MORE ON THE JAPANESE MIRACLE

Dear Sir,

The Japanese Miracle interview seemed to be very confusing both factually as well as in its tenor. GN.Krishnan asks a question to Prof. Takeshi Hayashi about their (Japanese) refusal to invest substantially in R and D. I do not know where from he got this information. Let me refer to one area about which I have some knowledge namely 'Advanced Ceramics'. A study was undertaken (1985) to compare the R and D efforts in this area by Japan, Western Europe, and U.S.A. Japan spent nearly $ 50 million / year compared to $ 35-40 million / year by U.S.A. and much less by Western Europe. SONY spends 6% of its turnover on R and D which for a company of SONY'S size is very big money if we compare globally. Japanese got the Nobel prize in Physics in recognition of the work he did in the R and D division of SONY. All this is not Rand D in the typical Western style.

The question put by the interviewer to Prof.Hayashi on Japanese Iron and Steel industry as also the answer gives a very wrong impression. Japan, at present (assuming CIS to be one country) - is the third highest producer of steel in the world over 100 million tones. The production varies, according to the demand but this is the maximum that they can produce. Nippon Steel has a steel plant which is nearly two decades old and can produce up to 9 million tons of steel per year. The plant in any one shift is run by less than 100 persons. I mention this to slow the extent of 'modernization' in the 'Western' sense of the word. Japanese now a day’s boast of the most stringent specification for their steel products. For the production of these grades you need all kinds 'modern' units. There is a debate whether we need such stringent specification for large variety of applications. To sum up - the traditional sector in iron and steel industry plays a very insignificant role both quantitatively and qualitatively. Does one get this impression by reading the interview? The title given to the interview was The 'Japanese Miracle and it is a miracle in the 'Western' sense. There were oxygen booths on the footpaths of Tokyo for people to breathe; the city had such terrible pollution. As the interview progresses it seem the interviewers carefully avoided the 'Western' characteristics of the 'miracle'. We all try to look for data for supporting our view points. But too many omissions make the purpose self-defeating.

Barundeb Muldterjee Calcutta.

(We have forwarded the letter of Sri Barundeb Mukherjee to Prof.Hayashi for his response. The response of the two interviewers C.N.Krishnan and A.V.Balasubramanian is published below - Editor).

Your interview with Prof.Takeshi Hayashi in the Issue No: 22 (March 1992) of the PPST Bulletin has elicited some amount of response from our readers. Some of the responses have been appreciative and laudatory many others have been quite sharp, disapproving and even outright condemning. Most of these have been communicated orally the only written comment expressing very serious disapproval has been from Shri.Barun Deb Mukerjee of Calcutta. As Sri Barun's letter alone does not cover all points of disagreement expressed by many of the readers, we are taking the liberty of summarizing below, in our own words, the main points brought out against the interview:

1. Some statements are factually wrong and misleading. For example, Sri Barun Deb Mukerjee challenges the statement that Japan had not been investing in R and D as much as some other Western countries. Japan has actually done the same thing in this regard as the West and nothing different or original according to him.
   
   
2. It is a myth to claim that any significant amount of industrial production in Japan today is being done by the 'traditional' techniques as against the 'western' techniques. The discussion of steel industry gives a very misleading impression in this regard. There is nothing 'Japanese' as distinct from 'western' in any of their industrial organization.
   
   
3. The interviewers have carefully and consciously avoided any reference to the 'seamier' side of the 'Miracle' story the social, psychological, emotional ecological cost at which the 'Miracle' has been made possible. No reference at all to the widespread practice of drinking, widespread prostitution and poor status of women, high levels of psychological disorders and suicide rates, high levels of political corruption, lack of democratic and working class consciousness and movements, high levels of pollution and environmental degradation, unscrupulous and exploitative trade and commercial practices with other nations (particularly of the Third world), etc. The entire interview was an effort to whitewash the true story of how Japan achieved power and wealth, and hold it out as an example for others to follow.
   
   
4. The interviewers have tried to conjure up a myth that what Japan has done is not 'westernization', but that they have evolved a 'Japanese path' to modernization quite distinct from that of the west. And also that the 'Miracle' has been achieved with the Japanese soul intact! The mischief here is in the suggestion that we can also become 'modem' keeping our Indian’s intact.
   
   
5. The interview is a clear pointer that the PPST is now saying things quite different from what it was doing earlier. (To quote Sri.Barun again, 'we all try to look for data for supporting our viewpoints. But too many omissions make the purpose self-defeating). To want to promote Japan (the crassly imitative Westernizer, if ever there was one) as a model for development is indeed as far as one can possibly get from the days of uncompromising anti-modernism and anti-westernism.
   

Now, that indeed is quite a bit we would like to respond to them as best as we can within the constraints of space available to us:

1. While the factual inaccuracies, if any, have to be corrected, we have largely gone
   by the opinion of Prof.Hayashi on many matters pertaining to Japan. It is our understanding that the concept and organization of industrial R and D in Japan is not a mere imitation of the western model, and that the Japanese have evolved an approach that is original and unique to them. Greater expert analysis and deliberations on this theme would be most welcome.
   
   
2. It has not been the idea of the interviewers at all to suggest that Japan is still running its industry using its traditional technologies. What was coming out of the discussion with Prof.Hayashi was that
   
   
   1. The modem industry in Japan did not imply a complete break or discontinuity with their traditional industries (as it did in our case) it absorbed much of the resources, skills and tools from the traditional after modifying them suitably.
      
      
   2. The modern industry in Japan was not hoisted on an artificial and non-existent social base it was largely mapped on to the traditionally existing industrial social base, in some essential continuity with it; this resulting in evolution of managerial and administrative principles and practices quite distinct from those of the west.
      
   
   It is thus that while the modern steel mills of Japan have little resemblance to their traditional iron and steel works, the modern and the traditional Japanese industry are not the works of two different (and disjoint) sets of minds there is an essential connectedness and evolution from the latter to the former.
   
   
3. The purpose of our interview was not to bring out (to 'expose') what all is wrong in the Japanese 'model' it was not even to give a 'balanced' picture of Japan, with all its 'pros' and 'cons' in place. The purpose of the exercise was to understand and identify the essential sources of strength of modern Japan; to understand how it could acquire so much strength and power in spite of so many obvious disadvantages and disabilities. The luxury of dwelling upon the 'seamier' side of Japan is probably not permitted to us the privileged and the elite of this nation that even after forty five years of independence, has no clues as to how to feed, clothe and shelter half of its population.
   
