You said the Gujarat government managed more than 8% agricultural growth. How did the state manage it?
That is because they (Gujarat farmers) have given soil health cards, they have been given credit; in short, they have been given all the support system. They have a lot of land in Kutch region, and they have developed it. Whatever maybe (Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra) Modi's politics, which I may not approve, he is a very good administrator.
You also said that SEZs and SAZs should complement each other and not compete, but what is happening is a kind of land war. How can we avoid this?
You can develop a Special Economic Zone based on public debate. Plebiscite has to be taken like they do in countries like Switzerland because the people should be convinced. For everything, they take a plebiscite in Switzerland.
You opposed importing food to increase our food security. But food security is food security after all. If there is a deficiency...
Importing food is like importing unemployment.
In a predominantly agricultural country, if you ignore your own agriculture and import food items, it is dangerous.
Do you see doom or hope for Indian agriculture?
I am sure Indian agriculture will bounce back. There is no other way.
If agriculture goes wrong, nothing else will go right.
I am optimistic about the potential but even God helps only those who help themselves! You can't eat potential; you have to convert it into production and those steps are not being taken.
Has any farmer been given any Padma award in the last 15 years? I am saying this just to show the mindset of the various governments.
The Babus call the farmers 'beneficiaries' and not even farmers. But he (the babu) will not exist if the farmer is not there!
Image: A farmer tills the field in Kitang village, close to Gangtok, Sikkim.
Photograph: Deshakalyan Chowdhury/AFP/Getty Images
Also read: 'Why should the farmers subsidise the Tatas?'
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