Liberal Party of India  

Farmers For Freedom 
 

Farmers Organization  
Women Farmers Organization  
Farmers Co-ordination Committee  
 
Indian Liberal Ring 
 

Nanded, June 21, 1998.  Sharad Joshi's letter formulating six major issues in agriculture was discussed at the joint meeting of Shetkari Sanghatana and Shetkari Mahila Aghadi Executives today. 

The six issues are:  Monopoly purchase of cotton in the state,  Sugarcane industry and Levy on sugar, Creating alternatives for marketing agricultural produce, Essential commodities act of 1955, Encouraging novel methods of Jowar utilization, Farmer promoted development companies as an alternative to  land acquisition by Government.  

Shetkari Sanghatana has been focussing these issues for almost two decades. 

 Action suggested

• Allow our cotton and cotton traders in other states to cross state borders. 
• Levy prices for sugar must be uniform all over the country. 
• Allow joint stock companies of farmers and consumers to operate chain stores. 
• Essential commodities act be scraped. 
• Promote non traditional uses of Jowar. 
• Promote farmer promoted development companies as an alternative to land acquisition by Government.  

In the first meeting of the season, on the background of suicide frenzy of farmers trapped in debts and social disgrace, the leaders of both the organizations supported the letter but were sceptic about BJP-ShivSena ministry's response.  

Wamanrao Chatap, the newly elected president of the farmers organization aid, "These are the issues of great concern to the farmers movement and if dealt sincerely, will be deciding factors in the future of  Maharashtra."  

It may even be posted on this page.   

Contact Sharad Joshi   
Send e-mail to:   
sharad@mah.nic.in 

 

Where do we go after capitalism and socialism?  

Kailas Tawar,  Aurangabad 

Sharad Joshi Replies: 
    
In the history of civilizations, the early cultures sprang up in fertile lands around the bends in big rivers, so humans could take advantage of the bounty of nature. This was the epoch of land based river valley civilizations.    

The second stage of civilization was marked by the rise of farmers, artisans and soldiers when man became important as a factor of production. This era could be identified as labour based civilizations.    

When labour is applied to land surplus appears. The surplus was, over long centuries, wasted on feudal/medieval luxuries, temples, wars etc. till it came to be deployed for productive purposes. Capital - a combination of surplus and technology - became a decisive instrument in human progress. Both, capitalism and socialism correspond to this stage.    

At present, we are entering a fourth phase where neither land nor labour nor capital is critical. It is the combiner of them all - the entrepreneur, the innovator , the risk-bearer - who is becoming important. So we are not reverting to capitalism but are moving forward to the dawn of a new era. In the absence of a more apt word, I would provisionally call it ‘Entrepreneurism’. The word is too long, and tongue-twisting, You may have to make it shorter and simpler. But that is the idea. ‘Entrepreneurism’ is replacing both capitalism and socialism.  
 

'Bharat' Speaks Out  
1982, Build Documentation Centre, Bombay

Bharat Eye-view  
1986, Shetkari Sanghatana Central Office, Ambethan

Answering Before God   
1994, Project for Economic Education

The Women's Question   
1986, Shetkari Sanghatana Central Office, Ambethan  

Organisation of Peasants - Thought and Practice  
and several other books in Marathi,  
translated into Hindi, Gujarati, Kannada, Telugu;  

These and other publications related to new farmers movement are available from 
Shetkari Prakashan  
Ambethan; Taluka: Khed; Dist: Pune PIN 410 501 India 
  

Sharad Joshi is the most articulate spokesman of the new farmers movement.      

Agriculturist and Peasant Leader founder of Shetkari Sanghatana - Farmers' Organisation in Maharashtra and at national level, of the Kisan Coordination Committee (KCC) comprising of sister organisations from 14 states - Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala; led a number of agitations in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat , Punjab, Haryana etc. for remunerative prices of onions, sugar cane, tobacco, milk, paddy, cotton, against hike in electricity tariffs, for liquidation of rural debts and against State dumping in domestic markets.     

Founder of the largest organisation of rural women - Shetkari Mahila Aghadi - celebrated for its work for women's property rights notably for the `Lakshmi Mukti' programme that has conferred land titles on lakhs of rural house-wives.    

Founder and National President, Swatantra Bharat Party, 1994-96, devoted to abolition of License-permit-quota raj and to minimal government.     

Chairman, Standing Advisory Committee on Agriculture (SAC), 1990-91 with the rank of a Central Cabinet Minister.    

Member,  National Integration Committee (NIC) since 1990.  

Executive Trustee, Krishi Yogakshema Samshodhan Nyasa (Research Foundation on agricultural Economics).     

Chairman, Shivar Agroproducts Ltd., agroproducts processing and marketing  company promoted by farmers for setting up chain of departmental stores.     

Chairman, Bhama Constructions Ltd., a company promoted by farmers for developing industrial estates.     

Columnist - The Times of India, The Hindu, Lokmat and severel other dailies in Marathi etc.