   
4. It is a fact that there is very little Indian learning, scholarship and interpretation of the Japanese society and nation; our image of Japan is largely what is picked up from the western media and their interpretation. It is thus undoubtedly not easy to conclude emphatically as to what exactly has been the nature of transformation that Japan has been undergoing. It is however not correct to conclude that Japan has merely copied everything from the west just because their dresses, cars, highways and cities do not look much different from those of the west. It does appear that certain core aspects of their society, language, education, family, social norms and customs, forms and modes of organization, public life and polity - have retained their uniquely Japanese character with the result that the modem Japanese person and society are quite distinct from their western (or any other) counterparts. The issue here is not one of whether such a thing is good/bad, desirable/undesirable etc it is not even one of whether this is a lasting phenomenon. The Japanese case only seems to suggest that the choice is 'not necessarily limited to either staying totally traditional or totally westernizing. Put more explicitly, it is not obvious from the Japanese example that our attachment to many of our civilization norms and values is what is stopping us from becoming strong in the modern context.
   
   
5. Now: to the 'charge' that the interviewers where implying things quite contrary to what the PPST has been saying for long. To put things in perspective, the main thrust of the PPST's efforts so far have been to show the following:
   
   
   1. The need for us to evolve our own understanding and evaluation of the west ' and not accept the claims of the west about itself and its role in the world during the last 500 or so years. We should not lose sight of the hard core of power, control, intolerance, violence and domination that lie behind the 'soft exterior of 1 the west decorated with words like 'enlightenment', 'democracy and equality', 'development and progress', 'pursuit of knowledge and truths', etc.
      
      
   2. The need for us to evolve our own understanding and assessment of our civilization core, and not blindly accept the interpretations about ourselves offered by the West or anyone else. While there is need for us to weed out whatever weaknesses and short comings that exist, there has to be an understanding and appreciation of the essential soundness of our civilization core.
      
      
   3. The essential reason for the large scale failures in all our post-independence efforts at social reconstruction and nation building has been that we were following models, concepts, tools and techniques blindly borrowed from the West, and quite unsuited to us. For us to achieve success in our efforts, they will have to be based upon and consistent with, the living core of our own tradition and civilization and any borrowing of tools and techniques from outside has to be done with great discretion and discrimination.

Having spent about ten years trying to establish the above viewpoint, the PPST has been of late attempting to work out some details of what follows from it. To the interviewers of Prof.Hayashi, it is clear that the prime task before us all is one of nation-building. The task initiated during our independence movement of putting together a nation that is strong, sound and viable in this modern context, has to be carried forward to completion in as short a time as possible. To those who feel this is a dilution of the lofty civilization concerns displayed earlier, it should be said that the tallest personality that our civilization had produced in a few centuries, viz. Mahatma Gandhi himself had deemed it fit, to spend much of his life in putting a nation together. (He is called the Father of the Nation). While we believe as strongly as ever that there is much that our civilization can contribute to the world, none of that is possible as long as we, as a nation, are a picture of poverty, weakness, strife, disarray, subjugation, disharmony and discord. With all our undoubted wisdom and insight, we indeed cut such a sorry figure in today's world. In fact it is as though that the world is slowly passing us by while we stay caught in a hole as it were; we as a nation are slowly acquiring the status of the largest slum in the world It is indeed the 'Indian Miracle' that we could manage to bring about such a situation despite so many favorable and positive things going for us - a bountiful and benevolent nature, a highly cultured and skillful people, and a great tradition of glorious attainments in all domains of life.

Our talk with Prof.Hayashi had the prime objectives of comprehending how that country went about the task of nation building and effecting the transformation from tradition to modernity - its version of modernity. We were interested in the Japanese Miracle' as we have to put an end to the. Indian Miracle at the earliest. Having said that, it should also be added that perhaps there is not much that one can learn from others experiences. Probably the most important thing that one can learn from the 'success-stories' of others is that none of it can be duplicated by anyone else, and that each nation has to evolve its own unique path according to its own tradition, history and genius.

We are told that 8.5 percent of a motor car is made here, but the other 15 percent is the most important. Unless we can make a cent percent motor car, I prefer to go back to the Ox-cart age, rather than go in an imported car.


Author: Mohini Mullick

WHAT ARE THE LARGER ISSUES?

Much has been said and written on the Bhopal disaster and its aftermath. While issues such as the nature and extent of the tragedy, it’s possible long-term effects, the culpability of the multinational Union Carbide Corporation and its cohorts in India, the bungling by our Government, scientists, technologists and other professional elites, the need for massive relief operations etc., have been widely dealt with, many of the larger issues that really come to the fore in the context of Bhopal disaster have not yet found adequate expression. What is distressing is the total lack of sensibility and utter callousness displayed so far by most of our scientists, technologists, administrators and other professionals and their professional bodies, in even refusing to start a debate on what happened at Bhopal, what we must do to ensure that such disasters do not recur and what we learn from all this in formulating our S&T and other policies in future. We believe that such issues can no longer be shirked any more. The following collection of articles on the 'Lessons from Bhopal' is to precisely focus on several of these larger issues that have come to the forefront in the context of the Bhopal disaster. Whether our professional elites want it or not, the debate on these issues is going to start and perhaps take onto still larger issues concerning the entire reconstruction of Indian Society.

While the Government and the official machinery has reacted to the Bhopal disaster, as though it ware just one more natural calamity like an earthquake or a cyclone, the event has brought forth arid mare probing responses from a number of non-official groups as well as individuals. Finding expression in the form of articles in the press meetings and seminars, processions, demonstration, and signature campaigns, these groups and individuals have attached great significance to the tragedy and raised a wide range of questions and issues. Some of the important issues raised in this context have been the following:

1. The functioning of the multinational, corporations in our Country their greed, callousness and double-standards while operating in the thirdworld countries. It has been demanded that their operations be closely scrutinized and curbed, and. even that they as completely thrown out of the country.
   
   
2. The poor safety standards prevailing in the industrial units in our .country": It is being pointed out that the Bhopal disaster is far from being an isolated incident and that observance of safety regulations is woefully inadequate or even non-existent in many industrial' units in our country, be they foreign owned, Indian or Government run. It is being urged that the existing conditions in the various industrial establishments in the country be thoroughly investigated, more stringent safety regulations be passed and strictly enforced.
   
   
3. Environmental hazards being posed by the industrial units and other projects in the country: It is being increasingly brought out that many of our developmental schemes such as large scale industrial units, dams, canals etc., are steadily disrupting and destroying the environment and eroding people's health and means lot livelihood. Demands are being raised that a thorough environmental impact assessment be carried out before any such scheme is sanctioned and taken up, and that steps be taken to reduce the environmental hazards of the existing units. The right to safe environment should be recognized as a fundamental and enforceable right of the people.
   
   
4. People’s right to know: Very little information is ever made available to them. Public regarding the nature, functioning and problems of most of our developmental projects. This is particularly so in the case of industries, many of which are located in densely populated areas. People are denied access to basic information like what the plant is producing, what are the processes and materials being used, in what ways these are likely to affect the life and ecology of the locality, what are the hazards involved, and in the event of an accident, what are the people expected to do, etc. In many cases, it is not even known whether such, information even exists. In the case of Bhopal, the situation had gone to such an absurd extent that, even after the disaster, the people were kept totally in the dark as to what had happened and what needs to be done. The demand that has been put forward is that the people should have an absolute right to know what is going on inside all the plants and projects, and this right should be enforceable by law.
   
