tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61392135145649446582024-02-20T22:58:41.074+05:30Inner VoiceBeing a journalist of Electronic media, I have always felt the need to express more... This blog is an effort to pen down those expressions which otherwise can not be expressed on a news channel.Niranjanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17118479126265745941noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139213514564944658.post-73084726142523743312014-12-29T15:08:00.001+05:302014-12-29T15:08:54.858+05:30http://week.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/MMOnline.dll/portal/ep/theWeekContent.do?contentId=18124815<a href="http://week.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/MMOnline.dll/portal/ep/theWeekContent.do?contentId=18124815">http://week.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/MMOnline.dll/portal/ep/theWeekContent.do?contentId=18124815</a>Niranjanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17118479126265745941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139213514564944658.post-51560329003382262352014-09-01T18:25:00.001+05:302014-09-01T18:25:42.033+05:30Attempts of Communal Polarisation in Maharashtra<a href="http://week.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/MMOnline.dll/portal/ep/theWeekContent.do?programId=1073755754&contentId=17486395&BV_ID=%40%40%40">http://week.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/MMOnline.dll/portal/ep/theWeekContent.do?programId=1073755754&contentId=17486395&BV_ID=@@@</a>Niranjanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17118479126265745941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139213514564944658.post-56216235309814524482014-05-27T15:33:00.001+05:302014-05-27T15:33:23.356+05:30The Week | Hunger strikes<a href="http://week.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/MMOnline.dll/portal/ep/theWeekContent.do?programId=1073755754&contentId=16908396&BV_ID=%40%40%40#.U4RivkO0WU0.blogger">The Week | Hunger strikes</a>Niranjanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17118479126265745941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139213514564944658.post-82660241218018184382014-04-01T14:11:00.001+05:302014-04-01T14:11:52.928+05:30The Week | Modified Data<a href="http://week.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/MMOnline.dll/portal/ep/theWeekContent.do?contentId=16507575&programId=1073755753&tabId=13&BV_ID=%40%40%40&categoryId=-215701#.Uzp7yqHuiRM.blogger">The Week | Modified Data</a>Niranjanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17118479126265745941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139213514564944658.post-43299374313243176142014-04-01T14:07:00.001+05:302014-04-01T14:07:11.307+05:30The Week | Secrets of the 'M'pire<a href="http://week.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/MMOnline.dll/portal/ep/theWeekContent.do?contentId=16507515&programId=1073755753&tabId=13&BV_ID=%40%40%40&categoryId=-215701#.Uzp6np5-iRc.blogger">The Week | Secrets of the 'M'pire</a>Niranjanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17118479126265745941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139213514564944658.post-83756593704103245972014-03-07T13:10:00.001+05:302014-03-07T13:10:58.235+05:30The Week | Dhule’s highwayman<a href="http://week.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/MMOnline.dll/portal/ep/theWeekContent.do?programId=10350679&contentId=16092635&BV_ID=%40%40%40#.Uxl3_6JdXpw.blogger">The Week | Dhule’s highwayman</a>Niranjanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17118479126265745941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139213514564944658.post-21556611953109301992014-03-07T13:09:00.001+05:302014-03-07T13:09:22.409+05:30The Week | Family plan<a href="http://week.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/MMOnline.dll/portal/ep/theWeekContent.do?contentId=16276577&programId=1073754900&BV_ID=%40%40%40#.Uxl3fHaX9uc.blogger">The Week | Family plan</a>Niranjanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17118479126265745941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139213514564944658.post-9383940658018372722013-10-22T15:12:00.001+05:302013-10-22T15:12:33.375+05:30The Week | A CASE OF EXPLODING ONIONS<a href="http://www.manoramatravel.com/cgi-bin/MMOnline.dll/portal/ep/theWeekContent.do?contentId=15176275&programId=1073755753&tabId=13&BV_ID=%40%40%40&categoryId=-208261#.UmZIO1u2MSM.blogger">The Week | A CASE OF EXPLODING ONIONS</a>Niranjanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17118479126265745941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139213514564944658.post-61315798755513980632013-05-14T12:43:00.001+05:302013-05-14T12:43:52.101+05:30The Week | Woods are scary, dark and deep<a href="http://week.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/MMOnline.dll/portal/ep/theWeekContent.do?contentId=14008675&programId=1073755753&tabId=13&BV_ID=%40%40%40&categoryId=-201061#.UZHkG3jM3Bo.blogger">The Week | Woods are scary, dark and deep</a>Niranjanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17118479126265745941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139213514564944658.post-52716348430803408462013-04-23T12:27:00.001+05:302013-04-23T12:27:36.252+05:30The Week | Lessons of hope<a href="http://week.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/MMOnline.dll/portal/ep/theWeekContent.do?programId=1073754900&tabId=13&contentId=13857280&BV_ID=%40%40%40#.UXYwy225lD8.blogger">The Week | Lessons of hope</a>Niranjanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17118479126265745941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139213514564944658.post-20943968842212909332010-12-25T16:31:00.000+05:302010-12-25T16:31:09.739+05:30Khabar Vishesh with RSS leader Ramesh Mehtaplease watch Khabar Vishesh with RSS leader on you tube at...<br />
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<ol><li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jS2tcUGjI4" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?<wbr></wbr>v=-jS2tcUGjI4</a><br />
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<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sknOgYxhlsI" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?<wbr></wbr>v=sknOgYxhlsI</a><br />
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<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dohL_lJutlw" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?<wbr></wbr>v=dohL_lJutlw</a></li>
</ol>Niranjanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17118479126265745941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139213514564944658.post-22940357123679539762010-12-25T16:29:00.000+05:302010-12-25T16:29:15.879+05:30Khabar Vishesh with Vikram Gokhaleplease see Khabar Vishesh with Vikram Gokhale on you tube at<br />
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<ol><li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWTN-IAaGjg" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?<wbr></wbr>v=CWTN-IAaGjg</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ch4m3l6Q2MY" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?<wbr></wbr>v=Ch4m3l6Q2MY</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnVjb7d-FTw" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?<wbr></wbr>v=wnVjb7d-FTw</a></li>
