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| Cooperative Movement in J&K Discrimination against Farmers | | | Tara Singh Bhall | 11/17/2010 9:08:57 PM |
| More than 80% of the population of our state is constituted of farmers and is engaged in different branches of Agriculture. Unless efforts are initiated to organize and discipline this large bulk of our population, the social-economic measures will not be translated into reality. The Govt. of India again has made no attempt to give encouragement to the cooperative movement and to bring production and marketing sector under cooperative coverage as possible. Never the less it does seem that yet we (J&K) have not reached a stage where the cooperatives are playing the role which they should play in the field of Rural Development.
The most commonly belief for the cooperatives is that there is too much "politices" in the movement and in a democracy, politics have a very definite meaning and role to pay. It is neither possible nor desirable to think of Economic Development of State without considering its political consequences and in fact any programme of development is based on certain political ideals and objectives of Government in power. Politics should mean that the cooperative movement should be utilized to achieve the socio- economic objective and goals of the political party in power. Such political involvement should ensure that the movement gets the necessary help from the Govt. and that it is assigned the reasons and functions necessary for it to grow and help the society means farmers/ members in reaching the goals set up by people through their elected representatives.
Majority of the population in the state is involved in Agriculture related sectors such as Horticulture, Animal & Husbandry. Poultry & Dairy Farming have ample employment avenues where educated youth of farmers can avail benefits of schemes launched by the Cooperative (Scard Bank) sector to achieve Self-sufficiency in food grains, oil seeds, milk, butter, meat and chicken production in the entire state and Govt. of J&K should come forward and announce subsidy for educated youths to set up their own units in these sectors under cooperative so that prices of Daily Consumption may come down.
The cooperative state level institution, the real Farmer Bank called as Jammu and Kashmir State Cooperative Agriculture and Rural Development Band Ltd (JKKSCARD) (LDB) Bank is a non- resourceful Bank at the mercy of NABARD. The Scard Bank since 1962 till 2006 used to advance long term loan for purchase of Tractor, Thresher, installation of pump-sets, Tube well, establishment of Dairy sheep, Poultry, piggery units, for raising orchard in the entire state but due to infighting or having no cooperative concept, no MOU for the last 5 years have been signed by present Government with NABARD as Hon'ble Cooperative Minister and Registrar Cooperative Societies (2002-2008) were only interested to implement the SRO 233 instead of strengthening in various areas of the economy to the problems of rural indebtedness of farmers only in the late 19th century and has done a commendable work in J&K State. It is strange that Farm cooperatives are facing decline at a time when their presence as most needed. This is a discriminatory attitude of state and union Government towards Farmers of the State on various issues and rural farmers in the entire stat5eare facing financial dries. In rural areas, the Poor farmers are always at the mercy of Private money Lenders and rates of interest charged by them and accredited loan Providers mainly remain the cause of exploitation of the Poor and needy farmers. In 1970-75 in a Joint Mechanism J&K cooperative Land Development Bank and Horticulture Department to raise orchards in the entire state was started under the dynamic the then Agriculture cooperative Minister Mr. Tarlochan Dutt and today's fruit revolution is due to that leader who increased the income of the Rural Farmers.
NABARD came into existence only to strengthen the Agriculture Cooperative Sector in the Rural areas but they diverted their activities/ function towards development of Roads & Buildings ignoring the real job assigned to them by Govt. of India, Reserve Bank of India.
It must be borne in mind that the success of democratic popular movement like (Co-operation) is directly proportionate to the degree of awareness and sensitivity of the masses, their urge of morality, discipline and responsibility, for reform and ability to translate the plans, policies and programmers of development into action. For this purpose they must be suitable and properly educated in the purpose, principles, policies. Programmers and techniques of co-operation. As a matter of fact one of the main reason for the slow and stunted growth of the co-operative movement in this state of J&K has been the absence of suitable measures for awakening the consciousness of the rural masses and efficient arrangements for their education, for development of organization.
In fact it must be truly democratic in character, self-reliant and self regulated and therefore it is necessary to guard against the dangers of political state interference and official dominance and introduction of party politics. These pitfalls can be avoided only y there emergence of a bonded honest, wise and strong leaders, within the movement, imbued with a sense of selfless service and devotion to duty, who spring from the same strata as the rank and file of its members and who command sincere respect and full confidence of the members who can rightly understand and interpret the policies and programs of development to the people and exhorts them to implement them. It is only such sincere, efficient strong and effective leadership which can guide the masses and lead us to our cherished goal of a happy co-operative common wealth.
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