   
5. The role of the Government and bureaucracy in the aftermath of the Bhopal disaster has been attracting severe criticism for its failure to provide adequate relief and rehabilitation to the affected people, its failure to identify and proceed firmly against those responsible for the disaster, and in general, for its total lack of appreciation of the feelings of the people. It has been criticized for having .been under various influences and pressures to such an extent that all the earlier warnings about the possibility of such a disaster were totally ignored, and after the occurrence, 4he culprits were being even shielded and protected.
   
   
6. The role of the S&T Community in the Country : How its conduct both before and after the disaster has totally belied the responsibility entrusted to it by the society, and how its conduct has been unbecoming of the moral, ethical and professional standards expected of any self-respecting S&T Community. It has been pointed out that, disregarding all the norms worthy of the members of such a Community, our S&T personnel have conducted themselves merely as the spokesmen for politicians, bureaucrats and foreign capital.
   

As can be seen from the above, the range of issues raised in the context of Bhopal has been quite wide and of far-reaching significance. The central concern expressed has-been on preventing another Bhopal from happening, and the many suggestions and demands, if accepted and implemented, would doubtless go a long way in reducing such a possibility. It is essential that a concerted nation wide effort be organized in this direction.

At the same time, one cannot help noticing that much of the debate and discussion seems to be sharing a common premise characterized by a belief that : (i) If only we are more cautious and take the necessary measures, then it is possible for us to 'tame' the modern S & T (whose end results are the plants like the one in Bhopal) and make it serve the people of our country in a safe manner, and (ii) We really have no choice in the matter but to have more and more of such plants, if we are to develop and progress as a nation. Foreclosing options at this level, we believe, is both premature as well as unnecessary. Firstly, it should be remembered that if the West today appears to have acquired reasonable mastery and control over this S & T, it is only after going through a process very costly and painful not only to themselves but perhaps more so to other peoples. Even then, it is far from true that this S&T has been made 'safe' in the West. It is a serious and open question as to what price we will have to pay if we as a nation under the condition existing today, have to learn to use this S&T. In a widespread and larger scale manner, even assuming that such a thing is possible.

The second aspect, viz. that we really have no choice in the matter, also needs a careful re-examination. It is true that the issue is often. Posted in this manner: If we have to have development and progress, then we must be prepared to have more and more of the Bhopal-type plants, and all those who are opposed to such plants are actually opposing all development and progress. This position, however, becomes highly questionable especially in the case under consideration. After all the "plant in Bhopal was supposedly producing highly toxic chemical pesticides. As is well known chemical pesticides became an essential input to agriculture only with the adoption of the Green Revolution package. It became essential because of the use of the so called high yielding variety (HYV) seeds that have been evolved in short periods of time in artificial environments and hence have no natural immunity to pests; because of the exclusive use of chemical fertilizers that disrupt the soil chemistry and the biological environment of the plant; because of the poor water-management associated with large dams, canals and large-scale destruction of the forests, etc. So, to say that we have no alternative to increasingly producing and consuming chemical pesticides is correct only if it is accepted that we have no alternative to the Green Revolution package for increasing our food production. And this is far from being the case. On the one' hand, it is being increasingly Recognized that, apart from destroying the soil and poisoning the food and the environment, the Green Revolution technology of agriculture is also highly wasteful of all resources and energy, and is indeed a very inefficient way of producing food. And then, it can also be confidently asserted that the science and technology of agriculture evolved and. perfected by our farmers over thousands of years, an agriculture that did not need chemical pesticides, is more than adequate to meet all our needs, if only we are prepared to learn from them. The existence of such alternatives to the Green Revolution package has never been seriously considered. Without exploring this possibility seriously and sincerely, it is quite premature and unnecessary to conclude that we have no alternative but to rely increasingly on chemical pesticides, and thus have more and more of the Bhopal type plants.

It is not being suggested that we can abruptly stop using all chemical pesticides and that all the pesticide plants can be immediately shut down. What is needed is an effort to reduce our total dependence on such pesticides, and explore ways and means of eventually phasing them out altogether. The Chinese experience seems to be significant in this regard. Starting from a position of total dependence on chemical pesticides, like what we are doing now, the Chinese agriculture seems to have soon realized their harmful effects and adopted a variety of means whereby they have been able to reduce the use of chemical pesticides significantly, at least in a few selected areas. In a similar way, now that we are becoming increasingly aware of the problems involved, it should be possible for us to check and reverse the trend. Without attempting this, to blindly believe that all that we can do is to try to make the Bhopal type plants safer, is far too feeble a response to the tragedy of Bhopal.

It may be safely asserted that what has been said about pesticides and agriculture is also true, to varying degrees, in other areas like health, housing etc. A much wider range of alternatives are in fact available to us and that they should all be explored seriously. This ought to form an integral part in any effort to make sure that Bhopal’s do not recur. In fact, the most significant lesson that we should learn from Bhopal is the need to reconsider our S & T options at a fundamental level in all the sectors.

A certain analogy between Bhopal and Jallianwalla Bagh seems inescapable. The massacre at Jallianwalla Bagh permanently and drastically changed our perception of the British rule. It revealed in a flash as it were, the true nature of the British rule and drove home the lesson that if further Jallianwalla Baghs are to be prevented, then there is no alternative but that the British must leave India. In a similar way, the Bhopal disaster must make us all see the true face of the path of development that is being pursued in our country. It must make us see that Bhopal’s are an integral part of this path and that all attempts to prevent further Bhopal’s must necessarily include searching for alternatives to this path of development.



Author: Madras Group

THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY

Less than two weeks after the tragic night when the gases from the pesticide plant at Bhopal had leaked to kill over two thousand people, journalists sitting in a club, close to the factory, found the place swarming with flies and mosquitoes. When asked the secret of their survival, white fresh cases of human poisoning were still being reported, the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh replied, "It might take months' of scientific study to find an answer". The incident is symbolic of the prevalent faith in the science and technology of today. Consider the case: A high technology plant storing, utilizing and producing extremely' dangerous materials are set up in the heart of a populous old city, with the scientific promise that" the products of the plant shall kill pests and insects to save men from disease and hunger. The technology fails. The toxic gases leak. And, ironically men die, while mosquitoes and flies seem to be flourishing. Faced with the situation the representative of the people not only refers the matter back to the scientists and technologists, but also gives them unlimited time to find out why they failed so tragically. Notwithstanding the much talked about lack of a scientific temper in the people of India, the faith of a nation in the modern science and technology could perhaps never be any stronger.

