The time has come to initiate a debate on a framework which lays out the contours of a possible "exit policy" for small Indian farmers. Indian farmers would like to stop lifting the burden of being subsidy receivers and would like to gift their entire lands and thereby no more enjoy any subsidies, if only the Indian government will guarantee them a viable exit policy and compensation on the lines of European and American farmers.
What better way can there be to conclusively prove the truth of the promises of ushering in a Second Green Revolution, than by vacating all farm lands, reorganizing them into large modern corporate viable holdings, and allowing a new breed of B-schools trained management cadre of farm managers to till the land, manage land, water and seed resources.
This will show and demonstrate to the sceptics, the benefits of large land holdings, modern agricultural technology, GM seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, export oriented contract farming, crop and horticultural diversification, liberal farm credit and futures commodities trading, will it not ? Surely this is a great and worthy national project of epic proportions that will win the approval of McKinsey consultants, IMF and World Bank.
Why should uneducated farmers live on small unviable farm lands, why should they not migrate en masse to cities and live their lives under the comforting shade of the Sixth Pay Commission and the risk free bounties it can offer them. Is not everybody of sensible mind leaving farming to start life as an urban dweller ?
Surely farmers are desperate to gift their lands and agree to be re classified as government servants, even at a fraction of other government servant salaries. Will the government show this generosity ?
Parliamentarians have intricate formulae for raising their own fixed salary and benefits. Farmers of India would also like to partake of a similar farm payments / wages formula that concerned parliamentarians can surely evolve for them, if they are willing, and put their minds and considerable expertise to the task.
After all India is now Shining India, a super power, an Asian Tiger pushing for a role on the world stage and a seat in United Nations Security Council. If this seat in the Security Council is not going to benefit the farmers, who is it meant to benefit ?
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