Experts flag agrarian crisis in Punjab

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, March 9

The ongoing literature and book festival at Khalsa college hosted discussion on the agrarian crisis and the environment challenges being faced by Punjab. Several expert speakers spoke on issue concerning economic growth of farmers as well as farm practices.

Dr Davinder Sharma, renowned expert on agrarian economics, spoke about several issues, stressing that the environmental issues and increasing the income of the farmers must be the focus of any new policy on agriculture.

It is necessary to bring an environment- based solution to increase agricultural output and for that the governments will have to shoulder the responsibility of setting up such a huge economic infrastructure. —Dr Davinder Sharma, Agri expert

Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina, Honorary Secretary, Khalsa College Governing Council, called upon the governments and the society at large to address the issues concerning farming in Punjab. He sought the minimum support price (MSP) to be given the legal sanction by making it a law and to be enforced fully to save the farmers.

Dr Sharma earlier, quoting statistics on India’s agrarian crisis said that the monthly income of a farmer today is not even enough to raise a cow, then how can he raise his entire family. “Average income of farmers should be at least Rs 30,000 per month. To have another round of Green revolution would not be advisable as it would create environmental issues. However, in order to revive the environment of Punjab, it is necessary to bring an environment-based solution to increase agriculture output and for that the governments would have to shoulder the responsibility of setting up such a huge economic infrastructure,” he said.

He added that the farmers are well aware of the problems of burning of straw and depletion of ground water in Punjab and they too wanted a solution to these problems. But leaving the burden of all this on the farmers alone cannot solve these problems.

RMS Chhina and Dr Mehal Singh, principal, Khalsa college, released ‘Qaeda-e-Noor’, a program organised by Dr. Ajaib Singh Chattha of Jagat Punjabi Sabha, Canada. The program was dedicated to mother language Punjabi. Coordinated by Principal Beant Kaur Shahi, the program had scholars like Dr. SS Gill, Ravinder Dhillon, Principal Kanwaljit Kaur Bajwa, Principal (Dr.) Rajinder Singh, Principal Baldev Singh and Satinder Kaur Kahlon. They expressed their views on Qaida-e-Noor and said that during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, this Qaida was distributed in every village to impart education to the people and with the help of the same, the elders of the village used to impart education/knowledge to five persons of the village.

Concluding event of the day, ‘Mela Chahun Kootan Da’, the audience was mesmerised by the cultural colors of Majha, Malwa, Doaba and Puadh areas of Punjab, which was conducted in association with Punjab Sangeet Natak Academy.

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