University Preparatory Certificate, CPS, NU Astana
Hunger in India.
(Preparatory Project, Final)
Sagdat Kozhakhmetov
Tutor: A. Suter
Date of submission: 06 January 2014
Word count: 972
University Preparatory Certificate, CPS, NU Astana
Globally, there are several social problems which are still unsolved. One such issue is hunger and India, being the second most populated country in the world with 1.27 billion people (World Population Statistics, n.d.) suffers from widespread hunger, which is defined as less than 1800 kcal intake per day (United Nations, n.d.). In India, approximately a quarter of the population is starving (World Food Programme, n.d.), most likely related to poor governance. However, one of their proposed solution is the American scientist Norman Borlaug’s Green Revolution, defined as a process of developing grains with chemical compounds and HYV (High Yields Varieties of grains) (Dahlberg 2012), executed in India in the 1960s. The Green Revolution appears a possible solution to hunger in attempting to overcome poverty, unemployment and unequal land distribution, however, is does not fully succeed. This essay will firstly discuss the fundamental causes and effects of hunger before the evaluating potential effects on poverty, unemployment and unequal land distribution.
Hunger is a social problem in India, which has the most possible cause coming from the past, when varnas and castes were officially accepted, i.e. social stratification. Despite that the social division was outlawed, it is still being used by the majority of Indian citizens (Rao 2011). There are at least three effects of social layers’ existence. The primary effect is poverty, since lower layer members have no opportunity to rise and become self-sufficient, these are even prohibited to do work, i.e. untouchables (Dumont 1980). Consequently, unemployment becomes a critical issue, because according to Caste system rules one cannot do the undedicated job (Ninian 2008 quoted in Rao 2011). The last, but not the least is the unequal land distribution, as a consequence of unequal social division (Dumont 1980). Basically, untouchables do not have any chance to live within a society. The top members of caste system make everything for their benefits, and all these aspects lead to a prevalent hunger within a society.
It appears that the Green Revolution can slightly overcome poverty for several reasons, primarily due to the poor’s income rising. There was an extensive decrease in poverty levels from 60 to 40 percent of population during the Green Revolution period, 1965 – 1985 years (World Development Report 2008 quoted in Rao 2011). These outcomes affected mostly grain suppliers and people with income above average, who can afford these ‘modern’ seeds, it means that the poor cannot even purchase the seeds. On the contrary, eventually, some low income social layer representatives began using modern seeds and manures, thus making a higher income, consequently reducing poverty levels (Lipton & Longhurst 1989). Local agriculture suppliers made an investigation in purchasing pesticides and grains, and succeeded. For example, the experience in Kerala state showed that farm employees’ income increased (Rao 2011). The decline in poverty rates did not affect over a third part of the nation (World Development Report 2008 quoted in Rao 2011), and this fact can be explained by those layers who have no permission to work, however, an attempt was done.
Unemployment issue resolving might be the secondary task of the Green Revolution. The introduction of revolutionary farming methods causes farmers’ self-employment rather than fighting stagnation in a widespread job scarcity (Hayami & Ruttan 1985 quoted in Lipton & Longhurst 1989). As the new technologies bring self-growing and self-dependent condition, less people are employed. This is since mechanization is a vital process of green revolution, therefore, unemployment rates will undergo a minor increase (Lappe 1998). In other words, there will be no work for mankind, charging the whole physical proceedings to machines. This process is “socially-inefficient”, because it is beneficial only for farmers and agricultural companies (Lipton & Longhurst 1989). Making the strategy for only individual profit is not rational, especially, where a job scarcity exists. So, the unemployment continues to be a problem for the society.
Due to the castes system unequal social division, amount of land distributed to poor people is significantly less than that to richer ones, the Green Revolution is not capable of taking this challenge. As it was said before, people are hungry in India because of inequality (Lappe 1989). The representatives of higher castes have more power and rights on the land distribution, whereas the poor cannot gain them. Castes were firstly intended to make a concordant working system, but through corruption it lead to social stratification (Kar 2007 quoted in Rao 2011). The leaders made most land available to themselves and their relatives. As a consequence, the Dalits and Harijans, i.e. lowest social layer members became about landless, numbers estimate about 200 million people (Ninian 2008 quoted in Rao 2011). Green revolution is aimed more on farmers who already have enough land and money for investing in agriculture and purchasing new seeds (Lappe 1989). Thus, as the green revolution is designed for medium income citizens, it cannot solve the social exclusion and division, which is rooted in the Indian society.
In conclusion, it can be deduced, that the Green Revolution is not a proper solution to the hunger in India, because it does not fully solve the main effects of the social stratification, such as poverty, unemployment and inequality between citizens. Those at higher layer position gain the most of the country’s income. However, certainly, it might have an effect on people who live in intermediate income position. The Green Revolution is able to solve the economic problem in India, making more GDP, hence increasing an export, yet not hunger, which is the primary social problem in the region. Finally, it seems that attempt to the second Green Revolution today is an impoverished idea, and the only beneficiaries are the government, rich people and the transnational companies, which make the most work in the agricultural sector. Beginning with an idea of solution to a global hunger, it became a provenance for the rich.
Reference list:
Dahlberg, Kenneth A. 2013. “What is the Green Revolution?” Accessed October 31, 2013 https://www.foodfirst.org/en/green+revolution
Lappe, Frances. M. , Joseph Collins & Peter Rosset. 1989. World Hunger 12 Myths. UK: Earth Publications LTD
Ganguly, Saby. n.d. Green Revolution in India: A Case Study Accessed November 9, 2013 http://teacherweb.ftl.pinecrest.edu/SNYDERD/APHG/Unit%205/GreenRev.htm
Lipton, Michael & Richard Longhurst. 1989. New Seeds and Poor People. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press. Accessed November 17, 2013 http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/pnabf245.pdf
Merriam Webster dictionary. n.d. Accessed November 2, 2013 http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/
Rao, Jasmine. 2010. “The Caste System: Effects on Poverty in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka” Global Majority E-Journal 1: 97-106. Accessed November 10, 2013. http://www.american.edu/cas/economics/ejournal/upload/Global_Majority_e_Journal_1-2_Rao.pdf
United Nations. n.d. “What is hunger?” Accessed December 12, 2013 http://www.un.org/en/globalissues/briefingpapers/food/whatishunger.shtml
World Food Programme. n.d.. “Hunger in India”. Accessed October, 30, 2013 http://www.wfp.org/countries/india/overview
World Population Statistics. n.d. Accessed November 17, 2013 http://www.prb.org/pdf13/2013-population-data-sheet_eng.pdf