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Politics of Planned Development
In the face of the prevailing food crisis, the country was clearly vulnerable to external pressure and dependent on food aid, mainly from the USA. Which, in turn, pushed India to change its economic policies. The government adopted a strategy for agriculture in order to ensure food sufficiency. Instead of the earlier policy of giving more support to the areas and farmers that were lagging behind, now it was decided to put more resources into those areas which already had irrigation and those farmers who were already well off. It was argued that those who already had the capacity could help increase production rapidly in the short period. Thus, the government offered high-yielding variety seeds, fertilisers, pesticides and better irrigation at highly subsidised prices. The government also gave a guarantee to buy the produce of the farmers at a given price. This policy provided boost in agricultural production which is known green revolution.
The consequences of the Green Revolution were as given below :
Positive :
(a)There was moderate agricultural growth particulary in wheat production.
(b) It raised the availability of food in the country.
Negative :
(a)It had increased polarisation between classes and regions.
(b)The stark contrast between poor peasantry and the landlords produced conditions favourable for the left-wing organisations to organise the poor peasants.
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“In the early years of Independence, two contradictory tendencies were already well advanced inside the Congress party. On the one hand, the national party executive endorsed socialist principles of state ownership, regulat ion and control over key sectors of the economy in order to improve productivity and at the same time curb economic concentration. On the other hand, the national Congress government pursued liberal economic policies and incentives to private investment that was justified in terms of the sole criterion of achieving maximum increase in production. ” — Francine Frankel
(a) What is the contradiction that the author is talking about ? What would be the political implications of a contradiction like this ?
(b) If the author is correct, why is it that the Congress was pursuing this policy ? Was it related to the nature of the opposition parties ?
(c) Was there also a contradiction between the central leadership of the Congress party and its State level leaders ?
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