In fact, those who found themselves responsible for the building up o£ independent India chose science and technology as the medium through which to approach their task. Consequently, we have generated a large science and technology (S&T) community, the third largest in the world. This community, and the huge scientific, technological and industrial establishment that comes with it have been paid for from the scarce resources of India, they form India's investment in modernity. The builders of India have reposed faith in this community with the hope that the S&T community of India shall bring to us the best fruits of modern S&T arid at the same time sufficiently domesticate this S&T to competently save us from all its inherent dangers.

It is true that the people of India do not understand much of what the modern scientists and technologists do, and how they do it. But that is not because of any special lack of the scientific temper in the Indian people. Not many people anywhere in the world understand the scientific jargon, much less the logic and intricacies of modern S&T. The people of India, of course, do not even understand the language of modern S&T. Like modern law, modern medicine, and modern education etc., modern S&T is also conducted in English, a language alien to most of our people. That the builders of India should repose implicit faith in a community whose ways and methods, and even whose language, the people of India do not understand, may be very unwise. It may be especially unwise for those who represent a people like the Indians, a people who till recently did not even accept the Gods unless they came and lived with them, spoke and behaved like them, and accepted all their norms and limitations. The representatives of such a people have perhaps unwisely put their faith in the S&T community. But that is a separate question.

Whether wisely or unwisely modern India has put its faith in modern S&T. And this puts a great responsibility on the S&T community of India. The important question that arises in the context of the Bhopal tragedy is: Has the S&T community become competent enough to fulfill its responsibility? Has it behaved honorably and responsibly in the face of the faith that has been reposed in it? Now that sufficient time has elapsed since the Bhopal tragedy it is possible to take a judicious view of the role and behavior of the S&T community in this crisis. From the available information, it has to be sadly concluded that the S&T community of India has failed in its responsibilities. Its failures have been multiple. In fact, it seems that both the profession of science and the faith reposed in the Indian S&T community have been betrayed.

The first thing that became obvious with the fatal leak was the total ignorance of the Indian scientists and technologists about what is happening in many of the high technology establishments of the country. Once the leak started, none of the highly trained Indian engineers and technicians in the plant seemed to know what to do about it; the gases simply exhausted themselves. The larger S&T community did not know how much of what was being produced in the plant. If what came out of the plant was only methyl-iso-cyanate (MIC) as the plant personnel insisted, the community did not know what the chemistry of this substance was, what were its toxic effects, what were possible antidotes, and what were the ways to neutralize the toxic substance? All this ignorance was eventually admitted' on behalf of the community: It is possible that some of these admissions of ignorance were made in order to minims the responsibility for the tragedy and to make it look like a natural disaster. However, it became obvious from, the events that followed that the Indian scientists and technologists did not really know much about the ways to deal with the substances that were being used and produced in the Bhopal plants.

The essence of being scientific, as every school text teaches, is in being keenly observant of one's surroundings. A specialized scientific community that is so totally unaware of even the major technological activities in its surroundings betrays both the profession of science and the nation that has given it the mandate to be scientific on its behalf. If Bhopal were an isolated instance of the ignorance of the S&T community that may not have mattered much. But there is absolutely no reason to believe that there are not elsewhere in the country plants with equally dangerous potential, about which the Indian S&T community is similarly ignorant.

While this ignorance of the community can be condoned as an act of omission, what happened next did not have even that saving grace, immediately after the leak, various segments of the S&T community openly engaged in suppressing information, spreading misinformation, and sometimes even telling deliberate lies. This game started with the engineers of the Union Carbide plant at Bhopal. On the fateful night of December 2/3 while people of Bhopal were dying in large numbers, senior engineers of the plant were simply denying that anything at all had leaked from their plant. At 1.45 a.m. that night J. Mukund, the Works Manager, told the Additional District Magistrate, "The gas leak just can't be from my plant. Our technology just can't go wrong." In the morning Dr. L. D. Lova of the plant was' telling tried doctors and journalists around that the gas that leaked was only an irritant, which was neither fatal nor lethal.

As we know these statements by the technical and medical staff of the Company were deliberate lies. The Works Manager could not have been unaware of the possibility of a leak, because earlier his technology had indeed failed and his plant had leaked many times. Similarly, though the rest of the S&T community in India may have been ignorant of the toxic effects of MIC, the Company personnel had access to the Company manuals that informed the employees of the hazards of the chemicals used in the plant. Therefore Dr. Lova, the Company doctor, while passing MC off as a benign material, could not have been unaware of its hazards. True that these lies were told by the employees of a multinational plant. But while justly blaming the multinationals for their greed and callousness towards life in the developing countries we must remember that Mukund and Lova are Indian scientists. They are part of the third largest scientific manpower in the world that we are proud of.

The Company personnel were not the only scientists and technologists who lied and suppressed information. Teams of independent government scientists and a CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) team headed by the Director General of CSIR, Dr,Varadarajan, reached Bhopal in the immediate wake of the disaster. And immediately a campaign to suppress all information on the tragedy was begun, The veil of secrecy that the scientists, hand in hand with other bureaucrats, imposed was so thick' and so blatant that on December 5, the Additional Director General of Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) Dr.S. Sircar, refused to give information on the wind speed, humidity [and temperature conditions in Bhopal on the tragic night because a judicial enquirer was on. When reminded that IMD was a service organization, Dr. Sircar emphatically declared that IMD was not a service organization, and the information would not be given. In fact, it seems the scientists actually started enjoying their new found sense of power. Thus on December 15, Dr. Varadarajan took some journalists around)the plant after prior warning that anybody straying from the charted path in the plant shall be arrested and he personally grappled with a cameraman who tried to go near the tank that had leaked.

In addition to suppressing information there was continuous misinformation emanating from scientific and technical experts. Within a couple of days of the leak the experts started announcing that the air that the people were breathing was absolutely safe, that there was no trace of any toxic material anywhere. A little later Dr. Bhandari, Superintendent of the Hamidia Hospital, was asserting that there were no long-term effects of the gas on the specious observation that the patients his hospital had treated were not returning with any new complications. By December 10, a WHO expert, sent on the request of Government of India, joined Indian medical experts in asserting that there would be no long-term effects of the gas on the kidneys and livers of the victims, that there would be no damage to pregnant women or the for issues they were carrying, that survivors will suffer only minor eye and respiratory problems.

It is clear now that all these statements and many others emanating from eminent scientists were all false. On the second day of the accident no tests could have shown the air of Bhopal to be free from all toxicity and the long-term effects of the gas could not have been predicted within a week of the exposure. In any case, fresh cases of poisoning were being reported till December 24 and previously treated cases with greater complications were returning to the Hamidia Hospital in large numbers.

