Tag Archives: #farmers

Letters to the Editor: 1/21/2021

Dear India Currents,

It was nice that Kamala Devi Harris swore on the Bible that belonged to Thurgood Marshall; a wonderful gesture, that speaks gallons for one side of her heritage that goes back to the Civil Rights movement and first steps towards desegregation in schooling practices. It is an area I myself teach on. But is Kamala-ji forgetting her South Asian heritage and spiritual prowess of that side of her tradition?  Her mother would have been proud if she also had her mother’s copy of the Bhagavad Gita or some holy text from their Tamil religious background next to the Holy Bible or on the table; or perhaps even her grandfather’s copy of Gandhi’s text on ’Truth is God (which is in his Autobiography: My Experiment with Truth’ as well. I believe Tulsi Gabbard – though not exactly of South Asian origin, but brought up as a Hindu – swore her oath, upon her entering the Congress, on the Bhagavad Gita (which edition or – if – translation I am not sure, as that too matters). It is time more attention was paid to the holy scriptures of other traditions represented in the US and increasingly in the administrative echelons.

 

Sincerely,

Purushottama

If you would like your opinion or perspective expressed at India Currents, do not hesitate to contact editor@indiacurrents.com with a submission or note. 

Letters to the Editor: 1/11/2021

Dear India Currents,

First and foremost, I would like to tell my farmers’ brothers/sisters that we feel your pain and anguish. I am writing this letter to make a plea that there should be a long term thinking to lift lots of farmers. This can happen when farmers take control of their produce and sell value-added end product directly to consumers bypassing all middlemen (Government or private). If the farmers set up a co-operative that buys their produce at the same MSP prices; store it in the silos, convert it to products consumed, selling them pre-packaged.

Here are some examples:

Atta (flour), Sooji, Maida, Chapatti/Phulkas, Paronthas (Aloo, Methi, Saada, etc.), Halwa, Sliced Bread, etc.

As the co-operative generates income, other products can be added to its offerings. I have the success of Amul Dairy in my mind when proposing it. Amul started with milk, added butter, ghee, cheese, ice cream, etc. and today there are a plethora of products marketed under that brand. Such a venture will make the farmers less dependent on government policies or profit-driven private sector making them masters of their produce and destiny. We can emulate the business model of Baba Ramdev for Ayurvedic products. 

Bhupinder Singh 

If you would like your opinion or perspective expressed at India Currents, do not hesitate to contact editor@indiacurrents.com with a submission or note.