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</span></span>Niranjanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17118479126265745941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139213514564944658.post-86096366819467548722010-05-30T20:29:00.001+05:302010-05-30T20:37:05.492+05:30A Few Momories of Reporting...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO-9kpSeMrV0Ue_6UfWhwUBes6zmZUug9YM_zXnwqhaVh1mAHhUL9wsHYP2C8DQlQJ6sjHZUrG_tpg8rgW80wYKWBNigRxFBUXIw1cy1v5D14_LCTVZiqP7MqP35GQggQNorhTROEhNmc/s1600/14062009134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO-9kpSeMrV0Ue_6UfWhwUBes6zmZUug9YM_zXnwqhaVh1mAHhUL9wsHYP2C8DQlQJ6sjHZUrG_tpg8rgW80wYKWBNigRxFBUXIw1cy1v5D14_LCTVZiqP7MqP35GQggQNorhTROEhNmc/s320/14062009134.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Niranjanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17118479126265745941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139213514564944658.post-2369625369615253352010-04-07T21:42:00.000+05:302010-04-07T21:46:01.523+05:30Plight Of The Denotified Tribes : Part III“Where have you come from?”…Mansubya asked… “Pune”, was the honest answer. Mansubya Bhosale was lost in the past…very fair and was at least 6ft 7inches in height with sharp nose, a little beard on the sagging skin of his face, sharp & penetrating eyes. He dragged on the floor of his cave, came out and stood up with the support of a stick…he appeared at least two feet taller… Mansubya walked behind his cave with his legs shaking…he stopped near a bush..and started digging…his grandson Jaya started helping him…after digging a foot deep, he took out a box and opened it…it had 3-4 silver coins kept in a red cloth and another cloth had a very well carved silver grip of a broken sword… “This belonged to my grandfather… Samshirya”, Mansubya said while his eyes were lost in the past, “he had gone on war with the King of Pune…but Firangs (British) killed him by cannon.”… “What is your age?” I asked… Jaya answered, “10 over Hundred”…<br />The simple thought that Mansubya’s grandfather Samshirya (Samsher which means a sword in Urdu) might have fought against the British during the battle of 1857 along-with the Nanasaheb Peshwa brought shivers to me… and here were his descendants, hiding in a cave on the outskirts of Maharashtra near Tuljapur… how his family must have ran away and survived for the past 150 years was inconceivable. But the reality that they were striving to live in such a pathetic state was cruel and ungrateful for the entire nation.<br />After de-notifying these tribes, the government should have undertaken various methods of bringing them into the mainstream through various schemes of settlement, education, employment opportunities. These tribes possess such a huge knowledge of the nature, the herbs, the jungles and have so many skills that some vocational guidance should have been extended to them so as to enable them a dignified living with the help of their own knowledge & skills. But it did not happen and on the contrary, new unjust laws & rules were made to confine them to the hell they were living in. Even a caste-wise census also has not been made to understand their population & their whereabouts since 1931 and unless it is done, no scheme can be formed to extend justice to them. The law of the distribution of land exists but since these tribes do not have any identity proof (birth certificate/caste certificate/residence proof), even a willing bureaucrat can not help them. And this is not the only tribe, there are 193 more such facing similar situation.<br />The government did what it does when it doesn’t actually want to deliver…it formed commissions to look into the “Real” problem. As many as 9 commissions were specifically formed to “study” the problems of these tribes and to suggest remedies to address those problems. These 9 commissions were formed apart from the mandatory commissions formed after every ten years to study the same issues concerning SC & STs. But since none of the recommendations were implemented in the last 63 years, it implies that either the hundreds of the members of the so many commissions did not work properly or the government did not look at it seriously. <br />The latest of the reports is submitted by the Renke Commission. It has made an extensive and in-depth study of the possible population, their demographic presence, problems and remedies to bring them into the main stream. It has recommended distribution of land, setting up villages of the tribes, providing them education, vocational guidance, launching a nation wide campaign to make people and the administration aware of these people and to create a separate schedule for them for reservations and proper social/economical/political representations. And it is most important. The population is huge and is poor. Fortunately they are patriotic and not anti-national. So before the situation goes out of hands for all, it’s better to awake and offer them their rightful share in the development of the nation. Be better do it and do it fast !Niranjanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17118479126265745941noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139213514564944658.post-24138957977564422552010-04-04T23:30:00.000+05:302010-04-04T23:34:06.981+05:30Plight Of The Denotified Tribes : Part IIDipak Bhosale was running with all his strength…the terrain was rough but was known to him…the 11 year old Dipak was scared….52 policemen were following him for 30 minutes… one of the policeman fired at him…the bullet pierced through his calves…then another came and then another…he fell down…he was arrested and he was accused of a murder that had taken place 7 years ago…when Dipak was only a four year old kid…oblivious of the bitter truth that he was also born in a wrong tribe…<br />After Independence, in 1952, Jawaharlal Nehru went to Solapur, symbolically opened the gate of a barbed fence of a concentration camp and announced the declaration of a notification of cancelling the British notification of “Criminal Tribes” and formally de-notified the tribes. But officially, absolutely nothing was done to bring this huge, patriotic population to the main stream. On the contrary, in 1959, a new law named “Habitual Criminal Act” was implemented to continue the legacy of the British “Criminal Tribes Act”, in complete contradiction to the so called social justice & social welfare. So instead of treating them as born criminals, a new term was introduced to treat them as “habitual” criminals. The social stigma was continued. Even during the trainings of the police officers in their academies, they were taught of the new act with the backdrop of the British act of “Criminal Tribes” and hence, the impact & the treatment continued.<br />The impact was so deep and ruthless that in 2008, an 18 month old son of Aamosha Bhosale, a Paardhi in Ahmednagar district was booked under the crime of a robbery. He was arrested, a policeman lifted him in his arms & produced in the court; even the Judge asked for his bail and when a bail produced, he was released. Till then the 18 month child was in police custody. Even the Judge was insensitive enough not to question the authorities of how a toddler can possibly be an accused in the case of a robbery. <br />In 2010, a 13 year old son of a Paardhi was pelted with stones and was killed by the mob in Solapur district in Maharashtra on the assumption of his involvement in a robbery. Later, it was clear that on the day of robbery, the child was very much present in the boarding school of an NGO which runs school for the Paardhi children. <br />The government negligence is so much that apart from a very few sound bites in the media reports nothing was done. There are over 193 tribes in India comprising a population of over 12 crores who have been subject to this torture, harassment & complete social negligence for over 150 years now. The Paardhi, Masanjogi, Berad, Kanjarbhat, Shikalgar, Masanjogi, Maragamaa, Kaikadi, Dombar, Kolhati, Bahurupi, Gondhali, Vasudeo and almost 193 such tribes were refused any possibility of integration with the society. This forced them to keep wandering, hunt animals, remain uneducated and at times, when no hunt was possible, then resort to petty thefts. The only time the so called civilized society called them was when big wild boars would enter their farms and endanger the crop.