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The Hindu
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Freedom fighter Ayyaroth Kunhikannan Nambiar dies at 104 in Kerala
Freedom fighter and Gandhian Ayyaroth Kunhikannan Nambiar passed away at Meppayur in Kozhikode, Kerala, on Sunday (June 29, 2025). He was 104. Nambiar had met Mahatma Gandhi when he visited Pakkanarpuram in 1934. He was actively part of various protests organised under the aegis of Indian National Congress during the freedom movement. He had led several protests such as the 'Toddy shop blockade' as part of the Quit India movement in the Malabar region and was arrested. He was a close follower of K. Kelappan and had organised several meetings on his behalf. He had visited several tribal colonies with Kelappan as per the directions of Mahatma Gandhi to create awareness among the lower classes about the need for education. He played a major role in the development of the Sradhananda school set by Kelappan for the welfare of the lower classes. The funeral was held on Monday (July 1, 2025). Several political leaders offered tributes to Nambair at his house. His wife was Lakshmikkutty Amma. He is survived by his daughter Padmini, sons Ramachandran and Mohandas.
The Print
3 days ago
- Business
- The Print
How Shastri and Subramaniam sowed the seeds of MSP
Once he accepted the position, Subramaniam drew from his experience in the Steel Ministry and concluded that the core reason for stagnation in Indian agriculture was that 'farmers were not given a fair and remunerative price for their efforts.' He was dismayed to see the government continuing with wartime strategies of imposing controls, rationing, and a procurement system that adversely impacted the primary producer. When two of Shastri's senior colleagues, Jagjivan Ram and Swaran Singh, refused the agriculture portfolio, Shastri rang up C Subramaniam. CS reportedly asked, 'Why me?' To which Shastri replied, 'Because no one else is willing.' Subramaniam asked for time to consider — he was well settled in the Steel Ministry. But Shastri prevailed, assuring him of the fullest political support in the challenging task of tiding over the crisis and making India self-sufficient in food. When Lal Bahadur Shastri took over as Prime Minister in June 1964, the Agriculture Ministry was considered a 'political graveyard', on account of massive food deficits after successive crop failures in different parts of the country. Agricultural production had plummeted to 62 million tonnes per annum, and India was critically dependent on food shipments from the United States under PL-480. Unlike John F Kennedy, who saw US food aid as humanitarian, his successor Lyndon B Johnson was a brusque bully who expected recipients to kowtow to his political preferences. Subramaniam appointed a Foodgrains Prices Committee under LK Jha, Secretary to the Prime Minister, to determine the 'producer price' for paddy and wheat for the 1964–65 crop year. In his first Cabinet note of October 1964, backed fully by Shastri, CS proposed an unprecedented 15 per cent hike in prices for both Rabi and Kharif seasons. This was opposed by Finance Minister TT Krishnamachari, who saw it as inflationary, and Home Minister Gulzari Lal Nanda, who feared unrest among industrial workers. However, even more important than this episodic 15 per cent hike was the establishment of the Agricultural Prices Commission (APC) from 1 January 1965. Its role was to advise on price policy, on a continuing basis, not only for paddy and wheat but also for coarse cereals, pulses, oilseeds, sugarcane, cotton, and jute. Over the years, the mandate expanded, and APC (now CACP) recommendations today cover 23 commodities. Gandhian economist ML Dantwala was appointed the first chairperson of the APC. He had earlier worked on the Indian cotton economy and understood the need to balance the interests of farmers with those of the textile industry. In his new role, he had to recommend Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) to incentivise farmers to adopt new technologies, optimise resource use, and increase productivity. It was clear by then that the community development approach had its limitations. What was needed was higher economic returns and a state guarantee for procurement — either through direct procurement for the PDS or price support for oilseeds and pulses. According to Harsh Damodaran, the idea of the APC had also featured in a Ford Foundation study, but this was underplayed, since anything 'American' was viewed with suspicion in those days. Ironically, the trio behind this transformation — minister C Subramaniam, scientist MS Swaminathan, and agriculture secretary B Sivaraman — were all accused of yielding to American pressure. As an aside: while the Americans were advocating for smallholder agriculture, the USSR promoted collectivisation and professionalisation, both of which had already failed in the USSR and China. Meanwhile, Dantwala's advocacy for a more interventionist approach, including price stabilisation to protect farmers and ensure food security, was challenged by V.M. Dandekar. He argued that such policies would encourage inefficiency and corruption, and hinder natural growth in the agribusiness sector. This intellectual debate played out in the Economic and Political Weekly. Dandekar (and co-author Rath) argued that although poverty and undernourishment were correlated, they were often independent variables and needed distinct policy responses. Also read: The real White Revolution—Shastri's NDDB built a farmers-first economy that still works Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan Yet a quiet transformation took place in India's rural economy within five years of MSP's introduction. If one had to choose the most understated yet transformative five years in the seven decades and eight years of Indian Independence (from 1947 to the present), it would be 1965–66 to 1970–71. During this period, India's foodgrain production rose to 108 million tonnes, laying to rest all doubts about the nation's ability to feed itself. The kisan had delivered. India became more than self-sufficient in food, just in time for the jawan to secure a decisive victory in the 1971 war on both the western and eastern fronts, leading to the creation of Bangladesh. By then, the Agriculture Ministry had become one of the most coveted portfolios. From the 1970s onward, it has been held by stalwarts like Jagjivan Ram, Balram Jakhar, Devi Lal, Nitish Kumar, and Sharad Pawar. Today, it is held by Shivraj Singh Chouhan, one of the longest-serving Chief Ministers of Madhya Pradesh. Also read: Nothing like deviation in democracy. Even Lenin & Stalin adapted: Lal Bahadur Shastri Empirical norms for MSP From a policy perspective, subsequent APC chairpersons — distinguished agricultural economists such as