Pushing Self-reliance

As a leading student organization, the All Assam Students Union has to perforce redefine its role in tune with changing times. For long, it has had to take up public issues of vital import because civil society was missing and myopic political parties saw only their vote-banks. Back in the Eighties when spearheading the Assam Agitation, the AASU also had an initiative going to push for self-reliance. AASU volunteers polished shoes, sold vegetables and performed menial jobs to raise awareness among the people. The call was given that a people scornful of the dignity of labour and work ethic will never have a future. But as political jockeying began to win the race to Dispur — even as a section of disaffected youths took to the gun and headed for the jungles — somewhere the economic message of the movement was lost. Nearly four decades down the road, this State still awaits the entrepreneurial spirit to thrive among its youth. Student organizations have occasionally adopted programmes with economic spin-offs, like Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti’s orchid park near Kaziranga. But such efforts have been sporadic — what is needed is putting a long-term vision to work. Youths have to be shown the way ahead, given right know-how, provided with enabling environment. The State government has schemes to handhold start-ups, the mandate to promote ease of doing business. So long as Dispur fails to deliver on this front, lakhs of disgruntled youths will keep adding to the ranks of the unemployed every year. As for the banks in the Northeast region, the dismal credit-to-deposit ratio means little loan support for local entrepreneurs. Amidst this gloomy stasis, the AASU has again started a move that carries hope. With its support, youths in some districts are experimenting with startups like egg farms. Recently, construction work of one such farm in Koronga near Jorhat touted to become the largest egg farm in the State, began with a production target of 50-60 thousand eggs daily within a year. Egg consumption in Assam is presently 1.5 crore per day. This demand being mostly met from outside — it means that at an average cost of Rs 5 per egg — daily Rs 7.5 crore is flowing out of the State just for eggs. If eggs are produced locally, these could be priced lower by saving transportation costs. Assam has long had an Animal Husbandry department, but government poultry and goat farms have been closing down over the years. A few years ago, the AASU also sought to popularize potato cultivation in Barpeta district, and more such initiatives would help create a new breed of ‘agripreneurs’ and agri-cooperatives. There is already much ferment over organic farming using smart, alternative methods and appropriate technology, as well as growing different varieties of high-value crops as diverse as agar, strawberries, black joha to hundreds of aromatic and medicinal plants. There is a need for a comprehensive policy for farmers, a suitable land policy, elimination of middlemen and syndicates, transparent availability and pricing of inputs — all of these need pressure to be built up from grassroots, strengthened by organizations. So far, NGOs have primarily taken the lead in seeking micro-finance, technical support, modernized irrigation and water management strategies, effective market linkages and affordable technology for farmers — there is no reason why student and youth organizations cannot pitch in. Considering that successive governments in Assam have done little to clean up, streamline and coordinate the works of line departments like Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Irrigation and Rural Development, it is only the concerted pressure from such organizations that can make Dispur clean up its act and give a better deal to farmers. It is simply unacceptable that a department like Agriculture continues to wallow in scams ranging from supplying seeds, fertilizers like lime, water pumps and power tillers to hapless farmers. And what about the Irrigation department, which has not even covered 10 per cent area in the State in seven decades? There is also much scope in taking up fish farming in a big way, particularly of high-value local varieties. If student and youth organizations can motivate local entrepreneurs and self-help groups to enter poultry, meat, fish, dairy, fruits, vegetables, spices and other markets in large numbers, there could be a fast rise in rural income levels. Instead of being blamed for creating professional agitators and fostering an extortion culture, such organizations can facilitate youths to start their own enterprise, begin earning, and gain experience and confidence.