Haryana is predominantly an agriculture state. It's vicinity to national capital provide special significance to it. After its creation on Nov.1,1966, agriculture in state shown an unpredictably upsurge both in production and productivity of cereals particularly wheat and rice and contribute significantly in national pool. Green revolution of sixties played a vital role in unprecedented growth in agriculture. Creation of new state and advent of Green Revolution provided tremendous opportunities to farmers and farm labors to attain newer heights in production of cereals. Farm university and many agricultural institutions were established in Hisar and Karnal. Regional
agricultural institutions were also came into the existence in different parts of Haryana to cater need and demands of farm sector and this new development created availability of technology and knowledge at the door step of farmers. Farmers of Haryana grabbed this new opportunity with both hands and by investment of their hard work and labor took the state on higher pedestal of agriculture growth. But this growth also brought new challenges before the farm sector. New varieties and technology was high input intensive package. Now Agriculture production was not possible without fertilizer, pesticides and irrigation. These inputs demanded for higher dose of furnace in agriculture production. And we see the simultaneous growth in the fields of new farm implements, tractors, more pesticides and seed agencies and more tube wells and submersibles. These inputs burdened the agriculture enormously. Farmers were made to raise crop loans from commission agents initially and later on from organised banking sectors against pledging of their lands. Since Haryana is in the bracket of high growth of population and its population increased exponentially over the past 48 years. This led to shrinkage of farm holdings and over burdened by crop loans. Requirement of irrigation led to more installation of tube wells and so power bills surprised the farmers of this new state. In nutshell, higher production created higher indebtedness of farmers. Agriculture remains a profitable vocation anymore. Most of the farmers are debt ridden and find it difficult to pursue agriculture as an vocation. But there is no other option and hence pursuing this. The landless agricultural laborers who reaped dividends of boom in agriculture production are now find it difficult to be engaged in agriculture because farmers family could meet the requirements of labor. At the peak of season such as seeding of crop or harvesting provide work to agriculture laborers. Both farmers and farm labors are in dire straits.
The plight of farmers breed opportunity for politics. Political parties are engaged in create a demand of compensation for crop loss to weather's vagaries or for any other flimsy ground instead of making a comprehensive agriculture policy to save the agriculture. They created it a tool to garner sympathy and votes. In last decade this demand of compensation is at fore now and then. Farmers are made to demand compensations rather than remedy for challenges before agriculture. Compensation on crop loss is the duty and responsibility of government of the day but assessment and distribution of such competition must be objective and the benefit must reach to the actual looser. Unfortunately this is not happening. Political clout of a ruling party leader rules the assessment and its distribution. Recently, rabi crops were affected by unseasonable rains and hailstorms in some parts of Haryana and it was the duty of the government to compensate the farmers whose crop lost beyond the prescribed limit of the damage parameters. But department and government failed to make an objective assessment of crop loss and hasten got the report of special harvest inspection and sanctiond an amount of ₹1072 crore for compensation. This was the big amount to be distributed for crop loss within a month or two after crop loss. What is glaring is that actual area of damage and farmers were not identified properly rather pressure groups and heavy weights in government successfully got the bigger share for their areas. It was the politics of compensation and that rubbed the salts on the wounds of lakhs of affected farmers who were robbed of the chances of fair compensation. It is also glaring that the total production of rabi crops surpassed the arrivals in markets. There is no logic how to justify this crop loss and drama of compensation. It's also fact that certain areas really affected by the unseasonable rains and weather's vagaries. But the areas where such loss was marginal were benefited the most. Episode of Assandh is more shocking where farmers were able to press the government to a mince the compensation after the harvest of rabi crops and without any subjective or objective crop loss assessment. It is imperative that now on farmers have been made to demand compensation and they forget the comprehensive agriculture policy or implementation of Swaminathan Commission Report for saving the farm sector and bestowing honor and respect to the producers of grain whose tireless efforts and bone breaking labor fills the bellies of the millions of Indians. At the same time the important parcel and agent of agriculture Production network is ignored and that is landless agriculture laborers. None spoke for them from where they'll earn their yearly pool of grains when crops were lost in their villages? Without their contribution agriculture is not possible and they should be made a part of fair compensation program. Is politics of compensation is doing good for farmers or ruining their zest to fight the odds and turning them into potential beggars? Is politics of compensation is deliberately destroying their demand and fight for comprehensive crop policy? Is this the way to treat 'anndata'?
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