Abhijit Sen, T Haque, and Ashok Gulati — developed empirical norms for determining MSP. By 1980, APC evolved into the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), as India had achieved a more than adequate food surplus. Three new cost concepts entered farmers' political vocabulary: A2, A2+FL, and C2. — A2 includes all paid-out expenses: seeds, fertilisers, chemicals, machinery, irrigation, interest on working capital, depreciation, and rent for leased land. — A2+FL adds the imputed cost of unpaid family labour. — C2, proposed by MS Swaminathan when he chaired the National Commission on Farmers in 2006, includes A2+FL, plus the imputed rent on owned land and other imputed costs. Raising A2+FL by 50 per cent suggested that family labour (time spent by the farmer and their family in the production field) was valued 50 per cent higher than hired wages (money paid to hired labourers). It recognised the sweat equity of farming households. Also read: MSP isn't the real issue. Indian farming has changed, so should protests CACP in a balancing role CACP's job is not easy. Each crop has multiple stakeholders. For example, jute farmers in West Bengal, Assam, and Bihar demand higher MSPs, but grain-producing states like Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh as well as the Union food ministry oppose this. Their argument is that higher jute prices inflate the cost of gunny bags for wheat procurement. The Ministry of Consumer Affairs worries about inflation. The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare tries to double farmers' income. Balancing these competing demands is a delicate act. Food inflation must be balanced with farmers' incomes. Changes over time As someone who has served as Agriculture Secretary in Uttarakhand and West Bengal, and as Joint Secretary at the Centre and MD of NAFED, I've had candid exchanges with Alagh, Sen, Haque, and Gulati. Like Dantwala, the first three believed in the dominant role of the state in agricultural economics. However, post-liberalisation, Indian agriculture has changed. No longer an economy of shortages, it began to reflect shifts in consumer demand and market orientation. Gulati's tenure reflected this transition. By the early 2000s, farmers near Tier I and Tier II cities were earning more from high-value agriculture — dairy, livestock, fisheries, and horticulture — than from grains. By 2015, horticulture production exceeded cereals in volume, weight, and value. Like the Dantawala-Dandekar debate, Swaminathan was sceptical of liberalised export policies, while Gulati argued that government restrictions on trade in agricultural products prevented farmers from securing better prices and thus better incomes. Freer trade, including external trade, will benefit farmers. Many agricultural commodities, including rice and wheat, remained barred from being exported. This meant Indian farmers could not benefit from global price surges. In Gulati's view, more private procurement and scrapping mandi taxes would narrow the wholesale-retail price gap. He rejected the idea that rising MSPs caused food inflation. He instead pointed to non-MSP items — vegetables, fruit, milk, meat, and fish — that drove food inflation. Also read: Nobody fully understands MSP legal guarantee even now. A panel of experts shows The road ahead The current CACP Chairman, Vijay Paul Sharma, who is now in his second term and a professor at IIM Ahmedabad, brings management expertise in agri-value chains. His tenure has witnessed a successive volley of farmer protests demanding statutory backing for CACP and MSP. Having worked in both central and state governments, I believe the focus should be less on the legal status of MSP or CACP, and more on strengthening infrastructure: warehousing, market linkages, farm machinery hubs, credit access, value addition, and transparent price discovery. Indian agriculture has travelled far since the time of Shastri. The institution he set up must evolve with the times. While principles, such as ensuring the best price for farmers, must be preserved, strategy and practice must adapt to modern realities. This is the second article in a series on Lal Bahadur Shastri and the institutions he helped establish. Sanjeev Chopra is a former IAS officer and Festival Director of Valley of Words. Until recently, he was director, Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration. He tweets @ChopraSanjeev. Views are personal. Disclosure: The columnist is a trustee of the Lal Bahadur Shastri Memorial (LBS Museum). (Edited by Prashant)
New Indian Express
5 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Grand Mysuru Dasara festivities from September 22
BENGALURU: The state festival Mysuru Dasara will be celebrated in a grand manner in Mysuru from September 22 to October 2, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Saturday. This year, it is celebrated over 11 days, rather than the usual 10, due to a rare astronomical occurrence. Speaking to media persons after the high-powered committee meeting in Bengaluru, the CM said that over 10 lakh people are expected to attend the celebrations. The high-powered committee has authorised the CM to decide on the chief guest to inaugurate the celebrations. Siddaramaiah said there were suggestions on inviting a woman or a Gandhian as chief guest, and he would decide on it within a week or 15 days. Terming it a world-famous festival, the CM said it should be a festival of people and also that of the government. Giving details about the celebrations, the CM said Gajapayana, the ceremonial journey of Dasara elephants from their forest camps to Mysuru, which marks the beginning of the festivities, will start on August 4 and the Dasara festival will be inaugurated between 10.10 am and 10.40 am on September 22. On the day of Vijayadashmi on October 2, Nandi Dhwaja pooja will be performed at Kote Anjaneyaswamy Temple, and Jambusavari- pushparchane, the offering of flowers to the idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari, will be performed on the premises of Mysuru Palace. Last year, Rs 40 crore was given for the celebrations. This year too, funds required for grand celebrations will be provided, the CM said. The officials were directed to plan the programmes to highlight the government's guarantee schemes and other welfare programmes. Vijayadashami is on October 2 and the officials have been directed to make provisions for a tableau that highlights Mahatma Gandhi's principles. The CM directed officials to reduce the number of seats in front of the Palace to reduce crowding, ensure illumination in Mysuru like it was done last year, gold cards should be distributed without scope for any confusion, and create basic facilities like parking and toilets for those coming to Mysuru to witness Dasara. A drone show will also be organised on a big scale during Dasara.
