NEWS REPORT: CIVIL AVIATION MINISTER PRAFFUL PATEL MIFFED AT CABINET COLLEAGUES
Cut to a scene in front of the residence of the minister, two days later.
There is a chaotic situation in front of the residence with a group of farmers trying to enter the residence and the entry to the residence of the 'People's Representative' being barred by extremely hostile security personnel, as usual. The news reaches the Head Quarters of a 24 hours news channel and immediately a posse of electronic media personnel reach the residence of the Hon'ble. Sensing that this could provide sufficient material for the news channels to broadcast throughout the day, and furthermore with the Lok Sabha elections around the corner,the support staff of the minister relents and permits the group of farmers to enter the residence. Apparently, facing the group of 50 farmers is easier than managing the negative fallout of the media coverage, or so the staff presume.
However the minister acquiesces to meet only the leader of the group. Eknath, the leader of the group is ushered into the study of the minister. The minister enters the room accompanied by his O.S.D (Officer on special duty) who is an IAS officer, on deputation to work with the minister.
After the initial exchange of pleasantries, the minister who does not appear very pleased at the sight of Eknath, who is wearing a simple shirt and trouser to go along with his down town sandals, asks "Yes Eknath, tell me about the purpose of your visit. But please tell me about yourself before you begin."
" I am the Pradhan of the village Dhulepur in the Yavatmal district of Maharashtra, which is in the Vidarbha region of the state", Eknath who looked no more than 30-35 years of age, began speaking.
The O.S.D was startled at the mention of the name of the village and whispered something into the ear of the minister, who looked keenly at Eknath.
"Accha, the same village which was put up for sale by its inhabitants and where farmers organised a protest by offering their kidneys for sale", The minister enquired.
"Yes sir", Eknath replied.
"Strange people, OK tell me, what brings you people to meet me?" the minister was curious.
" Because you are the last remaining hope we have", Ekanth replied.
"Come again! Hope !! My dear friend, I am the Civil aviation minister, not the Agriculture minister. It appears that you have come to the wrong address," the minister sounded pleased for getting free from these villagers so soon.
" No sir, I have come to the right place. It is you who we wanted to meet. And before you feel puzzled, let me tell you that we were impressed by the concern you showed for the well being of the aviation sector. Not many ministers are going to risk a confrontation with their colleagues in the manner you did, through your interview", Eknath clarified.
The minister as is their wont, was pleased at this appreciation, "Yes, yes, I said what I felt. After all Jet Airways had laid off 1900 employees in one day due to losses caused by faulty practices by the govt. towards this fledgling sector. I had to intervene on behalf of these people and get them reinstated. The aviation industry is being bled to death. They have sought for a bailout plan of Rs. 4700 crores and the govt. is dithering over this proposal. The aviation sector is like the new born baby which needs caring and caressing by its mother," the minister was emphatic in his statement.
The OSD as is their wont, nodded in deep appreciation. Eknath felt that he saw tears in the eye of the OSD after the minister finished speaking.
"Baby indeed, Mr. Minister, but what about the elders in the family? I want you to speak about the elders in the family too," Eknath spoke respectfully.
"Elders? What elders?", the minister was confused, "Arre, I was giving an example. You see this is how economists speak. They make you understand economics through lucid examples".
"I know sir, I am a post graduate in Economics from Delhi School of Economics. Incidentally my Ph.D is on 'Rural economics in Independent India', so I know a bit of economics," Eknath was one confident individual.
The O.S.D nearly fell from the chair on hearing Eknath's credentials.
The minister was also mighty impressed.
" So what are you doing there in the village ? " the minister enquired.
" Well, doing my bit for the country!" Eknath was quite clear about his priorities, "anyway sir, as you wanted to know about the elders in the family whom I want you to stand up for, let me tell you that I was referring to the Agriculture sector. I think you would agree that if Civil aviation is the baby then agriculture is the elder in the family. Isn't it your responsibility to protect the elders along with the babies ? Agreed that we should be worried about 1900 employees losing their jobs, but shouldn't we also be worried about more than 1100 farmers committing suicide in the Vidarbha region, this year alone? Aren't lives equally important?"
