User:Ju menendez/sandbox

Research Question: Though Punjab is India's most prosperous state, it is also "the region most seething with discontent," as demonstrated most clearly by rising numbers of farmer suicides. How did the Green Revolution--first implemented in India in the Punjab region in the 1960s--contribute to rural Punjab's contemporary social unrest?

Article: Green Revolution in India

KEY: The bold/italicized writing is my added contributions ~

Problems that were addressed[edit] <--- Rename title to: Rationale for the Green Revolution
The Green Revolution in India was first introduced in Punjab in the late 1960s as part of a development program issued by international donor agencies and the Government of India.

During the British Raj, India's grain economy hinged on a unilateral relation of exploitation. 'Consequently, when India gained independence, the weakened country quickly became vulnerable to frequent famines, financial instabilities, and low productivity. These factors formed a rationale for the implementation of the Green Revolution as a development strategy in India.'

Frequent famines[edit]
In 1964-65 and 1965-66, India experience two severe droughts which led to food shortages and famines among the country's growing population. Modern agricultural technologies appeared to offer strategies to counter the frequency of famines. Famines in India have been severe, frequent, and widespread throughout recorded history and noted as early as 2000 years ago. The severity of these famines and their relationship to the history of British rule and economic policies in the 19th and 20th centuries make statements about the causes of famine in India controversial and difficult to cite without bias. There is debate regarding India's famines prior to independence, with some arguing they were intensified by British taxation and agrarian policies in the 19th and 20th centuries, and others downplaying such impact of colonial rule.

Lack of finance[edit]
Marginal farmers found it very difficult to get finance and credit at economical rates from the government and banks and hence, fell as easy prey to the money lenders. They took loans from landlords, who charged high rates of interests and also exploited the farmers later on to work in their fields to repay the loans (farm labourers).[citation needed] Proper financing was not given during the Green Revolution period, which created a lot of problems and sufferings to the farmers of India. Government also helped those under loans.

Lack of self-sufficiency[edit] <--- Rename heading title to: Low Productivity
'In the context of India's rapidly growing population, the country's traditional agricultural practices yielded insufficient food production. By the 1960s, this low productivity led India to experience food grain shortages that were more severe than those of other developing countries. Agricultural technological advancements offered opportunities to increase productivity. '

Due to tradiitional agricultural practices, low productivity, and a growing population, often food grains were imported — draining scarce foreign reserves. It was thought that with the increased production due to the Green Revolution, the government could maintain buffer stock and India could achieve self-sufficiency and self-reliability.[citation needed]

Agriculture was basically for subsistence and, therefore, less agricultural product was offered for sale in the market. Hence, the need was felt to encourage the farmers to increase their production and offer a greater portion of their products for sale in the market. The new methods in agriculture increased the yield of rice and wheat, which reduced India's dependence on food imports.

.....

Criticisms of the Green Revolution [edit]
'The Green Revolution yielded great economic prosperity during its early years. In Punjab, where it was first introduced, the Green Revolution led to significant increases in the state's agricultural output, supporting India’s overall economy. By 1970, Punjab was producing 70 percent of the country's total food grains, and farmers' incomes were increasing by over 70 percent. Punjab's prosperity following the Green Revolution became a model to which other states aspired to reach.'

However, despite the initial prosperity experienced in Punjab, the Green Revolution was met with much controversy throughout India.

Indian Economic Sovereignty[edit]
Criticism of the effects of the green revolution include the cost for many small farmers using HYV seeds, with their associated demands of increased irrigation systems and pesticides. A case study is found in India, where farmers are buying Monsanto BT cotton seeds—sold on the idea that these seeds produced 'natural insecticides'. In reality, they need to still pay for expensive pesticides and irrigation systems, which might lead to increased borrowing to finance the change from traditional seed varieties. Many farmers have difficulty in paying for the expensive technologies, especially if they have a bad harvest. These high costs of cultivation push rural farmers to take out loans--typically at high interest rates. Over-borrowing commonly entraps farmers into a cycle of debt.

On top of this, India's recently liberalized economy further exacerbates the farmers's economic conditions. Indian environmentalist Vandana Shiva writes that this is the "second Green Revolution". The first Green Revolution, she suggests, was mostly publicly funded (by the Indian Government). This new Green Revolution, she says, is driven by private (and foreign) interest – notably MNCs like Monsanto -- as encourage by the neoliberal context. Ultimately, this is leading to foreign ownership over most of India's farmland, undermining farmers' interests.

Farmer's financial issues have become especially apparent in Punjab, where its rural areas have witnessed an alarming rise in suicide rates. Excluding the countless unreported cases, there has been estimated to be a 51.97 per cent increase in the number of suicides in Punjab in 1992-93, compared to the recorded 5.11 per cent increase in the country as a whole. According to a 2019 Indian newspaper, indebtedness continues to be a grave issue affecting Punjabi people today, demonstrated by the more than 900 recorded farmer suicided in Punjab in the last two years.