<br />Then, the Paardhi goes to the farms…with two very sharp knives in both the hands…rest of the crowd creates a big noise with drums, crackers and shouting…the wild boar is forced to move towards the armed Paardhi…he stands in front of a huge net spread across the border of the field with knives in his hands…the wild boars runs towards him roaring…the risk of getting cut into two pieces with the huge tooth of the wild boar and a moment before the wild boar jumps towards the Paardhi to tear him apart, the brave collapses down and when the boar is passing over him, he cuts the stomach of the wild boar with both the knives in his hands…the boar with a torn stomach falls in the net and is captured…in return, the tribe gets a prize of 5Kg of grains and the wild boar.<br /><br />To be continued…Niranjanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17118479126265745941noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139213514564944658.post-64479834713548812522010-04-03T23:57:00.000+05:302010-04-04T00:00:16.811+05:30Plight Of The De-notified Tribes : Part I“I was raped by four persons including the Patil (village chief) of the village on my wedding night…my husband was severely beaten up & tied to a tree by ropes...we were crying, shouting…”, Jayashri Bhosale a woman of the Paardhi tribe in Osmanabad district of Maharashtra was telling me. Later, the next day her husband Kasturya & Jayashri went to the police station to file a complaint but there again…instead of filing her complaint, she was molested again by the police…again in front of her husband and when he tried to resist, he was booked under attempt to kill and was arrested… <br />Jayashri tried to plead her plight in the court and she told the judge that she was first gang-raped and later molested by the police but her complaint is not registered. She couldn’t afford a lawyer as he too had an eye on her flesh but even the judge did not listen to her cries & begging for justice… witnesses, evidences everything was managed and now Kasturya is serving a seven year term in Jail…<br />Their only fault was that they were born in the wrong tribe…something which was beyond their control. The Paardhi tribe was notified as one of the “Criminal Tribes” by the British way back in the 1871. Actually, Paardhis were an extremely brave tribe serving as the frontline soldiers with the kingdoms of the Peshwas, the Rajputs and the rulers of the central India. After losing the battle of the 1857, many of these tribes associated with the earlier Kingdoms had to disappear and take shelter in the Jungles. Many were arrested and hanged by the British and the rest were declared as “Criminal Tribes” through a notification. The arrested women & children were kept in concentration or settlement camps under vigilance. The “Criminal Tribes” were not allowed to be in any village for more than 72 hours and the village chiefs were ordered to report of their existence, possessions and movements to the Police. <br />So, throughout the Independence Movement which was stretched over a period of the next 90 years, these notified “Criminal Tribes” remained deprived of the basic rights, education, and any livelihood earning opportunities and most importantly remained deprived of the social acceptance. They had to wander in the jungles, depend on herbal medication (in which they became an expert) and live on the hunting of animals. And whenever they tried to cross the limits of their forced exile, they were beaten up, arrested, jailed or at times even killed by the so called civilized society but they kept on increasing in numbers for the lack of any family planning awareness or facilities available. <br />Today, they are estimated to be more than 12 crores plus in population spread across the country…this is nearly equal to the population of the United Kingdom but for us in India, they do not exist in the census, they do not exist in the voters list, they don’t have residence proofs, they can’t have ration cards, they do not get admissions in schools, they don’t have birth certificates and they don’t get death certificates also…but they still feel proud to be Indians and often their children are named like “congresshya”, “Tilak”, “Shivaji”, “Bharat”, “Laxmi”… <br />To be continued…Niranjanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17118479126265745941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139213514564944658.post-91333345081417895972010-03-23T17:34:00.000+05:302010-03-23T17:38:36.195+05:30Do you have empathy?Maruti Dhumal had been named after the god of the strength but was at his weakest when I met him a few years back. He had borrowed Rs. 96,700/- in 1981 for buying a tractor for tilling his agricultural land of 5 acres but the heavy losses of crop in 3 consequent years, untimely rains and the government buying at much lower price than the production costs forced him to be a defaulter with the bank he had borrowed from. He could pay only Rs.1,50,000/- plus to the bank towards the principal amount and the interest. Moreover, the bank was charging interest rate much higher and also illegally in a compounding interest manner. He had received a notice from the bank either to pay Rs. 18,59,000/- or his house, land, tractor was to be auctioned. <br />Maruti Dhumal was 49 years old but looked like a 65 plus senior citizen, merely trying to survive against all odds in the small village Sheni in the Nanded district of Marathwada region of Maharashtra. Incidentally, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra also hails from the same district but he too had no will to look after the problems that the distressed Maruti was going through. <br />Almost all the marginal farmers are facing dire problems due to various government policies and also due to the complete passive approach of the leadership towards their genuine problems. For example, we all have been hearing words like “market based economy”, “market liberalization” for the last 2 decades. 64% of India’s population is directly dependent on the agriculture and this huge population is not allowed to decide the prices of their produces. They have been kept deprived of this basic right to decide the price of their agriculture production based on their production cost.