F O C U S

Punjab Economy: A Rapid Downward Slide

IT was all rosy for Punjab. Rapid strides in the field of agriculture and industry helped it to maintain its lead in per capita income till early nineties. Of late, Punjab has been plagued by a drastic decline in growth that has serious political and social implications for the border state. Eminent economist and former Professor of Economics at the Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana, Joginder Singh helps us grasp the harsh reality. Rapid

A cursory look at the index of economic growth, measured by per capita net state domestic product (NSDP) at constant (1993-94) prices shows that, in Punjab, the per capita income rose from Rs12, 710 in 1993-94 to Rs 16,119 in 2003-04, a 2.68% annual growth rate as compared to 5.34% at national level.

Barring Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, the growth of Punjab economy was the lowest in the past decade. The annual growth in per capita income was as high as 23% in Pondichary, 12.66% in Tripura and 11.48% in Goa, while Gujarat, Sikkim and West Bengal observed 7-8% growth rate. Based on these facts, the growth rate was projected for the coming decade i.e. 2013-14.

Interestingly, during 1993-94, Punjab which ranked only next to Goa, slipped to the fourth position in 2003-04 with Maharashtra and Gujarat also surpassing it. However it is expected to take ninth position in 2013-14. All this has serious political and social consequences , often leading to instability and tensions. Read on to find out as to what lead to decline and what can be done to arrest this decline.

The average annual compound growth rate of gross state domestic product (GSDP) in different sectors in Punjab and the country as a whole at constant prices during five year plan periods was observed. Till 7th plan, Punjab economy grew faster than the national level but since early nineties the growth rate fell short by about 2% than the national average.

The average annual growth rate in the state agriculture including livestock continued to decline from 5.44% during 6th Plan to 3.08% in 8th Plan and further to 1.90% in the 9th Plan (1997-2002). No significant improvement has been noticed in the first two years of 10th Plan. At the country level too there is a similar trend although the pace of deceleration was slower than Punjab. Thus, the Punjab farm economy has reached a plateau rendering the fate of large agricultural population, comprising about 44% of total work force, in despondency.

The poor performance of primary sector in the country was mainly due to fast emergence of sustainability issues in high potential agriculture like that of Punjab. After attaining an exemplary rise in production, Punjab agriculture is at a stage beyond which sustaining the growth rate is an arduous task. Being mainly an agricultural economy, the overall development of the state has slowed down. The performance of manufacturing sector in Punjab almost matches with that of national level but recently Punjab has shown poor performance in this area too. The recent state policy of over-administration, frequent power shortage and observing the period of political turmoil leading to business insecurity have discouraged industrial units more in Punjab than the neighboring states. Still the worst part can be observed in the tertiary sector of Punjab which is growing at 5-6% as compared to the country average of 7-8%, pulling down the overall economic growth of the state.

Changing Structure of Economy

Although the share of agricultural sector has declined from 57% in 1970-71, it still contributes over 37% of GSDP. The mining and quarrying sub-sector is virtually non-existent. Even though state agriculture witnessed green revolution and thus its share did not decline as fast as it should have been. Within agricultural sector, the share of crop sub-sector has decelerated at a faster rate while the livestock sector has progressed almost at par with the overall economy, thus maintaining its share in GSDP at 14%.

Hence such issues associated with sustainability of Punjab agriculture need to be highlighted with specific focus on policy issues. The secondary sector has improved from 16% in 1970-71 to 24% in 1990-91 but later declined to about 22%. Within secondary sector, the share of manufacturing sub-sector has fallen significantly. The green revolution should have followed agro-industrial development which also could not catch up due to time-pass policies of the state.

For instance scientific processing of vegetables and fruits for catering to the needs of potential city centers, air and train services and export market should have been encouraged, industrial use of crop residue which is burnt to the tune of 30 million tones in Punjab alone, causing serious air pollution apart from wastage could be used for manufacture of paper, card board, energy generation, livestock feeding etc. The contribution from the tertiary sector comprising of transport, communication and trade, finance and real estate and community and personal services has gone up from 27% in 1970-71 to about 40% of state income in 2004-05 but its potential in the state is far higher. Maintaining heritage and culture, tapping tourism, improving inter-trade could be some possibilities to boost this sector.

