Industry is more important than Agriculture

Industry became a key sector of production and labour in European and North American countries during the Industrial Revolution, which upset previous mercantile and feudal economies through many successive rapid advances in technology, such as the steel and coal production. It is aided by technological advances, and has continued to develop into new types and sectors to this day. Following the Industrial Revolution, perhaps a third of the world's economic output is derived from manufacturing industries—more than agriculture's share. However, the success of industries over agriculture has also been measured in terms of number of jobs created. Also, the societal changes in Western world is claimed to have  been generated from the development of industries and private companies becoming equal in wealth to the royalties.

However, we must also remember the side- effects of such prolific growth of industries-

The industrial revolution changed warfare, with mass-produced weaponry and supplies, machine-powered transportation, mobilization, the total war concept and weapons of mass destruction.

What had originally heralded the growth of industries ie. Creation of jobs is now on the decline due to ultra-modern machinery.

The third idea that modern goods will be produced by a country which when sold will earn foreign exchange has also got a hitch- some countries including India is flooded with cheap low-grade goods imported from China- thanks to policy decisions.

Fourth- The societal changes that were possible in Western world seems nowhere near in India , whatever be the industrial progress.

Fifth- progress of industries brought with it the irreversible damage to the natural and physical environment. After 200 years of mass scale degeneration of every natural resource on earth, countries are waking up to the sorry fact that without a sustainable environment, all their progress will go down the drain.

In India, 46 percent land is under cultivation, whereas less than 17 percent is industrial land. This gap between agriculture and industries may seem very high, but more than 70 percent Indian earn their livelihood on agriculture. To feed population of a billion, this percentage may even seem less.

Hence the big question is not whether one is important than the other- but how to create a balance between the development of both.

In recent years, this debate has become a front runner thanks to the Singur issue.

one way to strike a balance between the two would be to remove politics from the two sectors. There is a common proverb,

“Where there is life, there is politics, and
Where there is politics, there is corruption.

Instead of usurping paddy fields in the name of progress, state can direct the investors towards the lands which are not arable. In fact, I believe that at the dawn of Indian democracy, that remained the intention of builders of our nation.

There are several thousands of acres of barren land present in India. These land are either not suitable for agriculture or due to lack of resources, agriculture is not possible. Such areas can be found in western region of the country, which includes states like Gujarat and Rajasthan. Regions of black soil such as Deccan plateau and central India are less fertile than river plains and can be used for industries. Areas, which have very less food production, can also be utilized for industries like the Telenganas.
In conclusion it can be said that  for a nation’s development, both Industries and agriculture needs to progress. And that there is no debate to choose one over the other. The question to be answered is how to achieve maximum return from both without compromising the progress of individuals linked with the two sectors.

India Shining

Today we celebrate 65^th Independence Day and hail India as she reaches newer heights of achievements.

The last decade has seen India taking on new challenges, leaping to new heights and aiming for more.

With a population of just over 1 billion, India is the world’s largest democracy. In the past decade, the country has witnessed accelerated economic growth, emerged as a global player with becoming the world’s fourth largest economy in purchasing power parity terms, and made progress on most of the Millennium Development Goals.

It is heartening to know that India did fairly well  in face of global economic melt-down .

However, it was also a decade  when India saw more terror strikes and unforgettable cruelties- Attack on Parliament, twice turning the city of Mumbai into a hell hole, and killing of  hundreds of innocent lives by our own citizens who have turned against us- the Maoists, ULFAs  and other extremists.It is this that we should be concerned about. Why would our own citizens turn so much of violence and hatred against their fellow citizens?

The answer lies in our indifference and lack of political will.

200,000 farmers have killed themselves during the past decade.  As early as in 1928, under the British rule, An Indian farmer was born in debt, lived in debt and left the burden of debt as inheritance to his next generation.

We hoped to see things being different under our own elected government. Unfortunately, today in 2011, an Indian farmer’s average debt remains at a staggering rs 13 thousand annually.

The number of people living below the poverty line is  260 Million  making India home to one-third of the world’s poor. This, even after 65 years of Independence.

If this  lopsided development continues, our nation stands the risk of being fragmented .

At this juncture, we should pause our mad rush of development and delve deeper into what Gandhiji had said. Because his economic ideas still hold relevance today.

Recent policies clearly shows that  large-scale industrialization destroys the fabric of human relationship since it is governed by mass production and benefits only a few.

We cannot have real peace in the world if we look at each other's countries as sources for raw materials or as markets for finished industrial goods. The seeds of war are sown with economic  greed. Our own history stands to this claim.

For Gandhi, the spirit and the soul of India rested in the village communities. He said, "The true India is to be found not in its few cities, but in its seven hundred thousand villages. If the villages perish, India will perish too."

So as we celebrate 65th   Independence Day, we should take a new pledge- that of making India and every one of its citizens empowered- in every respect. Let us also be proud of the glorious legacy left by our forefathers  and be determined to bring in a  brilliant future for all Indians, befitting the world’s largest democracy. Let us shed our indifference and lassitude towards the evils that plague our country and bring forth a truly powerful nation undivided in its ideals and people. Let the spirit of freedom reign supreme in our heart and soul. HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY.