Farmers in distress, not good for country: VP Dhankhar

New Delhi, Dec 4 (IANS) Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday said that farmers resort to agitation as they are in distress, which does not augur well for the nation.

“There is a need for introspection. Today the farmers are troubled, suffering and agitated. Had the institutions been alive and contributing, this situation would never have occurred. We cannot reduce our functions to be ceremonial,” the Vice President said while addressing the centenary foundation day of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology (ICAR-CIRCOT) in Mumbai.

On the occasion which was also attended by Union Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare and Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the Vice President said: “I can see a ray of hope. An experienced person is the Agriculture Minister of India today. Shivraj ji, the challenge before you is of farmer welfare and rural development. When we talk about developed India, we should never forget that the path to developed India comes from the heart of the farmer.”

“I will call upon the Director-General and appeal to the Honourable Minister, the Indian Council of Agriculture Research, all its affiliates, universities, and research centres must be firing on all cylinders to work for a situation to bring about economic prosperity to the farmer,” he added.

Stating that he is also a farmer’s son, he said, “Only one task has been given to the farmer, that you have to produce food within the field and then keep thinking about selling it at the right price. I fail to understand why we cannot work out a formula in consultation with economists, and think tanks that will reward our farmers.”

“Instead of reward, we are not giving what is due. We are being stingy even in giving what has been promised, and I do not understand why talks are not being held with the farmers?” he questioned.

He added that India is the world’s fifth-largest economy. “We are going to become the third in the world but remember one thing, if India has to get the status of a developed nation then the income of every person has to be increased eight times. The biggest contribution in increasing that eightfold is of rural economy and farmer welfare,” the Vice President stressed.

He added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a message to the world that no matter how big the issue is, no matter how serious the dispute, its solution can be through dialogue,” he said.

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