<br />A farmer buys seeds, pesticides, fertilizers, electricity, fuel, pumps at the prices as decided by the respective manufacturers. So, all his input cost is decided by some-one else. Then he depends on the monsoon and if at all it is good enough, he succeeds in producing his crop. Then he has to take it to the nearest APMC (Agriculture Produce Market Committee) for auction. For the transportation, he has to hire a truck for tractor for the full day. The traders at the APMCs form a ring among themselves for the maximum rate to be offered and bid. The farmer has to then sell it to the trader at whatever cost the trader has put his bid. Sometimes, it does not even cover the cost of transportation forget his production cost. And a farmer never calculates his and his family’s labor cost that he has put for hours together throughout the season. <br />So, for buying his input material like seeds/pesticides/fertilizers, he has to borrow from the local credit society. Now, though the government says that they will offer loans at 5% to the farmers; there is a huge and corrupt chain to actually handover the loan. The RBI gives to NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture & Rural Development) at say 5%, then NABARD gives it to the State Co-op Bank at say 7%, then it gives it to the District co-op Bank at say 9%, DCC gives to the rural Credit societies at 11% and then the credit society offers to the farmer at 14 to 18%. Here also, the farmer never gets 100% of the loan amount in his hand. The interest for the first year, 10% amount towards shares of the society, insurance premium are all deducted from the principal amount before handing over the loan to the farmer. Effectively he ends up in paying almost 24% interest and if he doesn’t get his input cost also for his produce then he finds himself in the debit trap. <br />The farmers were encouraged to opt for the cash crops since the green revolution begun. Loan schemes were offered for buying chemical seeds, chemical fertilizers and crop loans were also offered for the variety of cash crops. Obviously, the farmers were lured enough to adopt. They used to take two crops a year; a cash crop and a crop of food grains but since money was made readily available for the cash crops, they opted for the cash crops and subsequently lost their own food security. This was far more frustrating especially when the monsoon was not good enough or when the rates that they got were not meeting their production costs. The marginal farmers had lost their food security, their conventional knowledge & stock of developing seeds and also their traditional fertilizers & pesticides due to this new wave of cash crops. The big farmers always had an option of preserving a piece of land for ensuring their own food security but the marginal farmers lost it and had no options but to commit suicides in case of a death trap. Following statistics clearly shows that<br />Suicide & Farmers Details Small Farmers Medium Farmers Big farmers<br />Percentage of Suicides 64% 23% 14%<br />Farmers with alternate source of incomes 14% 60% 78%<br />Illiterate farmers percentage 40% 27% 0%<br />Suicides after harvesting 93% 40% 44%<br /> <br />During the phase of encouraging, a period came when the farmers were convinced to adopt the BT Cotton seeds in the cotton growing areas. They were told that BT will require them to use chemical fertilizers & pesticides in a very small quantity but it was not to happen so. Today India imports pesticides worth a whopping 820 million USD of which 50% is used only for cotton. In 1990-91, India was importing fertilizers worth 1766 Cr which has grown to 9159 Cr by 2006. The food grain imports were at 999 Cr in 1990-91 which have increased to 11,869 Cr in 2006. The mad rush behind the cash crops has forced the present pathetic situation. <br />The disparity in development is another issue of concern. After 50 years of the creation of the Maharashtra state, only 14% of its agricultural land is irrigated. Of this, 80% of the land in western Maharashtra is irrigated and only 10% land in Vidarbha is irrigated. North Maharashtra, Marathwada, Konkan are also at a very low percentage of irrigation. 64% of the total farmers are marginal farmers in Maharashtra and they are the biggest sufferers of these real issues of concern which never get addressed. The loan waiver is only a treatment on symptoms but the real decease is not looked at all. Only 9% of the total farmers cultivate sugar cane but they consume 69% of the available water and all the rest of the 91% farmers are left with only 31% water. <br />These billions of marginal farmers also have dreams, they too wish to live with respect, they too want their children to be educated but first they want their hunger to be satisfied and they have no gods to look up to but only us and the leaders to look up to. Will we ever try & understand their plight with empathy?Niranjanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17118479126265745941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139213514564944658.post-61410639682283947782010-03-22T18:48:00.000+05:302010-03-22T19:18:07.976+05:30It is Lucky to be Rats than Human Beings…<br />Our maid servant was washing utensils and a reporter on a TV channel was reporting the huge stocks of the food grains going waste, rats eating and spoiling the food when suddenly she said, “it’s better to be born as rats in India than as a poor human being.” And it hit me, hit me hard.<br />Why does it happen so?? Why our poor fellow citizens do not even get enough food to eat when millions of tones of food grains get just spoilt after spending billions of rupees? Where exactly things go wrong? Why none is bothered to think of the alternatives? The government spends more than 28 thousand crores on the Public distribution system every year and still thousands of children die of malnutrition and millions of people sleep with their stomachs half empty, starving for food. Why?<br />It won’t need a highly decorated economist to say that whenever two markets exist simultaneously, it’s natural that the goods from the low cost market will be moved to the higher cost market. We have a market of PDS for the below poverty line population and a regular open retail market for the rest of the population and since the PDS is a low cost market, the greed of the ration shop owners transfers the food grains to the higher cost open retail market. The corrupt machinery of the government helps this to happen and hence the black-marketing of the PDS food is often reported. So the government has to stop this co-existing two priced double market system and ensure that the food security is delivered to the poor & the needy.<br />A few have suggested to the government to replace the existing Public Distribution System by adopting an alternative such as Smart Card or Food Coupon for the people below the poverty line. The economic survey of the previous year also suggested implementing the Smart Card as an alternative to the corrupt & inefficient PDS. The Smart Cards will be electronically credited with the subsidy amount every month as per the government norms & the inflation percentage. The beneficiaries below the poverty line will go to any grocery store or super markets and will buy the food grains of their choice (variety & quality) and the store owner will swipe the card and will charge only the balance amount to the beneficiary. This system will enable the beneficiary to buy food as per his choice and he will be saved of the usual harassment that he faces at the hands of the ration store owner. The beneficiaries will not be forced live according to the whims of the ration store owner or according to the inefficient/inadequate and the corrupt functioning of the PDS officials. He will not be forced to eat the second grade, low quality food and of course, the government will not be required to buy, store and transport the millions of tones of food grains every year. The entire government machinery involved in this can e kept away and be utilized for something better.