Farmers plight

First of all i must say that i am overwhelmed by the comments i have received over my previous post... Alright yes i saw the Oscars:) Thats why this melodrama.
Today i have decided to discuss a sensitive subject. I would now like to let you people know my opinion on the plight of the farmers in India.
Now lets consider the tragic incidents which have happened in the recent past.
In Vidarbha region of Maharashtra farmers are committing suicide due to crop failures and insufficient rains in that region.Similar incidents like Vidarbha are happening in Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh(one of the largest and poorer states of India with a population of approximately 190 million). The land there is totally dry and no rainfall has been observed in the region for the past 5 years. Yes you heard me right, 5 years. The farmers there are either committing suicide or leaving their families in search of work to earn a living. On the other hand the farmers in Singur district of West Bengal are protesting against the car plant which the Tatas are setting up there. The farmers claim that firstly they do not want to part with their land and secondly those who are ready to have not been given adequate compensation.
Some people are calling it a genocide on the part of the government while others blame the region and environment for the farmer's distress. They say that the suicides are a result of debt and the debts are a result of rising cost of production. And regarding the Singur case, the opinion is divided. Its unclear whether industrialization should be favored or land should be left to the farmers for cultivation.
Now for farmers who are suffering in regions where there are recurrences of drought-like conditions should be introduced to the latest technology which is being applied in countries like Japan(a country where there is a huge scarcity of land). The government should pull all the plugs to ensure that our farmers are able to make maximum utilization of their land. Also they should be encouraged to switch to different crops during different times of the year depending on the climate and soil properties. This way they wont be dependent on one crop and will earn a living throughout the year. We also need to make sure that they all know how to conserve water which becomes very important during the dry spells. The government must try to cut down or waiver the debts in these regions so that the farmers can live a life without fear.
On the land encroachment front i guess i prefer industrialization. We all know the success story of China and it happened because of this phenomenon. Formation of industries helps the local economy. It provides job to many people depending upon the scale of the operations. Everyone benefits from it. Schools are opened, shops and markets are developed, hospitals are made and indirect employment is provided to many a people. But it has to be ensured that farmers who were displaced are made a part of the process and are not left out. Also if possible, arable land should not be utilized for this purpose. A few successful examples in India are Bhilai in Chattisgarh (Bhilai Steel Plant), Noida in Uttar Pradesh among others.
I know the solutions which i have discussed are not so easy to implement and are not the sole answers to the problems. But if the implementation of these proposals prevents even one farmer from committing suicide or sitting on an agitation then i consider this worth the effort.

T20-History in the making

Hellllo people, this is my first attempt at blogging so please show some mercy before throwing all the brickbats and abuses at me... :)
So here it goes..
Now i can discuss a lot of things in the arena but lets start with cricket. Recently the launch of the IPL has taken the so called gentlemanly game into different territories. While some are against it there are others including yours truly who believe that this will not only greatly benefit the game but also make it global in its appeal. I mean if people are spending millions on buying franchises then they must have also thought about the way to recover all the money. After all they are looking at it as a venture and u become a venture capitalist only to make profit.
This game can go global only if there is sufficient money in it to attract other countries. Right now as we all know the game is not that popular in countries like US, France, China, Russia, Germany, Japan, and many others. If we want these countries to take to cricket then it should be promoted like the IPL which made some heads turn worldwide. We know that if countries like the US enter the fray then it will not only be good for competition but revenues from the game will touch sky high. We can look for examples like the major league baseball in US or for that matter the english premier league in England. these leagues have not only turned the respective sport into a billion dollar industry but also helped in generating competition and interest among the game's followers.
On the other hand we have to make sure that the other forms of cricket (Tests and ODIs) are not axed from the yearly calendar and regional support does not harm the national team. We also have to protect young players so that they understand the nuances of the game properly and establish themselves as good cricketers rather than good entertainers.
Am happy that all those people who thought that cricket was boring will now get a befitting reply. And for others for whom spending 7 hours in front of the tv was too tiring will now have another option.
I know T20 cricket is for keeps and i really pray that the IPL is as successful as the recent auctions of the players turned out to be.
I guess thats it for today. Expect my next blog shortly. For now i have to deal with my tests which are approaching fast.