May I have your attention please, Mr Prime Minister!

BY APURVA RAI
 
COME July and preparations begin for Independence Day celebrations which falls on August 15. There is excitement as people await with bated breath for the prime minister's speech that he delivers from the ramparts of Red Fort. 

The prime ministerial speech is all about the achievements of government and the tasks accomplished for the welfare of the people but it also gives an indication about the shape of things to come.

The year 2015 is something different as this time Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sought people's views on his speech that he will deliver from Red Fort. I have found the idea quite exciting and felt following issues would be relevant.

Here's a brief of my views.

FARMERS ISSUE

The farmers of our country are the most neglected lot. It is unforunate we eat food produced by them but do not think of them and their welfare. It is a cruel joke that the Agriculture ministers have so far only done politics on such issues which affect our farmers.

It is for this reason that the prime minister should talk about farmers and farming in his Independence Day speech. Importantly, the PM will have to demonstrate in coming days that he is indeed serious about farmers and is taking steps to to 'empower' them. Talking about farmers from the ramparts of the Red Fort will at least give an impression that the PM of India thinks about farmers and is keen to rederess their grossly neglected grievances.

So far nothing concrete has been done for the welfare of farmers of the country. They are poor, live a hard life, barely have the amenities that their counterparts in urban areas enjoy, work very hard yet get little, are landlords but live like a worker, most exploited community across India and so on.

Remove Middlemen: The farmers work day and night and produce a rich harvest but when it is time to sell it in the market they are surrounded by clever and cunning middlemen.

The community of middlemen is th biggest bane of independent India. They are there to exploits the honest and hard working people and pocket a larger share of profits.

In the case of farmers the middlemen buy the produce at cheaper prices and sell it at much higher price later. Why so? Why can't a farmer himself sell his produce in the open market and keep the profit himself? Has the govt ever provided any infrastructure where a farmer gets facilities to sell his yield directly? There is a lot to be done in this direction but nobody even thinks of it. There are sharks waiting for the harvest at the end of the season and pounce upon the poor farmers and give them peanuts in return. 

A farmer is there not only to work in fields and grow crops he also deserves to get  best prices for it. And for this he should get the freedom of every kind.

Investing for Farmers: The farmer of our country is poor but feeds the rich who are enjoying life in urban areas. Why does the government not allow industrialists, businessmen to invest in green fields? The businessmen should be allowed to negotiate with the Gram Panchayat and invest money in seasonal crops in the entire village. After the harvest is ready the industrialist will collect the produce and sell it in the market. The farmer will get his due which shall be worked out in a contract with the Gram Panchayat. Thus the farmer remains owner of his land, does not need to invest money in crops and gets a fair income at the end of the season.

Once business class ventures into the agriculture fields the farmers will be exempted from investing in the crops and will need to work for a good harvest only. The problem of bringing in technology and other logistics will be that of investor who will also take care of selling the produce. What the farmers get is the best return of their land and hard work.

The biggest development will be employment generation in agricultural field as one will need techninal experts, labour, planners, maintenance technicians, bankers etc in the rural areas. Once rural areas start showing signs of development the rush towards urban cities in search of jobs will halt. Even rural areas will become hub of employment and soon will be known as developed villages.

URBAN TRAFFIC

The prime minister should talks about traffic jams that occurs in cities. Every day the VIPs and common man alike have to go through traffic snarls and their work gets affected. The PM should tell people that nobody shall be allowed to own more than two cars and purchase of multiple cars will invite heavy taxation.

He must talk of developed public transport system at least in every state capital. The way we have Metro train in Delhi every stae capital in India must have either Metro or Mono Rail for the convenience of people.

POLLUTION

Air: Growing pollution is another area of concern. The PM should invite people to take up the cause of greenery and plant good trees in open spaces around their neighbourhood. He should announce that every city should have a forest area like green belts where there is heavy plantation. This will serve a the lung of the city and help people breathe fresh air.

Water: Water pollution is the greatest problem that India faces. The PM should announce some measures that make water supplied through pipelines is of better quality. So far nothing has been done to make water authorities responsible for clean water supply. The PM should ensure that staff at water authorities does not enjoy and has more responsibilities.

EDUCATION

Study Pattern: Uniform school education system across the country is another area of concern. A Class  2 student in Srinagar should be studying the same thing what another Class 2 student in Mumbai or Bangalore studies. But this is not so in India. Does the govt plan anything on this.

Fee: Money brings biggest discrimination among children in the form of fee. A child paying higher fee in a bigger school gets superiority complex and feels himself above all other such students who study in smaller schools. Thus the very first lesson in education goes wrong. Why does the govt not announce a cap in school fee for all schools across the country. Also the govt should announce at least two central schools in every district and allow admissions there for all children of the region.

Sports: Running a school has become a business because many people open them in small areas without even having proper infrastructure. Sports is one such field where most schools lag behind. Such schools should not be approved which do not have proper sports ground. Every child must participate in sport activities in order to get promoted to next standard.

It will be better if schools with large buildings expand their horizons and even organise subsidised screening of films on weekends and holidays. This way school students will be discouraged to bunk classes and go to multiplexes.

BLACK MONEY

For a long time there has been a raging debate on black money. There are people who 'earn' a lot and build lot of properties, drive luxury numerous cars and indulge in extravagant lifestyle. The hunger for money never ends and those who can 'earn' want more houses and fixed deposits as their 'income' goes up. The PM should announce a simple measure--- nobody shall be allowed to own more than three houses in the country. It does not matter whether the property comes from the govt or the private builders. This means if a person has a villa in Delhi he may be allowed to buy two more- say one in Bangalore and one in Nainital. But things should stop there. Once the 'rich' man has owned three homes what shall he do with the remaining money? Obviously he will indulge in some charity or he will stop 'earning' that extra buck.

Similarly nobody should be allowed two buy more than two cars.

Putting a ceiling on spendings will come as a big check in controlling corruption. Just be strong and announce it it, Mr Prime Minister.

SENIOR CITIZENS

Medical: The senior citizens of our country are grossly neglected. There is no dedicated medical facility for them. No doctor attends them at priority and there are no separate wards for them in hospitals. What is worse is that senior citizens generally need a home service quite often and this is missing in our society.

Money: The senior citizens aged 70 and above should be exempted from Income Tax. I know people will abuse this facility but this is how the govt can show some respect to them. This is one way that the oldies in the family will get some money in their hands otherwise generally they are deprived of all the money by many heartless children.

Facilities: The LTC should be continued for senior citizens even after retirement. While in service LTC does not carry much meaning because of time restraint and non vailability of leaves. Now that a person has a lot of time and is willing to travel with spouse the LTC is gone. Just continue it and believe me you will see a surge in tourism.

LAW AND ORDER

The fear for law and order has more or less vanished. Criminals are not afraid of anyone and the law takes a long time in imparting justice. Criminals have become fearless perhaps because they are confident that nobody can harm them. On the other hand the victims remain sufferers because they find justice eluding them. One expects that the prime minister will give a clear message in his Independence Day speech that the law is indeed stringent the guilty shall never be spared. The people of this country need an assurance that the criminals are always within the reach of law and cannot escape under any circumstances.