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
11-day Mysuru Dasara this year to give cultural tribute to Gandhi on his Jayanti
With this year's Mysuru Dasara concluding on October 2 - the same day as Gandhi Jayanti - Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has asked that the festival pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi's values. Speaking after a key planning meeting at Vidhana Soudha on Saturday, he stressed that the festivities should meaningfully blend cultural heritage with Gandhian principles, news agency PTI reported. The grand Jumboo Savari at the Mysuru Dasara celebrations.(Shreyas Devanoor) 'This year Dasara is falling on Gandhi Jayanti on October 2. So I have instructed officials that Dasara should be celebrated in a manner that makes Gandhi Jayanti meaningful,' Siddaramaiah said, calling on officials to design the tableaux not only to showcase government welfare programmes but also embody Gandhi's message of truth, peace, and service. This years Dasara celebrations will begin on September 22 and culminate with the Jamboo Savari on October 2, making it an 11-day event instead of the usual 10, the CM said. The 2025 edition of Mysuru Dasara should maintain its historical and cultural dignity without slipping into extravagance, he added. While ₹ 40 crore had been earmarked for last year's Dasara, Siddaramaiah assured that sufficient funding will be allocated again to ensure the event lives up to its reputation. He urged all departments to curate exhibitions and installations that resonate with citizens, highlighting public welfare schemes, guarantee programmes, and the broader vision of inclusive governance. Anticipating over a million visitors, including international tourists, the Chief Minister issued clear instructions for robust crowd control and safety protocols. Police personnel, should engage with the public respectfully while maintaining law and order, he added. In a move to avoid congestion during the Jamboo Savari procession, the number of seats in front of the iconic Mysore Palace will be trimmed. Siddaramaiah also directed officials to ensure smooth movement and prevent overcrowding across all venues during the festival. (With inputs from PTI)
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Mysuru Dasara will be celebrated for 11 days this year
In a rare instance, the world famous Mysuru Dasara will be celebrated for 11 days this year, as against the usual 10 days. Dasara has been celebrated for 11 days on eight occasions earlier. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who heads the high-powered committee to oversee the festival celebrations, told officials of Public Works, Energy, Home, and other departments to make all preparations in advance to conduct the festival on a grand scale from September 22 to October 2. Grand celebrations As the State has received bountiful rains, the festival would be celebrated grandly, Mr. Siddaramaiah said. As Vijayadashami this year falls on Gandhi Jayanti, the Chief Minister instructed the executive committee that the procession of tableaus should focus on Gandhian values. According to tradition, Navaratri starts the day after the Mahalaya Amavasya, which this year falls on September 21. Hence, Navaratri would begin on September 22. However, with Panchami falling on two consecutive days (September 26 and 27) in the lunar calendar, the festival stretches to 10 nights and 11 days. The Gajapayana will commence on August 4, and Dasara celebrations will be inaugurated on September 22 atop the Chamundi Hills. The meeting was attended by Ministers, MLAs, and senior officials, and the Chief Minister told the police to be civil in crowd management and take steps to avoid any stampede during the festival. The Chief Minister said about 10 lakh people/tourists are expected to attend this year's festival. Who is to inaugurate On inviting a special guest to inaugurate the festival, the Chief Minister said party leaders Pushpa Amarnath suggested a woman should inaugurate the festival this year, while some others suggested inviting a person who practices Gandhian principles. He would decide the guest in the next 15 days, the Chief Minister said. The Energy Department has been told to illuminate the city of Mysuru for 22 days. The PWD officials were told to spruce up all roads in and around Mysuru. A sum of ₹40 crore was spent on conducting various events during last year's Dasara. The executive committee would plan the programmes and funds would be released as per the requirement, the Chief Minister said.