"But the Finance Minister has provide waivers for the agriculture sector in this years budget. The govt. is equally concerned about the farming sector, my friend. You needn't worry!" the O.S.D put in his bit.
"Needn't worry!!! Sir do you realize that thousands of farmers are taking their own lives not only in Vidarbha, but places like Anantpur in Andhra Pradesh and many other parts of the country", Eknath countered.
" But the Finance minister has provided waivers, hasn't he?", the O.S.D countered.
"The loan waivers offered by the Finance Minister were a sham !" Eknath retaliated.
" Sham! You know what you are talking about, young man?" The minister retorted.
" I do Sir, and I will tell you how", Eknath continued, "the Finance minister sanctioned loan waivers for the farmers who had taken loan from banks and who were having a land holding of more than two hectares ."
" So what else do you want? You want the govt. to write off all the loans taken by farmers irrespective of their assets . Why do farmers only whine and make no efforts to improve their lot?", the O.S.D was being cheeky.
This infuriated Eknath, but years spent in the rural country side had taught him to patient with this govt.machinery. Their indifference and apathy towards the agriculture sector had led it to ruin. After all hadn't the C.M of Maharashtra, Vilas Rao Deshmukh at a public meeting in Vidarbha called the farmers 'lazy', thereby insinuating that they were to themselves to be blamed for their misfortune. So Eknath understood that this 'farmers not working' bit was a bureaucratic mindset. These bureaucrats after their initial 'training' schedule in the villages, which was compulsory, abhorred the sight of the villages.
" Why do people like Naresh Goyal and Vijay Mallya whine and not do something about their business ventures? Why does the govt. sneeze when these individuals catch cold?" Ekanath returned the favour.
The O.S.D was flabbergasted. "How dare you! What do you mean? You mean...." the O.S.D was incoherent. He had not expected this riposte from Eknath.
" I mean what I say. You politicians are so worried about the failure of a 'bad' business model that you are willing to invest 'public money' collected in the form of taxes from the common people to bail out industrialists. Just a few months back you were going gaga over the success of the Civil aviation sector. What happened in the interim, sir? And by the way did these Hon'bles share their profits with the public when they were making money?If not, why should the public money be used to bail them out?" Eknath queried.
"But didn't they provide cheap tickets @Rs500, so that the common people could travel by airways?" the minister was back at his populist best.
"That was simply bad policies sir. And by the way did the common man plead before them for air travel. You as well as I know that these measures were taken to entice a new generation of travellers to air travel, so that people could get hooked up and not mind paying up Rs. 10,000 for the next round of travel. Now when the policy has backfired, the Govt wants to bail them out. Will you now bail out the street corner grocer if he starts doling out freebies to his consumer and then his business collapses? For nearly two decades the theory of 'free businees' without any govt. control was flouted, and unbridled consumerism encouraged. Now suddenly we get back to 'Socialism being best for the country', do we? " Eknath was now flowing like the monsoon river in spate, " the Hon'ble Vijay Mallya has brought a Formula 1 Racing team, took over Deccan Airways, is on the verge of buying an English Football club, got into a spree of buying air crafts and what not, but now needs the common man's money to finance his extravagances. Is this not a joke?"
"But haven't the farmers been provided the loan waivers? Shouldn't you be content?" the minister tried to change track.