<br />Since, the involvement of the government in the agriculture produce markets will be eliminated; more stocks will be available in the market which will effectively rationalize the market prices to its natural level of equilibrium. The government will, actually be able to divert some part of the money spent on storage & distribution directly to the farmers as subsidies. A very strong objection usually is raised that in such a case, how will the poor adivasis, living in the remote villages where even PDS has not reached, survive? Where will they go to avail their food security? But the objectors sadly forget that how are these poor adivasis surviving today when even the existing PDS has not reached them?? It means that they have to go to the open market somewhere in their vicinity and hence in the same way, they will go to the same open market in their vicinity for buying food but now with a Smart Card. <br />It’s also important to note here that one of the rationales of the PDS is to enable the beneficiary to avail food of his choice & tradition habits. The latest survey by the government shows that 74% of the rural population in the Maharashtra and the 88% of the BPL population in the Maharashtra state eats course cereals such as Jawar, Nagli & Bajra as their main staple food. It’s the inherent culture of the people of Maharashtra to have these course cereals for hundreds of years. But the PDS offers wheat & Rice. These course cereals are neither bought by the government nor distributed through PDS. So, the families used to eat these have no option left but to either not avail their PDS food (which then invariable gets sold in the open market) & buy coarse cereals from retail market or sell their quota of PDS food and buy food of their choice from retail market. <br />The same survey also exposes the fact that the government had actually spent more on the subsidies for the Above Poverty Line population than on the subsidies for the Below Poverty Line population. All this can be avoided if the central government succeeds in putting off the pressure from the corrupt bureaucrats and the petty politicians and implements the Smart Cards to ensure the food security. It’s obvious that since politicians have their vested interests through their workers who invariably own or run the PDS ration shops and the bureaucracy has its own corrupt interests to oppose such a move. But the will to provide food security to the poor should supersede the vested interests and then only the poor will not feel lucky to be born as Rats instead of human beings. <br /> <br />Niranjanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17118479126265745941noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139213514564944658.post-38215113689404589102010-03-20T23:41:00.000+05:302010-03-20T23:42:49.030+05:30A Letter to Kalavati...<div> <p>Dear Kalavati,</p> <p>Did you vote? No? But, why? I don't understand why you people are so depressed nowadays. Actually, traditionally we Indians have all been ardent lovers of donating and voting is the holiest donation. Don't you remember having donated so many things in the last 60 years? Don't you remember? Let me help you recollect.</p> <p>Your family has been farmers for many generations. Crores of Indians have been doing it for ages. Now, all of you buy seeds, pesticides, fertilisers, electricity, ropes and what not. You buy all these at the prices decided by the respective manufacturers. Then you till the land with your sweat for days and months. Whatever you grow; whether it's cotton, onion, potato, vegetables or grains; tell me do you ever decide the price for that? No. Never. Not a single farmer in India has ever decided the price of his produce. Now, is it not a donation? Donation of the right to decide the price of your produce on the basis of its production cost. Well, you don't stop at that. Whenever the selling price of your crop is unaffordable and you fall into the debt trap, you donate your life also. Your husband also donated his life and you call it as suicide. No. It's donation!</p> <p>Hey Kalavati, you know I met one of your brothers at the bank. He had come for borrowing some money to buy a tractor and I had gone to approach for a car loan. The bank gave me loan at 7 per cent interest and the dealer had paid for the RTO tax and insurance. Since your brother wanted a tractor, the bank charged him 19 per cent interest. But your brother started arguing with the manager. Now, is there any comparison between my urban and his rural stature? No way! He kept on saying that the agriculture minister says that loans to the farmers are at 6 per cent interest. Now who will tell him that the RBI gives some loan to the NABARD at 7 per cent, then the NABARD gives it to the state cooperative bank which, in turn, then gives to the district cooperative bank (DCC) and the DCC disburses it to the rural credit society, which finally gives it to the farmer at 18 per cent because the operating cost (expenses of the board of directors, their air conditioned cars, guest houses etc.) gets added in the interest at every step. But since your brother is illiterate, he could not understand the importance of this donation of added interest.</p> <p>Now, on the other side, me and all my relatives stay in urban areas, the million-plus cities of India. Do you know that our government is going to spend thousands of crores of rupees for the renovation and development of these select cities in the country? <i>Arre</i>, so many committees have been formed at city, state and the national levels. Monitoring, steering, scrutinizing committees, with many highly educated and experienced IAS officers sitting in those committees. The projects are going to be implemented through People and Public Partnership. They call it principle of PPP. Forget that representatives of the people or public are not present in those committees but the principle is there. And what is the use of taking suggestions from the people or what is the use of understanding their needs? If that is to be done, what is the use of taking so many highly educated and experienced IAS officers? Isn't it? And majority of the people have taken this as another donation. Now, you also consider this as a donation, ha!</p> <p>Now what remains is our religious and linguistic issues. Are we all not Indians? We have given liberty to everyone so far to do anything they want. We had issues of hunger, poverty, unemployment but we allowed all of them to do whatever they wish. We gave liberties of instigating riots, of demolishing historical monuments, of taking or giving commissions, of releasing terrorists. Tell me, have we not given these liberties? Have we ever questioned them directly? Now a few are taking liberties of creating hatred on the basis of linguistic differences, isn't it? But you take all these too emotionally. That day didn't you ask me that these people who talk of linguistic pride educate their own children in convent schools. Didn't you say that? Kalavati, it is not the betrayal of their linguistic pride, but it is the donation of their linguistic pride. And we have to do everything for that pride. </p> <p>And you silly woman, do you have the remotest idea that nearly 12.5 crore people in India do not even have the basic fundamental rights? They are not given birth certificates, ration cards, they are not allowed a house, education is denied. They don't even exist in the voters' list. But still, they are all silent and taking this as their contributory donation. Tell me, had you not existed in the voters' list, who would even think of visiting your home? Now, you exist in the voters' list and that's why even prince Rahul visits your home. And yet you don't vote? </p> <p>Kalavati, have you now finally understood how large-hearted we all have been? If you get depressed, what will happen to all those people who have launched so many national and regional political showrooms? You have to think about them too. Now don't think too much also. Do vote the next time. Vote twice or thrice if you feel too guilty.