Ironically, while scientists were telling the public about the absence of all long-term effects, they were also cornering large amounts of public funds to undertake long-term projects to study the effects of the gas. The ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) on December 11 reported its plans of undertaking a major epidemiological survey to see the effect, of the gas on kidneys and immune systems of the victims. Food Toxicological Research Institute, Hyderabad, Institute of Occupational Health, Ahmadabad, Cancer Research Institute, Bombay, Institute of Genetics and Hospital for Genetic Diseases, Hyderabad, all got various projects to study the phenomenon of MIC leak and its effect on human beings. Even foreign scientists, specialists in chemical warfare, arrived on the scene to see whether the gas could be used to kill, efficiently and when their presence was brought to the notice of Mr. Arjun Singh, then Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, he declared that though no fishing around might be allowed, the Government would assist everyone in making enquirers into the subject. He wouldn't have liked to be seen as interfering with the 'scientific' investigation of a rare phenomenon. Yet at the same time he was so keen to keep all information away from the lay public that his government went to the Jabalpur High Court repeatedly to seek permission to destroy samples of the gas that the High Court had insisted must be kept in order to make independent investigation possible.

This campaign of misinformation and suppression of information reached its peak on the question of the presence of phosgene in the leaking gases; and on the question of presence of cyanide in the systems of the poisoning victims. Answers to both questions were vital for the treatment of patients and right from the beginning there were reasonable doubts that both were present. Yet it was decided to deny outright their presence. The Union Carbide insisted that what leaked was nothing but MIC. 'It was MIC, declared Dr. Awashia of [the parent Union Carbide Corporation. And Indian scientists took up the refrain. On December 7 itself IARI (Indian Agricultural Research Institute) was making public results of tests carried out on plant samples, to assert that the gas that leaked was not phosgene and Dr. Varadarajan declared in Bhopal on December 10 that scientists from defense laboratories had found no trace of ' phosgene in Bhopal. Yet on December 21, under intense questioning, Dr. Varadarajan admitted (that there was a small quantity of phosgene in the MIC. Now it was revealed (that its presence was essential for the safe-keeping of MIC, though Dr. Varadarajan also hinted that the phosgene present in the MIC that leaked from Bhopal might have' been more than what was absolutely essential. By January 4 in the Lucknow Science Congress, he was admitting that he and his team had [no available chemical method for quantifying phosgene. This time this admission of lack of preparedness was an excuse for choosing to convert the remaining MIC to the commercially usable pesticide Seven, as the Company had desired, rather than using some other non-commercial mode of neutralization. All this is an example of scientific honesty and commitment to truth of our S & T community.

The case of the possibility of formation of the cyanide compounds in the gas victims' bodies was even f more curious. It seems sodium – thiosulphate is a known antidote for cyanide poisoning. Dr. Awashia of Union Carbide, in his initial message on the line of treatment had suggested the use of this antidote, and at least some doctors in the Hamidia Hospital had used it in the early days of the tragedy even on themselves and had found it effective. But soon it was decided that any connection of MIC with cyanide was not to be suggested; doctors of the Union Carbide and their Indian counterparts in the Government started insisting that MIC could not cause cyanide poisoning, and in an unusual 'unscientific' step, the Director of Madhya Pradesh Health Services issued an official letter on December 11 banning the use of sodium thiosulphate. The ban was lifted only on February 3 when overwhelming evidence of cyanide poisoning in the bodies of the victims could not be any more in the activity of suppressing information was indeed, a diabolically ignored. (Thus the flamboyant participation of the scientists and technologists cynical act) It can be argued that this suppression of information and spreading of misinformation was not directly the responsibility of the scientific community. That it was done under pressure from and on behalf of the political / bureaucratic hierarchy. And it does seem that much of this was not a strictly scientific technological, but a public relations job in which scientists were rather prominently involved. Especially, the daily press briefings of Dr. Varadarajan during the so called 'Operation Faith' were nothing more than this since as far as the technical aspects were involved, he himself had admitted that the whole operation was carried out by the factory staff with the help of American experts. The job of Dr. Varadarajan and his team was perhaps only to devise the faith-raising drama of helicopters spraying water, and wet tents covering the area; and to give authoritative ton-by ton briefings to the press on the MIC neutralization and to repeatedly assert that the whole operation was a Zero-risk affair, as if that term had any scientific meaning.

However, accepting the plea that the scientists indulged in this public relations exercise at the behest of other bosses does not reduce their responsibility. It should be remembered that it is only the scientists who in the modern world claim the role of being the guarantors of truth. The politicians or the bureaucrats have never claimed any such role. In fact the near universal acceptance of Modern science is partly based on the idea that the only commitment of science, and the scientists in their professional capacity, is to truth and to nothing else. This idea may not be entirely correct. Yet by telling blatant lies the scientists of India have degraded the idea of science and have betrayed their profession. What is even more alarming is the possibility that if they have told lies in this case, they may also be telling lies about mush else in the S&T establishments which may be equally hazardous.

Finally, we come to the most intriguing aspect of the behavior of the S&T community during the Bhopal crisis. What was so important about the presence of phosgene in the gases that leaked and about the presence of cyanide compounds in the bodies of the victims that the scientific community should try to suppress this information? One possible explanation is that while a term like MIC was little known to people, phosgene, the dreaded war gas and cyanide's, the dreaded poisons, are better known terms and people would have known how to react to these. Insistence, that there were no cyanide's and no phosgene involved and that what did the killing was some totally unknown substance called MIC, then seems to be an attempt, by the S&T community to control the reactions of the people and to make them dependent on itself for all information.

However it seems that more was involved in this exercise than merely the engineering of the reactions and responses of the people. It seems that phosgene and cyanide compounds being better known are better regulated in law. Presence of these substances enhanced the legal culpability of the Union Carbide, and suppression of information on these' was an attempt to reduce the culpability of the company. If this is the case, then effectively the Indian S&T personnel have colluded with the foreign company and thereby they have lowered the dignity of the S&T profession in India. Even otherwise, by their inability to handle the technical aspects of the situation themselves, by their total reliance on foreign doctors in the treatment of patients, by requesting the company officials to analyze the various samples (even for the sake of investigation into the company's responsibility) by heaving the process of neutralization of the gases to the company management and American experts of the company, and in general by showing their complete inability to tackle' the crisis without foreign help and guidance, the Indian S&T community has dishonored itself. It is only because the Indian scientists and technologists behaved so incompetently that the foreigners acquired the boldness to suggest that it was the involvement of the Indians with the plant that caused the disaster. Wall Street Journal suggested it in mid-January and later in the month, Dr. Brown, an American Noble laureate in chemistry, made the same insulting J reference, while on a visit to India as a guest of the Indian Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). Now of course the parent American company, in its report, has squarely laid the entire blame on the Indians operating the plant at Bhopal.

