May this mango go far

While there is still some excitement in the air about the India US Mango-Harley deal, and while things are bound to continue heating up with the relaxed emissions for the Harleys, something positive did catch my eye about the mangoes.

It seems like some farmers in Karnataka have come together to form a consortium of sorts and create a brand around their Totapuri mangoes. Of note -

Now, news comes from Krishnagiri, the Tamil Nadu district bordering Karnataka that mango farmers in the area are contributing Rs 1,000 each as equity to create a consortium that will sell their pulpy Thothapuri mangoes under a specially created brand, Krishmaa.

Of course they are openly inspired by that icon of co-operatives Amul. However, lest these farmers get a little complacent, they better make sure of a few things.

The flip side of this would be that farmers needed to ensure quality and logistics to match their brands. Brands give identity and may yield a premium. But volumes must be sufficient to justify spending on brand-building. To ensure that there are enough mangoes to justify the supply chain, farmers need to spend on irrigation, crop insurance and pest control as well. This would mean raising the bar – and the costs.

And while I am personally not a big fan of the Totapuris (I feel they are very sweet but lack a distinctly delightful flavor) I think this is a great thing. There is the obvious strength in numbers, a co-operative is a loot less susceptible to exploitation by big agro. Then there are all the benefits of building a well respected brand that Amul has shown so well. The expertise that would be shared between the farmers would help. Plus the benefits of scale will help not only the farmer but also the consumers of their fruit. Lets hope this works out and we have a healthy venture.

Rhetoric and Language

Its all in the way you articulate it. India is surging ahead of the rest of the world, but needs to invest in health, and. infrastructure. Or, India cannot hope to succeed unless it comes to grips with rural poverty, illiteracy and malnutrition.
We saw the latter perspective in Kristof's piece in the NYT. We see the former in Manjeet Kriplani's recent interview.

Kriplani writes for the Business Week in India.

India and China

Nicholas Kristof's recent video clip about India and China on the NYT is a must watch. It doesn't tell us anything we don't know-that the urban euphoria in India is almost palpable and infectious, that the Indian growth rate is the thing to watch out for in the coming years.
But more importantly, Kristof points out that rural India shares none of the optimism...rural primary education being a case in point. Teachers are underpaid, infrastructure dismal and functional illiteracy rampant. Rural China on the other hand fares far better than rural India in health, infrastructure and education, among other things.

Kristof is learning Mandarin, and so are his kids. His bets are on China.

And yours?

Below Poverty Line, no matter! Pay Rs 444, we will excuse your Rs 10

In it's great esteemed wisdom, the State Information Commission (SIC) for the Right to Information Act (RTI) has ruled that while a below poverty line person (BPL) will not need to pay the basic Rs 10 fees for filing an RTI application, the person will have to pay an expense of Rs 444 which is incurred while making the photocopies of material asked by the person.

After hearing the case of a BPL person Ms Shama Praveen, Mr. Rabindra Nath Dash of Mayurbhanj district, Orissa, the Commissioner has ruled that the BPL persons would have to pay all kinds of fees except the application fee. In its verdict, the commission stated that

the complainant was of the wrong notion that he being a BPL card holder is not supposed to pay any fee for copies of the information needed by him.

If someone is unable to pay the Rs 10 fees which is excused for BPL people. a valid point was raised as to how someone is expected to pay the rest of the amount. Even in the FAQ (Frequent Asked Question) put on the website of the Govt. of Orissa the state where this verdict was given, it is mentioned that

no fee will be charged from the people below the poverty line

But the commission has not bothered at all about all these provisions before delivering the above verdict directed against the BPL families. Such absurd decisions will only reduce the power of the RTI act and take away the power from the poorest of the poor who can use it to change their lives for the better.

Police firing in Reva, Madhya Pradesh

After the recent police debacle in Nandigram, police in MP apparently did not learn much from their colleagues and firing on about 4000 adivasis in Rewa, MP. Apparently the trouble started because about 1500 families claimed a piece of forest land and are in possession since more than three years in this village.

After surrounding the area for more than 5 hours, police fired tear gas shells and started beating the women mercilessly. This was followed by police firing. Till now two people are reported
with bullet injuries. All the thatched houses have been burnt and demolished by bulldozers. Interestingly so far, no mainstream English media has covered this - maybe they are waiting for some people to die before they report it. Of course, 8 people are missing which does not matter either.

Time line of events to mayhem…

- 1500 Families comprising 4000 Adivasis with large number of children have been dependent on the forest land in Ghateha village in Teothar Tehsil in Rewa District of Madhya Pradesh. Their living was dependent on the rainfed agriculture from the 1500 bighas land.

- 15 March, 2007 – Around 1500 families dependent on the land in Ghateha village permanently shifted to live on the land which they have been living off for more than three years. The forest department started claiming the land and the harassment started. It is noteworthy here that the land in and around the area was denotified in July 1974.

- 5 April, 2007 – Seventeen people of Ghateha village of Teothar tehsil in Rewa district charge sheeted under Dhara 26,33 & 67 by the Forest Department on their way back from the forest. Nine of them are in jail. Eight of them are missing since then.

- 17 April, 2007 – SDM, SDOP and Forest department official went to Ghateha village and told people that they will be given the Gram Sabha land provided they vacate the land they are in now. Villagers were threatened of dire consequences if not obliged.

- 18 April, 2007 – The District Magistrate Mr. B.C. Ahuja gives assurance to the people to ascertain the status of the land and if it is forest land then people will be given appropriate land.

- 19 April, 2007 – Deployment of police force under the supervision of DFO, SDOP and Circle Officer. Police opens fire after initial tear gas shells. Houses are set on fire.

Interestingly, a day after the DM gives assurances about ascertaining the status of the land, we have a case of police firing and harassment!

Whose development?

Hey ppl,

Thanks to all who have revived this blog. One hopes that the interest and enthusiasm will sustain!

I figured we could kick start our discussion with an honest soul searching about what development means to us. We volunteer for an organization that goes by the Association for India's Development. But,
What is Development? Is it a means to a better life or just better life?
Whose Development? Is development germane only to/for the underprivileged? Is the current urban euphoria in India unjustified?
Why Development? Why should one bother about Development? Is development in your or my hands?

My job was easy. I only had to raise the questions! Its your turn to chip in with your 2 cents!

Biometrics saves Employment Guarantee Act

An interesting article about a successful implementation of Biometrics technology to ensure accountability in the implementation of the recent National Rural Employment Guarantee Act in a mandal in Andhra Pradesh. It's refreshing to see a layer of bureaucratic corruption being eliminated which usually is where most government subsidized funds seem to disappear. Not that this is not going to introduce more sophisticated ways of corruption, but as long as the bad have to work just as hard as the good to earn, it can be considered positive change. Cheers to Technology!

http://www.theotherindia.org/rural/technology-can-save-nrega.html