</p> <p>Yours truly,</p> <p>Niranjan Takle</p> </div>Niranjanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17118479126265745941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139213514564944658.post-26804612697302879992010-03-20T23:36:00.000+05:302010-03-20T23:39:01.155+05:30If I were the Finance Minister Of India...<div> <p>I aim to be the Prime Minister of India. Recent history, however, guides me to be the Finance Minister first and then only can I aspire to be the Prime Minister. Also, I have to offer something extraordinary to the people of India as a Finance Minister to gain a credible pro-poor, pro-development image which would impress my high command and select me for the coveted job. </p> <p>I met Mr. Anil Bokil one day and he told me a way to heaven. Yes, a path to heaven. But is it a practical idea? Frankly, I don't know. Is it possible? I don't know. Is it fiction? I don't know. Is it worth considering? Yes, why not? All other questions could be discussed and debated. I think India has plenty of intellectuals, experts and economists to debate on that and decide. Well, well, but let me tell you the way first, the way to heaven!</p> <p>What will it be like in a situation where there is no tax, no octroi, no VAT, no excise, no income tax, no corporate tax, no stamp duties, no wealth tax, nothing! It will be like living in heaven! But, there will be something that will be simple, possible and easier! Say, if two per cent was charged at the end of every transaction. Would any one ask, WHY? What is it going to solve? What are the problems that this will address? We will see them one by one.</p> <p>The present taxation system has two types of taxes: Direct (tax on income) and Indirect (taxes on consumption). The principle of equity in economics implies that the direct taxes should be more than the indirect but presently the ratio is reverse, 28 per cent to 72 per cent. The canon of simplicity demands the system to be very simple so that even a layman could understand the implications without the need of an expert. But the system is too complex and complicated. The current system of multiple point tax rates, multiple rules of exemption, constantly changing policies completely confuses a tax payer and this leads to the violation of the principle of certainty. The tax-payer never knows exactly how much he needs to pay and how much is extracted from him. The cost of tax collection also has to be minimum. Presently, the tax collection infrastructure costs itself are extremely high for the government. </p> <p>The Union taxes as per the 7th Schedule of the Constitution range from income tax to the inter-state taxes covering 12 types of taxation. The taxes within the state jurisdiction as per the List II in the 7th Schedule cover 17 various types of taxation from sales tax to octroi. The existing problems of multiplicity of taxes, complex nature of taxes, heavy reliance on indirect taxes, arbitrary nature of taxes has led to various far-reaching serious problems. The scope of evasion, creation of narrow base of taxation and limited coverage and rise in the generation of black money have been the major problems. The Indian Economy by Ruddar Datta claims that the black money in the country was 11 lakh crores in 1998 and was increasing at a rate of 13 per cent per annum. At the same time, the white money was only 8.5 per cent with an increase of 7.5 per cent per year. </p> <p>Well, there are many more details and problems of the present system. But then what is that way to the heaven? </p> <p>1. Abolition/withdrawal of the present taxation system, except customs and import duties. Instead, every transaction routed through the banks will attract say a 2 per cent deduction at the receiving end, to the credit accounts only. The deduction will be automatically credited to different government levels like Central, state and local. Additionally, certain share will be credited to the bank. Say, 0.7% to the central, 0.6% to the state, 0.35% to the local government like Municipal corporation or ZP and 0.35% to the transacting bank account. Total 2% of the transaction amount.</p> <p>2. The RBI and the government should abolish all the denominations above Rs.50/- in one year. With only low valued currency, the tendency to adopt cash transactions for high values will stop. </p> <p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" width="100%"> <tbody><tr bgcolor="#cc0000"> <td width="21%"><div class="wtxt11" style="padding: 3px;" align="center"><strong>Country</strong></div></td> <td width="32%"><div class="wtxt11" style="padding: 3px;" align="center"><strong>Per capita income </strong><p><strong>(A)</strong></p> </div></td> <td width="35%"><div class="wtxt11" style="padding: 3px;" align="center"><strong>Highest Denomination (B) </strong></div></td> <td width="12%"><div class="wtxt11" v="" align="center"><strong>A/B = </strong></div></td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#f1f1f1"> <td><div class="btxt11" style="padding: 3px;" align="center">USA </div></td> <td><div class="btxt11" style="padding: 3px;" align="center">30,000 USD </div></td> <td><div class="btxt11" style="padding: 3px;" align="center">100 USD </div></td> <td><div class="btxt11" style="padding: 3px;" align="center">300 </div></td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#f7f7f7"> <td><div class="btxt11" style="padding: 3px;" align="center">UK </div></td> <td><div class="btxt11" style="padding: 3px;" align="center">18,000 pounds </div></td> <td><div class="btxt11" style="padding: 3px;" align="center">50 pounds </div></td> <td><div class="btxt11" style="padding: 3px;" align="center">360 </div></td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#f1f1f1"> <td><div class="btxt11" style="padding: 3px;" align="center">Japan </div></td> <td><div class="btxt11" style="padding: 3px;" align="center">40,00,000 yen </div></td> <td><div class="btxt11" style="padding: 3px;" align="center">10,000 yen </div></td> <td><div class="btxt11" style="padding: 3px;" align="center">400 </div></td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#f7f7f7"> <td><div class="btxt11" style="padding: 3px;" align="center">India </div></td> <td><div class="btxt11" style="padding: 3px;" align="center">Rs. 16,000 </div></td> <td><div class="btxt11" style="padding: 3px;" align="center">Rs.1000 </div></td> <td><div class="btxt11" style="padding: 3px;" align="center">16 </div></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p>The availability of higher denomination currency, leads to avoiding bank transactions in India. </p> <p>3. Cash transactions will not attract any transaction tax. But the government should make legal provisions to restrict cash transactions upto say Rs.2000/- only. Transactions in cash of Rs.2000/- only should be treated as LEGAL and no legal umbrella should be provided for anything above that.</p> <p>4. The banks will need to modernize and work round the clock. For that, they will be receiving adequate revenue also.