills and attitude framework.Such people loose out on life.

As per my observation,what is required is the right attitude.I have seen many people in my life with wrong attitude.These are the people who do not have any substance but want to succeed in life.Unfortunately such people havent succeeded in life.

What is required is the right combination of knowledge,skills and attitude framework.Unfortunately most of the people lack this.

Capitalism at risk

Lessons from Japan

Japan is a great story for all of us right from the era of world war II.All of us know what happened at pearl harbour and then at Hiroshima.Japan as a nation is third largest economy today after USA and Euro zone.Sony, Toyota,Honda are well known brands across the globe.Toyota is the largest carmaker of the world.Management practices of these Japanese companies are taught as case studies in management institutes across the world.

Then it happened again.We all saw how Japan was hit by severe earthquake and tsunami.Nuclear power plants exploded.Infrastructure like airports,shipping ports, roads and bridges were swept away.Many   Japanese lost lives and also got displaced.Operations of Japanese companies were halted .This affected the entire supply chain of global Japanese companies across the world.Domestic consumption is a small part of Japan GDP as Japanese economy is led by exportss .Already Japanese economy was in trouble.There was no growth.Business confidence levels were at all time low.Consumers were focused on savings rather than consumption.Entire nation was facing a catastrophe that could have swept away any weak nation.

Now we know how Japan as a nation faced crisis.Today Japan as a nation is back on her feet raring to go and face the global challenges.What can world learn from Japan from this entire episode?

Japanese were calm .There was not a single incidence shown on television network of Japanese beating their chests in grief.Japanese showed a great sense of dignity and discipline.There were disciplined ques for water and groceries.Not a single gesture of rough word.Most of the civil infrastructure was hit by earthquake and tsunami,but it didn’t collapse because of great architecture.People behaved with grace and bought only what was essential so that every could get something.People followed order.There wasn’t a single incidence of looting or disorder.There was a sense of sacrifice.Around 50 people stayed back at nuclear power plants to pump water back into reactors without any concern for their lives or how they will be paid back.There was a sense of tenderness as restaurants cut prices and ATM’s were left alone.Old people as well as children didn’t show any sense of panic.Everyone did exactly what they were supposed to do.Media showed great restraint.There were no silly reports.It only focused on helping people out.Hotels offered rooms at one fifth of the usual prices to the displaced.Local universities stepped in to provide statistics,information to reduce anxieties of people.Last but not the least Japanese showed conscience.When the power went off in store ,people put back things on the shelves and left quietly.

Resilience is in the DNA of Japanese people.Entire crisis has brought them in the attention of the world as a lesson in strength.Japan has emerged stronger from the crisis.Now unbelievable pictures of Japan before and after the earthquake are doing rounds as inspirational stories.

We could have seen exactly opposite if any other country had been struck by same kind of a crisis.

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