It is true that the scientists were not the only ones who behaved in a way that lowered the dignity of their profession. For instance, the Indian government itself panicked at the arrest of Mr. Warren Anderson, the Union Carbide chairman in Bhopal, sought his immediate release, and flew him in a state aircraft to Delhi; and the foreign secretary of India granted audience to the chairman of a multinational that by it callousness had just caused a major disaster. That arrest may or may not have been decent or civilized, as spokesman of the Government and many leading newspapers of the country suggested, but the later panicky behavior was definitely below the dignity of a sovereign government allegedly run by competent professionals. The legal profession also joined in this exhibition of general lack of dignity and self-respect by the various professional groups of- India. While the local lawyers competed with each other in acting as agents of American legal firms, the Advocate General of India himself rushed to the U.S.A. to find ways of seeking Justice from the American courts, instead of attending to the business of getting the culprits to the courts in India.

Thus it seems that the S&T community of India was not the only professional community that during the Bhopal crisis proved itself to be incompetent in handling the crisis without foreign help, and showed a singular lack of professional pride and honor. It seems 'that the failure is shared by the entire professional groups that modern India has evolved. But the failure of the S&T community is the most glaring. This is not only because it was basically the responsibility of the S&t community to avert and to handle disasters of the type that occurred in Bhopal, but also because much more has been expected of the S&T community compared to other professional groups. Indian nation has sought to become a modern, powerful, independent nation through the medium of modern S&T. If after almost four decades of concerted development, the Indian S&T establishment finds, during a technological crisis let loose by a foreign company, that it does not have the know-how and the capability even to ascertain what exactly where the substances that came out of the plant to cause the disaster, that it does not have the confidence to deal with the aftermath of the crisis, and that it has to seek help from the foreign culprits to handle the situation, then we can no longer remain so smug and sure about the basic assumptions regarding modern S&T that have been made in modern India., Intact, the failure of the S&T community seems highly alarming because out of all the modern professional groups and structures that. Independent India sought to develop the science and technology establishment seemed the most logical and essential because of the supposed universality of modern S&T.

Perhaps, the problem is with this idea of the universality of modern S&T. Firmly believing in the universal truth of modern science and universal applicability of modern technology, the builders of modern India have generated an S&T community that finds all its "sources of inspiration and standards of competence placed outside the country Forced to work in fields in which all the data and all the theories get generated abroad and in which the center of activity always lays outside India, the Indian scientists and technologists fail to evolve the confidence to deal with Indian problems, in India with Indian resources. Used to the idea of seeing the foreigners as the leaders of activity in their particular fields of endeavor, the Indian S&T personnel fail to evolve a proper professional pride in their own community. Infect, given the role and behavior of the Indian S&T community during the Bhopal crisis, it seems that the Indian scientists and technologists, working as they largely do with observations made elsewhere and theories proposed and judged by other groups, have even failed to evolve the usual scientific discipline of being keen observers of their surroundings, and of being a community with professional honesty. At the same time, with their foreign orientation, the Indian S&T personnel" seem to have developed callousness towards life in India that is typical of the outsider. What else can explain the phenomenon, that during the discussion on Bhopal in the Lucknow Science Congress, held in the wake of the tragedy, even lay members of the community went about reading inane papers on topics like the survival or otherwise of roses in Bhopal, copying the flamboyant style of their peers.

Of course, there are many amongst Indian scientists and technologists who prove themselves to be extremely competent even by the Western standards. However, these bright ones, having found recognition in a community outside India, quickly get alienated not only from the Indian people, but also from the Indian S&T community. Many of them go abroad, many others become recluses working on esoteric problems that have relevance to some group working abroad and to experiments being done elsewhere, others get frustrated. The leadership of the S&T community in India thus falls in the hands of those who are basically only good managers. In the case of a crisis, these leaders can, as in Bhopal provide the necessary managerial skills, while the actual scientific and technological problems are left to the foreign experts.

How can the situation be remedied? How can India have a S&T community that is confident of itself, and confident of handling the technological problems of India on its own? How can there be an Indian S&T community that is imbued with a healthy pride in itself and is conscious of its professional dignity? This confidence, pride and dignity cannot perhaps be expected from a community that sees itself merely as an extension of the S&T endeavor of the West,a community that is perpetually conscious of being a poor relative of an external group. What is needed is perhaps a scientific and technological endeavor that seriously seeks to establish a genuinely Indian tradition of S&T, a tradition that solves the S&T problems of India through Indian resources, using the Indian genius for science and technology.. Any such Indian tradition of S&T today will, in some sense, have to relate itself to the older Indian S&T traditions. In our obsession with the idea of the universality of modern S&T, we have often denied the existence of any meaningful and valid S&T traditions in the history of India. However, now that the futility of all our efforts at building a dignified and competent S&T community on the basis of alien traditions is becoming increasingly clear we should be willing to undertake a more serious search for our traditions.This perhaps is the most important lesson that needs to be learn from the Bhopal tragedy.



Author: J. K. Bajaj

THE BHOPAL TRAGEDY: WHAT SHOULD BE OUR FOLLOW UP?

On December 3, 1984 the people of Bhopal suddenly became aware of the real nature of modern science and technology (S&T) and the catastrophic effects that it can have on human life. During the three months since the tragedy, many causes have been listed by various groups, agencies and journalists. These include the culpability of multinationals, corruption in government and the lack of public awareness of the potential hazards and action to be taken in case of accidents. What we feel is that these are but symptoms of a deeper malaise that affects the S&T community of the country an inability or unwillingness to look into the deeper implications of S&T practice, especially its effects on society, the environment and the people.

Bhopal has highlighted the failure of the Indian, S&T community to understand that modern S&T comes as a 'package' with its own needs and demands, effects and costs, not only at the technical, but also at the social and cultural levels. We still treat technology as merely gadgets or processes in isolation, to be 'transferred' to India from abroad. The broader implications and ideologies that are a part of this package are not perceived by the community, and no steps are taken to assess their effects. The failure of the S&T community is highlighted by the confusion that prevailed after the tragedy, when it was realized that there had apparently been no real or meaningful assessment of the possible risks posed by the plant, or of possible points of failure or contingencies to meet it. Not only did we import the technology, but we also had to depend on foreign 'experts' (including those from Union Carbide) to deal with the situation.

The failure is not limited to pesticide plants. The S&T community in India is engaged in a variety of 'developmental' activities that are said to lead to progress. However many of them, like the Green Revolution, have hidden costs that far outweigh their potential benefits. Large dams, atomic power stations and factories are being constructed without a serious look at their long-term effects. Bhopal is just the visible portion of an iceberg of S&T practice that threatens our existence. Unless the practitioners of S&T are willing to review the long-term and wider implications of the products and processes they espouse or create, the benefits of S&T will never accrue to the people.