</p> <p> </p> <p>For example, in 07-08, the revenue of the Mumbai Municipal corporation was Rs. 8,550/- crore. The bank transactions in Mumbai during that year were of Rs. 36,85,000/-. So considering the proposed 0.35% share of the local self government, the revenue to the Mumbai Municipal Corporation will be Rs.13,000 crore. </p> <p> </p> <p>The proportion of the annual transactions to the GDP in various countries is as below ..</p> <p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" width="100%"> <tbody><tr bgcolor="#cc0000"> <td width="21%"><div class="wtxt11" style="padding: 3px;" align="center"><strong>Country</strong></div></td> <td width="32%"><div class="wtxt11" style="padding: 3px;" align="center"><strong>Annual transactions & GDP ratio </strong></div></td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#f1f1f1"> <td><div class="btxt11" style="padding: 3px;" align="center">USA </div></td> <td><div class="btxt11" style="padding: 3px;" align="center">50 </div></td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#f7f7f7"> <td><div class="btxt11" style="padding: 3px;" align="center">UK </div></td> <td><div class="btxt11" style="padding: 3px;" align="center">70 </div></td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#f1f1f1"> <td><div class="btxt11" style="padding: 3px;" align="center">Japan </div></td> <td><div class="btxt11" style="padding: 3px;" align="center">110 </div></td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#f7f7f7"> <td><div class="btxt11" style="padding: 3px;" align="center">India </div></td> <td><div class="btxt11" style="padding: 3px;" align="center">20 (assumption) </div></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p>As for India,</p> <p> </p> <p>20 = Annual money transaction / GDP.. so as per the figures of 2007-08, the GDP was Rs.47,00,000 crore. Hence, the annual money transactions would be Rs.9,40,00,000 Crore. Now, the government calculates its revenue as </p> <p> </p> <p>Government Tax Revenue = Annual money transaction x banking transaction tax / 100... so the banking tax in % will be...</p> <p> </p> <p>Bank transaction tax in % = 8,74,120 x 100/9,40,00,000 = 0.93%</p> <p> </p> <p>And, we are proposing, 2% transaction tax... This means that the government will easily be able to generate more revenue than it's collecting now.</p> <p>This will lead to the complete eradication of black money. The revenue collection will be very simple, hassle free and the cost of collection of taxes will be the most minimum. The unproductive time spent with tax collection authorities will be saved and more productively used. The revenue collection will be every day and very simple. Hence, the government will always have money in hand whenever needed. The stabilization of prices will happen in all the states and will help the manufacturers. The tax collection will be corruption free and the banks will also earn more money to avail credits at lower interest rates. </p> <p> </p> <p>I know, there would be many opinions and views of the experts but at least a good debate can be initiated... But if it is practical, it will be of benefit to the last man and if it's not practical, then what is wrong in dreaming of living in heaven?</p> </div> <!-- Begin: Pagination Contatiner --> <div class="STgreydotdiv"><img src="http://static.ibnlive.com/pix/common/zero.gif" alt="" title="" height="1" width="1" /></div> <!-- insid Right Cont --> <!-- Read post ibnspecial Cont Start -->Niranjanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17118479126265745941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139213514564944658.post-48452486608469020672008-12-23T18:30:00.000+05:302008-12-23T18:33:10.126+05:30Sarangkhed....1600 Horse Powerमहाराष्ट्राच्या एका टोकाला असलेल्या सारंगखेड या आदिवासी गावात दरवर्षी होत असलेल्या घोडेबाजारात फक्त 15 दिवसांत तब्बल 50 कोटी रुपयांपेक्षा जास्त उलाढाल होते. राजापासून रंकापर्यंत सर्वच जण उत्साहानं यात भाग घेतात. विस्तीर्ण अशा पसरलेल्या तापी नदीच्या काठावर सारंगखेड हे गाव वसलंय. गेल्या 400 वर्षांपासून इथे घोड्यांचा बाजार भरतो, असं म्हणतात. शिवाजी महाराज सूरतेला जाण्याआधी सारंगखेडला आले होते आणि त्यांनी आपले घोडे इथे बदलून घेतले होते, असंही म्हटलं जातं. दरवर्षी दत्त जयंतीला हा बाजार भरतो. सारंगी बनण्यासाठी प्रसिद्ध असलेल्या या गावात मोठमोठे वादक आणि सरदार यायचे. मग त्यांना विकण्यासाठी इथे घोड्यांचा बाजारही भरू लागला, असं म्हणतात. आज शेकडो वर्षानंतरही शासकीय मदत नाही, कोणीही आयोजक नाही, जाहीरात नाही की निमंत्रण नाही. पण हा बाजार ठरल्यादिवशी भरतो आणि देशभरातले हजारो लोक इथे हजर होतात. तापी नदीच्या काठावर भरलेल्या या बाजारात राजस्थान, पंजाब, उत्तर प्रदेश, गुजरात अशा अनेक राज्यांतले व्यापारी इथे घोडे घेऊन येतात. सारंगखेडचे संस्थानिक विक्रांत रावल यांनी या घोडेबाजाराविषयी अधिक माहिती दिली. विक्रांत रावल हे घोड्यांचा व्यापार करत नाही तर एक वारसा म्हणून घोडे बाळगतात. मारवाड, काठेवाडी, पंजाब अशा अस्सल भारतीय ' नस्ल ' चे आणि नुकरा, सफेद, तेल्या, गोमेद, काळा, संजाब अशा अनेक रंगाचे अक्षरश: हजारो घोडे इथे आहेत. इथे देशभरातून घोडे येतात. कोट्यवधींची उलाढाल होते. सुरुवातीला तर शासनाच्या पशूसंवर्धन खात्यातर्फे अनंत अडचणी आणण्याचा प्रयत्न झाला. कुणीतरी परदेशातून आयात केलेल्या घोड्याला पुण्यात एन्फ्ल्यूएंझा हा ताप आल्यानं, हा घोड्यांचा बाजारच भरवायचा नाही असा फतवा काढला होता. पण स्थानिकांनी या शासकीय उपद्रवाला कडाडून विरोध केलाय. ' ही आमची परंपरा आहे आणि दुसरीकडेकुठेतरी हे झालं म्हणून इथे बंदी हे आम्ही चालू देणार नाही ' , असं जि.प.सदस्य जयपाल रावल यांनी सांगितलं.अखेर ग्रामपंचायतीचा ठराव, नागरिकांचा विरोध यापुढे शासनाच्या कागदी घोड्यांना मान तुकवावीच लागली. सारंगखेड ग्रामपंचायतीला निव्वळ करापोटी लक्षावधी रुपये मिळतात पण फक्त व्यक्तिगत पातळीवरचे होणारे हे प्रयत्न सोडले तर शासनाकडून याला प्रोत्साहन असं काहीच मिळत नाही. राजकारण्याच्या सत्तासंघर्षाला ' घोडेबाजाराचं ' नाव देऊन खरं तर या इमानी जनावराला बदनाम केलं जातंय. सारंगखेडचा हा बाजार राजस्थानच्या पुष्कर मेळ्याप्रमाणे जगभर न्यायचा असेल तर खूप काही करणं गरजेचं आहे. नुसतं भीमथडीच्या तट्टाणाला यमुनेचं पाणी पाजा, असं म्हणून काही होणार नाही. त्यासाठी ठोस अशा सुविधा पुरवणं गरजेचं आहे. हे खरंय की शासनानं या बाजाराला प्रोत्साहन दिलं. सातपुडा, सह्याद्रीवर घोडेसफारी सुरु केली. घोड्यांचे खेळ अशा गोष्टींना मदत केली तर सारंगखेडचा हा बाजार जगभरात एक पर्यटनाचं आकर्षण बनू शकतं. पण गेल्या पन्नास वर्षांपेक्षा जास्त काळापासून सारंगखेडला घोडे विक्रीसाठी आणणारे ठाकूर अर्जुनसिंग यांचा अनुभव अगदी वाईट आहे. ठाकूर अर्जुनसिंग थेट आग्राहून आले आहेत. 80 वर्षांचे अर्जुनसिंग यांची मुलं वकील आहेत. पण घोड्यांवर मनापासून प्रेम करणारे अर्जुनसिंग यांना भारतभर चांगल्या प्रतीचे घोडे शोधत फिरायचा नाद काही सोडवत नाही. यावेळी त्यांनी तेवीस घोडे आणलेत. अस्सल पंजाबी नस्ल चे आहेत. 'आम्ही ठिकठिकाणी विक्रीसाठी घोडे नेतो. सारंगखेडला 50 वर्षांपासून येतोय. पण कुठेही, केव्हाही पैसे द्यावे लागतात. ड्रायव्हर आणि व्यापार्यांना पोलीस दमदाटी करुन पैसे घेतात ', असं अर्जुनसिंग यांनी सांगितलं. रात्रीच्या वेळीही या बाजारातील व्यवहार काही थांबत नाही. रात्रीच्या वेळीही सौदे, देवाणघेवाण, अश्वपरिक्षा हे चालूच असतं.