National Council meeting of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) that met in Hubli, Karnataka, from May 28 to 31 demanded increase of public investment in agriculture. In a resolution, the Council said top priority should be accorded to the development of agriculture infrastructure i.e. electricity, irrigation and roads and the economy and economic policies of the country should be focused on agriculture. The resolution further said the remunerative prices should be ensured to the farmers for their produces and concrete steps should be taken to protect farmers from the risks associated with the agriculture. A total of 175 delegates from different parts of the country attended the meeting.
?The indebtedness of farmers is a consequence of the pathetic state of agriculture. The major reasons for the pitiable condition of agricultural sector and farmers are declining capital investment in lack of infrastructural facilities, rapidly rising cost of agricultural production, non availability of appropriate measures to protect farmers from the risks emerging out of the policy of free market and the natural calamities. Under the circumstances instead of taking concrete steps in these directions, the policy of disbursement of loans to farmers and forcing them to live in deficit by not providing them remunerative prices for their produces and later waiving the loans trying to take credit by waiving loans is not the right solution. Keeping in view the problems emerging out of the declining foodgrain production in the world, the allocation of cultivable fertile land for various non-agricultural purposes may prove fatal for a populous country like India. The ABVP believes that such policies should be adopted in agriculture, which make it self-dependent and self-sufficient. It is possible only when agriculture is profitable. For making agriculture profitable it is essential that the entire economy and the economic policies must based on agriculture,? the resolution added.
Describing infiltration from Bangladesh as a serious threat to country'ssecurity, the Executive Council demanded that BSF should be given complete authority to check infiltration and fencing on Indo-Bangladesh border should be completed. ?The area that connects north-eastern region viz Chicken Neck, be immediately evacuated of infiltrators and be declared a special security zone. If need arises, a wide spread search campaign including search of madrasas and religious places should be launched in order to trace the infiltrators. The name of Bangladesh must be removed from the list of friendly nations for indulging in anti-India activities and for giving shelter to terrorists,? the resolution said.
In another resolution, the Council condemned the Chinese conspiracy to destroy the culture, independence, political identity, environment, religion and demographic composition of Tibet. About the education scenario the Council welcomed the announcement of the central government to universalise secondary education under the 11th Five Year Plan and expressed concern that it could not be implemented even after one year of starting the process.
(FOC)