Tap the potential of dairy

Obviously, there is a remote possibility of attaining miraculous crop production in the state. However, post harvest technology with value addition is possible to some extent. It can safely be inferred that the shortfall in national food grain production would continue to compel the potential state agriculture in rice-wheat system through price instruments in spite of genuine ecological problems and slogans of diversification. The import of 5 lakh tones of very poor quality wheat from Australia @Rs950/qtl a few days back is a typical example of forthcoming food security problems but government reluctantly gave a bonus of Rs50/qtl over Rs650/qtl MSP to the domestic farmers.

Within agriculture, dairy is the potential sub-sector, which can provide significant breakthrough in agricultural sector. The production of milk was 32 million tones in 1980-81 that increased to 87 million tones in 2002-03 in the country of which Punjab alone contributes about 10% of milk output but accounts for 2.4% population. Despite all this, the ground reality is that the dairy farming at existing level of productivity and input-output prices is not at all profitable and cannot be advocated to be the viable enterprise. The newly set up Guru Angad Dev University of Veterinary Sciences at Ludhiana has a challenging task so that growth comes through much awaited white revolution. Accompanied by this, policy measures should aim at setting up commercial dairy units on scientific lines with architectural construction of cattle sheds and proper machinery in each village with assurance of their milk procurement at remunerative price. In addition genetic improvement of livestock and substitution of low yielding animals by high yielding ones especially crossbred cows is another area where fast growing milk processing units of the state can contribute specially towards Research & Development.

While effective check on the quality of milk and milk products supplied to the consumers in the interest of public health is essential and strict legislation in this regard should be framed. This will also save the real milk producers from competition with spurious ones. The milk processing units should stand in competition with the private sweet shops (Halwais) in terms of price and quality of sweets within their well established market infrastructure, particularly during festivals. Also Veterinary and animal health services have to be made more effective with cheaper and quicker services. It should be mandatory for the processing units to the dairy farmers in the milk-shed area. Only 36% of milch animals are ‘in milk’ and remaining 64% are dry. The unproductive animals do not find place in commercial dairy farming. A way out has to be thought out for their suitable care and use.

The milk market should be streamlined and the gap between the producer and the consumer minimized so that the farmer gets remunerative price of milk and consumer pays reasonable price and gets quality milk. By taking appropriate policy steps in the livestock sector it is important to revive the growth of agricultural sector. Moreover, it can help sustain agriculture in high potential areas and even encourage organic farming. Sustainable farming and allied occupations, linked with the market through a chain of cooperatives could be of great help. Time is running out and the leaders are busy in their petty squabbles. Whom to ask for cure!

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Child sacrifice and Tantric Hinduism: Ishtiaq Ahmed

A local woman had been suffering for some time from nightmares and strange visions. She had consulted a holy man who instructed her to carry out the sacrifice. Akash was lured away by being offered sweets. His grandmother Harpyari told the journalists, “First they cut out his tongue, and then they cut off his nose, then his ears. Then they chopped off his fingers”

On April 12, 2006, the BBC World online service, published a report filed by their correspondent, Navdip Dhariwal. He is posted in Uttar Pradesh, northern India, and this report focused on a major crime against humanity — child sacrifice in the form of a bestial ritualistic murder.

[Later India’s leading Hindi newspaper Amar Ujala reported on May 12, 2006 that maternal grand parents and a woman tantrik in village Faridpour Sadvara falling in police station Shamsabad [Farukhabad] brutally killed their three month old grander daughter. She met the most tortuous death as the grand parents were advised by the tantrik that their daughter who was not keeping well would regain health and they were bound to get a lot of gold hidden somewhere. She was cruelly cut into pieces right in front of them. On learning this gruesome killing the father of the small baby rushed from his village and reported the matter to the police who recovered the pieces of flesh and arrested all the three. The people are demanding immediate hanging of the three.]

That the gods want human sacrifice to keep them in good humour is a belief that can be traced to many ancient cults and religions. Even the Abrahamic tradition offers some such incidents. But when God ordered Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) to offer his son to Him as proof of the latter’s total submission to His will and Abraham proceeded to comply with the instructions God sent a sheep instead which was slaughtered by Abraham instead.

Jews, Christians and Muslims are agreed that such an incident took place, although Jews and Christians assert that Abraham chose his son Isaac for the sacrifice while Muslims believe that the other son, Ishmael, was offered to God. However, only Muslims continue with the tradition and millions of goats, sheep, lambs, cows and camels are slaughtered every year to celebrate the sunnah (tradition) of Abraham. I would not be surprised if suicide bombers in particular are told this story to prepare them to offer their lives for Allah.