सारंगखेडच्या बाजारात सर्वसामान्य टांगेवाल्यांपासून ते अगदी राजघराण्यांपर्यंत सर्वच जण येतात. उपजिविकेपासून ते मर्दानी हौसेसाठी घोडा या सर्वांनाच हवाय. पण चांगला, सुलक्षणी घोडा निवडणं, तितकसं सोप नाही. ताठ मान, काळं खूर, रूंद पाठ, एकमेकाला जुळणारे कान ही प्रथमदर्शनी दिसणारी उत्तम अंग लक्षणं. पण त्यांच्या जातीवर म्हणजे 'नस्ल' वर त्यांचा स्वभाव अवलंबून असतो. बारीक डोळे, छोटे कान आणि मोठ्या नाकपुड्या असलेला काठेवाडी घोडा अत्यंत तापट. घोड्यांच्या या इमानी स्वभावामुळेच ही माणसं ही त्यांच्यावर मनापासून प्रेम करणारी आहेत. यात अशीही माणसं आहेत की ज्यांची मूळ आवड कुठली दुसरीच होती. पण आता मात्र ती घोड्यांना खूपच जीव लावतात. फलटणचे संस्थानिक निंबाळकर गेल्या पाच वर्षांपासून सारंगखेडला येतात आणि आता त्यांच्या स्वत:च्या पागेत त्यांनी तब्बल सोळा घोडे बाळगलेत. साधारणपणे आपल्याला घोडा हा वाळवंटात धावणारा, डोंगरदर्यात दोडणारा, पाण्यात पोहणारा असा अतिशय शक्तिशाली प्राणी वाटत असला तरी काही बाबतीत अगदी नाजूक आणि भावनाप्रधानही आहे. घोड्याला वाढवताना, पोसताना त्याच्या या नाजूक गोष्टी खूपच काळजीपूर्वक सांभाळाव्या लागतात. सारंगखेड्याच्या बाजाराची ही खासियतच आहे की इथे फक्त घोडे विकले जात नाहीत, तर ते जपायचे कसे, पोसायचे कसे, वाढवायचे कसे याबरोबर ते चालवायचे कसे, हे पण दाखवलं जातं. विकत घेणार्याला अंगलक्षणांवरुन एकदा घोडा पसंत पडला की त्याला दावणीतून मोकळं करून पहिलं चालवलं जातं. त्याची चाल दाखवून मग त्याच्यावर रपेट करुन दाखवली जाते. यात घोडयावर चढल्याबरोबर तो पहिलं मागे सरकतो का पुढे हे बघितलं जातं. घोडा मागे सरकला तर अंग लक्षणं कितीही चांगली असो, त्याची किंमत कमी होते. सारंगखेडच्या बाजारात असे हजारो घोडे आणि तितकेच दर्दी असे हजारो अश्वप्रेमी बघायला मिळतात. घोड्यांवर प्रेम करणारी ही माणसंच महाराष्ट्राची मर्दानी परंपरा टिकवून आहेत.सारंगखेडचा हा बाजार 400 वर्षांपेक्षा समृद्ध. ही ऐतिहासिक संस्कृती जागतिक पर्यटकांसाठी एक आकर्षण केंद्र बनू शकतं. पण त्यासाठी या अस्सल भारतीय नस्लच्या या रुबाबदार घोड्यांवर जीवलग सवंगड्यासारखं प्रेम करता आलं पाहिजे. सारंगखेडच्या बाजारपेठेच्या अडीच घरातून हा घोडा जगाच्या पटावर आणता येईल. छत्रपती शिवाजी महाराजांप्रमाणेच त्यांच्या अश्वप्रेमाचीही जाणीव आपण ठेवायला हवी. तरंच भीमथडीच्या या तट्टांना अगदी थेम्स नदीचंही पाणी पाजता येईल.<br /><br />To view this film, visit : <a href="http://www.ibnlokmat.tv/showvideo.php?id=31651">http://www.ibnlokmat.tv/showvideo.php?id=31651</a>Niranjanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17118479126265745941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139213514564944658.post-21022835436577555392008-12-23T17:59:00.000+05:302008-12-23T18:00:53.132+05:30Your Curry Has My Blood In It...<span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I was watching a local cable news channel where the reporter was questioning a lady about the problems she was facing due to the recent onion price rise. She started with problems of the monthly family budget and all. I suddenly became agile as the reporter was doing that vox pop in front of the biggest jewellery shop in Nashik and the lady in question had just come out of the plush showroom with shopping bags in hand. That really shook me from inside. The lady had probably spent a few tens of thousands rupees on buying some new jewellery at nearly Rs 9900/10gms of gold and was literally blood red while talking about the Rs 22 per kg of onions.<br />As a reporter, I was very closely watching the misery of the onion farmers for the past four years in Nashik district. When I had gone to cover the first onion farmers' suicide in rural Nashik, I was very directly questioned by a village boy, " you do go to the urban housewives to see their problems when onion prices go high then why don't you come to us when it falls to Rs1 per kg?" And I had no answer. The metropolitan viewership, TRP, passive urban attitude towards rural India all these answers would have been insensitive for his logical question.<br />I was speechless.<br />Then I had begun to study this problem more seriously and in more empathetical manner. We have been witnessing an era of market liberalisation for almost 16 years now and we also proudly say that still almost 64 per cent of India's population lives in rural India...striving rather surviving on agriculture...and very sadly but factually...this 64 per cent population til in their fields with their heart & soul put together but the produce of the 64 per cent population does not get the opportunity of a liberal market. As per the law, they have to bring the produce...at their cost...to the APMC's pay for weighing, grading, loading/unloading...and sell at the pre-managed auctions in the APMC's. The traders form a ring among themselves and decide that none of them is going to bid for more than a certain price...the farmers face an auction with a pre-determined bid price...thus the prices are made to fall. If you remember...for the past 3 seasons, the prices in the APMC's were kept as low as Rs 1.50 per kg but the retail prices were never below Rs 9 per kg. The costs of seed, water, electricity, fertilizer, pesticides, labor, transportation, weighing, loading/unloading are borne by the farmers and when he just couldn't cope up with the pressures of managing within Rs 1.50...he started committing suicides...last year witnessed 59 suicides in Nashik district alone.<br />This time, if the wholesale prices are at Rs 19 per Kg....then how come the retail price is only at Rs 20? Don't wonder...the onion in the retail market is of the summer season...purchased then at Rs 6-7 per Kg...stored and now brought to the market at a very high margin...The traders are far more aware of the national trends than the poor illiterate farmer...the low rain areas in Karnataka bring onions to the national market with the fall of the monsoon but this year. They have had unusually high rains and hence the crops have got delayed or spoiled. So nationally, the demand for onions has increased as compared to the supply and so the stored onions have arrived at higher prices.<br />Also, the government gives subsidies to those farmers who build a facility to store onions...this costs nearly Rs2 lacs and hence only the rich afford to build this. More than 60 per cent of the onion farmers are small land owners and they simply can't afford. So even this time, the rich farmers who could store the summer crop are minting money today but still the 60 per cent of the farmers have not benefitted.<br />Now if the auctions in the APMC's are managed as they were...the farmers will get agitated as the retail prices would be almost 20 times what they would get...as it is the onion season in the Nashik market is finishing and within a weeks time there won't be an onion in the APMC's...the last purchase has been of only 6000 quintals at a rate of Rs 19 per kg. During the peak of the season...it is to the tune of 50-60,000 quintals per day.<br />So the traders feel no harm in buying small quantity of onion at higher price. In addition to this, the politicians controlling the board of the APMC's will also be little assured & feel safer as the mid-term elections are on the thresholds and 60 per cent of the total farmers are onion producers<br />If the agriculture produce get a liberal market...the farmers will sell their produce at a price that covers their costs, interests and a reasonable profit. Today, the costs & interests component amounts to Rs 4.50 per Kg for Onions. So the farmers will be happy to sell it for say Rs7 per Kg and the consumers will get it at retail at Say Rs 9 per kg. But this will be a constant rate throughout the year. Also look at this fact...the farmers have to buy electricity, seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, transport at the prices decided by the respective manufacturers but the farmers can not determine the price of their produce. And we call this a liberalized economy where 64 crore producers can't decide the prices of their production.<br />We as consumers anyway pay Rs 9 per Kg even when the wholesale prices are at Rs1.5 per Kg & farmers committing suicides. But then, the huge trading community which has tremendous money power will get threatened, the donations to the political parties will decline and people minting money out of adversities will be at loss.<br />In schools, we have learnt that our country lives in rural India but thanks to the present day politicians & traders, our country is dieing in rural India</span>Niranjanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17118479126265745941noreply@blogger.com0