This failure of the S&T community to live up to its responsibilities is especially tragic in a country like India where the majority of the people have no choice but to accept the veracity of scientific statements without question. It is expected of this community that it does act with a high sense of ethics and responsibility towards the people. The events after Bhopal have shown that scientists prefer to hide truth (the nature of the leaked gases) rather than save lives (by adopting the proper line of-treatment).A cloak of secrecy covers any mishap and the community closes ranks, to mask its failures, even at the cost of many lives. We believe that this failure of the S&T community to live up to what is expected of it is perhaps due to the lack of a sense of individual and collective responsibility in its actions. As members of this community it is time for each of us to appraise the responsibility that we have towards the people, adopt ethical standards of behavior, and constantly review the long-term and: larger effects of our work. This can be done individually or collectively, by asking the following queries about "the products or processes we develop:

1. What are the requirements for implementing the product or process? What are the possible, risks and hazards?
   
   
2. Who are responsible for its proper functioning and to whom are they accountable?
   
   
3. Who are the people affected by the operation of the plant process and what are the social and environmental costs involved in running the plant?
   
   
4. Above all why do we need such a product or process, and who benefits from it ?
   
   

All practitioners of S&T in this country must ask these questions not only of the work that they are engaged in now, but also of the existing products and processes that are already in operation. And those that fail to justify their existence due to high costs or risks, should be identified and removed. In our attempt to 'develop' the country and 'catch up' with the West we must ensure that we do not destroy our people,our environment and our culture. In order to initiate such a review process, it would be advisable that the various organizations and agencies, which are concerned about the Bhopal tragedy and its wider implications about S&T practice, collaborate in order to act collectively at local) and national levels. This activity need not be limited to S&T groups and organizations alone but may extend to other groups like Civil Rights Activists, Women's Groups, etc. At the (local level joint action can be taken to:

1. Form a panel of Committed S&T personnel who have the expertise to initiate a review of f S&T activities in that area as outlined above.
   
   
2. Identify and list dangerous products and processes that are used n the locality. This should include even those which are harmful socially, environmentally or culturally. This can form the basis for an eventual extension of the work to an analysis of the projects or processes which are being planned.
   
   
3. Inform the people about the real nature of S&T and the dangers posed by it. This is especially important for people living in the neighborhood of plants which are identified to be dangerous.
   
   

In Bangalore there are some groups, including the Action Committee (IISC), the Medico Friends Circle and the PPST which have been concerned about Bhopal tragedy and the lessons that should be learn from it. Some work has already been initiated by the Action Committee, which has gone into an examination of the environmental impact and safety measures adopted by installations near the Indian Institute of Science. More coordinated work is being planned. We also feel, however, that debate and action on a national level is equally essential. The many symptoms of the failure of modern S & T to deliver the goods, and of the path of development to lead to real up lifeboatmen and better living conditions for the majority of the people, questions the very assumptions which are inherent in the large-scale adoption of modern S&T, at least in the manner that has gone on so far. We believe that a national debate on this question and follow-up corrective action are now imperative.



Author: Bangalore Group

ENVIRONMENT, SCIENCE & DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS

The shock wave of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy has left in its wake a number of questions. It has not merely been a tragedy for the people of Bhopal but a serious forewarning to all of us. The brazenness of the Union Carbide and their apologists and the conspiratorial behavior of the Indian State only spell out graver implications for the future. Concerned groups and individuals have voiced their anger and concern in various forums and called for concerted action. We in Bhopal have felt this need all the more so. Hence the National Convention the discussion during the Convention would be organized along the following themes :

1. Right to Safe Environment what it means

Article f48 A of the Constitution declares that "The State shall endeavor to protect and improve the environment". But with the Indian State having criminally abrogated its responsibility, the people themselves will have to determine the dangers to their environment, and take steps to ensure its safety. There are several other time-bombs like the Union Carbide factory of Bhopal. There is the slow but continuous poisoning of our environment by effluents so carelessly. Spewed out by the factories workers in various mines and factories are continuously inhaling dust and fumes causing damage to their health. The ecological damage by deforestation, major dams,' indiscriminate mining, etc., are assuming disastrous proportions. The common understanding of environment is often confined to our physical environment. It needs to be emphasized that environment includes human beings and the state of the environment can be fully understood only as a complex interaction between the physical environment and the social structures and processes. We feel the need to clearly spell out the various forms of threats to a safe environment in general as well as in specific scientific terms. This would help in identifying issues in the fight for a safe environment.

Science,Technology and Scientists Vs.People's Right to Know and Exercise Choice

The most amazing fact that has emerged is that the people of Bhopal were totally unaware of the going on inside the Union Carbide factory and the R&D Centre. After the disaster, the shroud of mystery has been further tightened. The official scientists, technologists and medical specialists, seemingly under official orders, have shown tremendous reluctance to share information and take the general public into confidence. A new Brahmin culture of Science and Technology has been built up as a counter to the call of People's Science. The fight to establish People's Right to know and Exercise Choice will be a long drawn political fight and the State cannot be expected to yield easily. The People's Science Movements and Civil Liberties Groups will have to articulate these rights more specifically and clearly for other movements to take up. We hope that various groups participating in the discussions will take up this challenge.

Present Day Development Policy - Critique and alternatives

Vested interests of Indian as well as foreign capital have been carefully building up an ideology that equates development with industrialization and technological modernization. They choose to see disasters like Bhopal merely as an unavoidable consequence of inevitable modernization. But obviously the issue is not so straightforward. The nature of technology transfer, the role of foreign capital and nature of development they generate are debatable issues. We are aware that it would be difficult to come to a consensus on such ideological issues. Yet we feel that this debate is too basic to be avoided and it would be useful if various ideological stand-points are clearly spelled out, particularly in the context of Bhopal gas disaster and the urgency that right to safe environment has acquired.

The Legal Position on Right to Safe Environment and Right to Know

While the right to safe environment is enshrined in our Constitution, we are not sure about Right to Know. We hope our experts will clarify the legal position. Various aspects of these issues need to be raised and clarified in higher courts. The Right to Know has to be given a legal status. The existing laws on pollution control, industrial licensing and monitoring, compensation, etc., also need to be examined to identify loop-holes and suggest remedial actions. This is essential as a first step towards realizing people’s right.

Implications for People’s Movements

The Bhopal Gas Tragedy has also left with us a very disturbing question-is our role confined only to rush in for relief work after such disasters have resulted because of some body-else greed, neglect and the State's criminal negligence? Can't we be forewarned and see to it that such situations do not build up? If so, Know? The challenge is quite obviously there before various People's Movements. Can we spell out the implications for movements of democratic rights, people's science, trade unions, environmental issues, women’s issues and others?
We hope the discussions on these issues would help in evolving some joint long-term action plans.



Author: Jahrili Gas Kand Sangharsh Morcha,

TOWARDS A MOVEMENT FOR REGENERATION OF INDIAN AGRICULTURE

(A review of recent conventions on organic farming and other indigenous practices in agriculture and animal husbandry)

"Before this (British) conquest, agriculture in India was a traditional way of life. It was no mere economic activity. In the autonomous Indian village, agriculture was the basic life activity of the people. Its major function, if an integrated life activity can at all be analyzed in terms of functions, was to fulfill their life needs. the needs of the Government, of the market, of the industry were all secondary to that major function".