With regard to India, there is ample proof that sacrificing animals to gods and goddesses was a regular feature in antiquity among the Hindus. They ate meat, including beef. In fact the practice of sacrifices had become so profuse and elaborate that livestock was rapidly depleting. The Brahmins then decided to change policy altogether and declared the cow holy and forbade beef eating.

How come then that the dreadful practice of human sacrifice exists in the Indian countryside? I would not be in a position to say much except that it certainly does and is associated with Tantric Hinduism. Before writing this article, I checked on the Internet all respectable websites on Tantric Hinduism.

Not surprisingly, they overflow with spiritual phraseology, which tells us that Tantric thought cleanses the soul and mind of all temptation. What I learnt in particular was that it is a cult, which teaches techniques of prolonging the sexual act without deriving pleasure out of it. They believe that by controlling pleasure one is able to master the human body and mind. In particular the Tantrics worship the goddess of destruction, Kali.

Kali is the female cohort of Lord Shiva. She is the Divine Mother. Shiva and Kali play out together the cosmic dance of love for all eternity. Where there is love, compassion and mercy, Kali is directly present. She is also a symbol of female power or Shakti.

Notwithstanding such explanation, some very revolting, heinous crimes are carried out in contemporary India in the name of Tantric Hinduism. If there is a good version of this cult then it is time for its practitioners to do something to stop its name being used for grotesquely cruel activities. Certainly child sacrifice cannot be condoned under any circumstance.

The case in point, which inspired this article, is the following. Barha is a village in Uttar Pradesh. It is only a three-hour drive from New Delhi. The BBC investigative team had been tipped off that a child had been murdered in a ritualistic manner in accordance with some medieval practice.

The journalists arrived in the village and peeped into the room of the house where the crime had been committed. They found posters of Hindu gods and goddesses all over the wall. They also found blood-splattered walls and stained bricks. A little boy, Akash Singh, had been sacrificed to please Kali. Akash belonged to a very poor family.

A local woman had been suffering for some time from nightmares and strange visions. She had consulted a holy man who instructed her to carry out the sacrifice. The boy’s death would offer her a better life. Akash was lured away by being offered sweets. His grandmother Harpyari told the journalists, “First they cut out his tongue, and then they cut off his nose, then his ears. Then they chopped off his fingers. They killed him slowly.”

His petrified mother discovered the grossly mutilated body. The woman who abducted Akash lived just a few doors away.

There are temples across India devoted to goddess Kali. Childless couples, destitute and impoverished people and those who are sick pray to her for help. The Tantric Hindus are one extreme group among the various worshippers of Kali. They are notorious for their overwhelming grip on followers.

S Raju, a journalist for Hindustan Times, has been reporting on child sacrifice cases in western Uttar Pradesh since 1997. He has reported at least 38 similar cases. In one case, he says, a Tantric told a young man that if he hanged and killed a small boy and lit a fire at his feet the smoke from the ritual could be used to lure the pretty village girl he had his eye on.

Indian law strictly forbids such activities and the woman who brutally killed Akash Singh and the holy man who advised her and his associates were arrested and imprisoned. Journalists visited that jail. The prison warden told them that over 200 cases of child sacrifice had taken place in those parts over the last seven years. He admitted that many cases go unreported because the police are reluctant to tarnish the image of their state so that such incidents are often covered up. One can only guess how extensive and pervasive is the Tantric type of superstition is in the rest of India, but I am sure its tentacles are in every nook and corner of that vast country.

A few months ago, I saw on the Zee TV some flashes of a programme in which the famous actress Hema Malini performed a dance, either in the role of Kali or a devotee to her. She looked truly frightening with her horrible make-up and her tongue all red to indicate blood. I remember feeling very uneasy at the macabre performance.

The famous Indian feminists, Urvashi Butalia and Ritu Menon, jointly own the publishing company called Kali for Women. The next time I meet them I will urge them to get rid of their symbol of power and struggle against patriarchal oppression of the influence of Tantric superstitions and barbarism.

[With kind permission from professor Ishtiaq Ahmed who is an associate professor of political science at Stockholm University. He is the author of two books. His email address is Ishtiaq.Ahmed@statsvet.su.se this article was first published in http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp? Page=2006\05\09\story_9-5-2006]

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