" So let me now tell you about the sham which I was earlier referring to. The Finance Minister announced farm loan waivers for farmers with land holdings of more than 2 hectares, whereas an average land holding size in Vidarbha is 3.03 acres or 7.5 hectares. 50% of the farmers own land which is larger than which applies for the waiver. There are Adivasis who own around 10 hectares of land. But the ground reality is that most of the land is unproductive and unirrigated. For those with over two hectares, there is the old deal of 'one-time settlement' of their bank loans. In this case, if they repay 75 per cent of the loan, they will be given a rebate of 25 per cent. Only very large farmers will gain from this. If the farmers could pay 75 per cent of their dues, they wouldn't be committing suicide. Furthermore those farmers who fall within the two-hectare limit, only a small group has access to bank credit. Factually the private money lenders rule the roost and there is no respite for the farmers from these blood suckers" Eknath emphasised.
But there was no way Eknath could be stopped," And Mr.Minister what I am stating is from the govt. records and can be corroborated from there. The waiver will simply benefit farmers in Western Maharashtra i.e the sugarcane belt which belongs to the agriculture minister. So while Vidarbha and Anatpur burn, you send the fire brigade to fill a swimming pool. ingenious isn't it?"
" Sir how long will you people keep on playing industry against agriculture? Can both of them not be partners in progress? The development of any economy cannot be predicated on any one sector. Both swim or sink together. Let me remind you that the development of the country has its genesis in the First Green revolution. The rural sector gradually developed and subsequently the industry and the manufacturing sector reaped its benefits some time later on. You cannot sell anything if the consumer does not have the power to buy it. Isn't it? And let me remind you that the nationalised banks 'write off'' bad debts to the tune of thousands of crores every year. And incidentally most of this debt is owned by industrialists who are pretty awesome names and a regular on the political circuit. Do I need to remind you that bad debt to the tune of 60 crores was written of for a Ketan Parikh company, sometime in 2004. But when it comes to farmers it becomes 'bad debt'!!"
Eknath could not be stopped. The common man was fighting back," Sir the govt. provides around Rs. 50 worth subsidy on an LPG cylinder and acts as if it is doing the consumers a favour, but then on the other hand you people call for reduction of taxes on ATF without a care in the world. Why are corporate interests flouted as public interests? Yesterday I heard the owner of a travel company on TV referring to the fact that if the airlines stop functioning some body's sick mother will not be able to be taken for treatment of Cancer to the TATA memorial Hospital in Mumbai."
"He was right , wasn't he?" the O.S.D retorted.
"Mr. OSD, if you wish you could accompany me to any primary health centre in the country and locate one doctor who is on duty for more than two days in a week, for a few hours at the most. Do you even know or think of this fact . And how many people in this country can afford air travel, even if for the sake of argument, however flawed, that tickets will be available at Rs. 500 with govt assistance. Get real Sir!" Eknath spoke.
The minister and his lackey were by now exasperated, so what do you want?" the minister said.
" Nothing, now my suspicion is confirmed When you people never felt any pain when we villagers offered our villages or kidenys for sale to highlight our grievances, what can you do anyway? You people cannot or are not willing to do anything for the common masses of the country who toil away honestly, at whatever they do. Expecting you people to show concern and act accordingly, is like asking an Eskimo to sell air conditioners. The only hope is for the people to stand up for themselves. Looking in askance towards the govt.will not suffice. But that will also take some doing since they have been alienated from each other in the name of caste, religion, industry, farmer,rural, urban. But people like me will keep working till that happens and happen it definitely will !!" Eknath was patience personified.
Just then the OSD's cellphone rang, " Ji Mallya sahab, yes we are on the way. I know your personal aircraft is waiting for us. So sorry to keep you waiting. You see, there has been a needless delay......"
Ekanth by then was on his way back, Sprite as ever, head held high.
NIRBAL KI LADAI BALWAN SE, YE KAHANI HAI DIYE KI AUR TOOFAN KI (This is a fight between the weak and the mighty, this is a story of the lamp and the storm)
Disclaimer: This discussion never took place and is a work of fiction . But then again, this discussion is taking place in the hearts of millions of Indians or so I feel.
Note: The post is inspired by the tremendous work of Shri P.Sainath of the newspaper THE HINDU, who is fighting a lonely battle (amongst the media) for the agricultural sector. My salutations.