And this agricultural practice was naturally organic, self-sustaining and strengthening the village. An organic relationship existed between the forest and villages forest supplying the manure, fuel, timber for implements and construction and in return the villagers' were committed to flourishing of the forests. Cattle played a prominent role in this agriculture, not only supplying the manure (transferring the fertility from forest to agriculture), but also the prime source of draught power. Irrigation was largely maintained by village community - larger irrigation networks mostly seeking to strengthen the local ones.

The first attack or this self-sustaining agriculture was in the form of heavy burden of tax imposed on it by Britishers, altering of land relations for this purpose. The tax increased to well over 50%, not only pauperizing the cultivators, but in turn having its effect on the entire infrastructure that this farming depended on. The forest policy of the British Government came as the next major attack. In reserving the forests for industries (and railways and ship building), the farming community was denied the use of forests breaking the organic link between forests and agriculture. Further, the local irrigation was made to decline by starving it of resources. That in spite of this the productivity obtained from agriculture continued to increase even during most of the 19th century speaks of the strength and vitality of bur traditional agricultural system. For instance, in 1893, the British Government Commissioned Dr. John Augustus Voelcker, the consulting chemist to the Royal Agricultural Society of England to make enquiries into Indian agriculture and to suggest improvements based on the modern and 'scientific' methods, if necessary. Voelcker's report, though written with the' sole objective of increasing royal revenue from Indian agriculture, is quite revealing. He points out that Indian agriculture, generally, is amongst the best.* The "scientific" practice being developed in the west are unsuitable for Indian agriculture. The chemical fertilizers will just not be good for Indian soils. The thousands of varieties of wooden plough are more adapted to Indian conditions and the heavy iron-plough will be unsuitable. Voelcker suggests a revision of forest policy, letting forests to be used by villagers; he argues that the losses in revenue due to sale of timber will be more than offset by the growth of agriculture and agricultural revenue. He suggests that though it may be all right to take, oil-seeds to England for oil, the loss of refuse is an important loss to Indian soil. He similarly suggests ban of export of bones to England.

While this report of Voelcker was highly regarded* the story of agriculture 1900 onwards has been one of gradually introducing all that Voelcker had warned against. Firstly an attempt was made to standardize the thousands of varieties of Indian ploughs into less than a dozen for which mass production was possible. Import of chemical fertilizers was accepted to be one of the ways to deal with the declining fertility of Indian soil. But it was only after our independence, in mid-sixties, that a comprehensive technological change was attempted, at the time-of our independence, under the impact of the land relations imposed by Britishers as well as due to the restraints imposed on Indian agriculture for well over a century via their forest policy, attitude towards local irrigation etc., the Indian agriculture had lost much of its vitality. That with political will, an effort could be made to restore, this vitality was" another matter. That would have happened if the needs of the cultivators were placed at least on par with the needs of the modern industrialization. But that was not to be.

By this time the West had evolved a total package to convert agriculture into an appendage of modern industry. The new artificial seeds, chemical fertilizers, chemical pesticides, tractors and other machinery and the modern irrigation system formed a package which, if accepted by our farmers, would guarantee a huge market for industries. Also, the heavy inputs required in this new package called 'Green Revolution' implied concentration of resources into some regions which would produce surplus and meet the grain requirement of the urban areas. This fitted well with the policy of urban industrialization and modernization that our country had taken up.

The impact of Green Revolution, White Revolution, etc.

The Green Revolution package was introduced in selected pockets in our country. But its impact has been felt in the entire country-side. Concentration of resources in pockets implied a total neglect of other regions which further lead to the decline of all traditional technologies and resources and even of the aggregate rate of growth of our agricultural production. Perhaps the greatest impact has been on traditional seed varieties the thousands of seeds tested and evolved over thousands of years started disappearing in less than a decade. The "high-yield" seeds tested merely in some laboratory for a year or two started finding universal application leading to all sorts of diseases and pest attack. Simultaneously, the impact on soil has been devastating. The chemical fertilizers and pesticides not only killed almost all micro-organisms which played the role of revitalizing the soil, but also removed the valuable nutrients from the soil. With the decay of indigenous resources, the agriculture all lover the country, became dependent on urban industrial inputs. Not only the farmers lost control over agricultural operations, but also they could no longer produce according to their needs; they now produced primarily to pay for these inputs. ]The knowledge about this new agriculture, of course, was no more a village wealth but had to come from agricultural universities and agricultural service centers.

Once the modern agriculture started taking hold of Indian agriculture, the role of cattle changed. The cattle were not particularly a friend of this new agriculture. The draught power was to be taken over by tractors and trucks. Cattle manure was no longer important. Its only role was to provide milk - even which was primarily for industrialized urban sector. The "White Revolution" was born out of such a philosophy. The primary aim was to collect milk from rural areas for supply to cities. The indigenous cattle population more suited for traditional purposes was now considered inferior and a program was started to bring foreign (exotic) bulls for breeding, cattle which will produce maximum milk. That such cattle may riot be able to withstand our weather or may have to be given special feeds and medicines was of little concern. The program not only deprived village of all milk and milk products but has also eroded the indigenous cattle wealth.

The same spirit was behind introduction of the so called 'Second Green Revolution' in our country. Our forests have been systematically destroyed in meeting the needs of industry for the last hundred and fifty years. Today the forest cover is so depleted that it threatens a serious ecological disaster. At such a time it is being suggested that we replace indigenous species of trees by exotic varieties, which grow fast. Of course such monoculture plantation of exotic trees will enable easy mechanical harvesting, most desired by industries. This Second Green Revolution, once again with multinational aid, seeks to replace our forests with thousands of indigenous trees by a few like- Eucalyptus.

The need to counter these revolutions

In recent times there has been a growing feeling that there is something fundamentally wrong with these efforts at modernization. Nowadays several movements in the country, like the peasant movements, tribal movements, movements of hill people etc., are opposing these programs in their own way. Several cultivators have seen their ruin in the modern agriculture and have expressed interest in restarting our own traditional organic farming. But the lack of facilities and adverse Government policy make it difficult. Several individual initiatives have been taken to deal with such situation. However, there has been a feeling that such effort should be taken up in a larger and organized way. With this in mind a "Organic Farming Convention'.' was called at Sevagram, Wardha by Shri Kanakmal Gandhi, Secretary, Ashram Pratishthan' Sevagram and Shri Claude Alveres on 19th-21st March 1984. A Committee was set up with Shri Korah Mathen of Ahmedabad and Shri Kanakmal Gandhi as conveners and decision was taken to set up an Association of individuals and institutions committed to the revival and strengthening of indigenous agriculture, indigenous live-stock and local agro-forestry practices with indigenous species, and linked with the principles of ecology, it was also decided to hold separate meetings on indigenous rice'varieties, indigenous cattle wealth and indigenous tree species. The meeting on indigenous rice varieties was held on October 4 to 6, 1984 at Friends Rural Centre, Rasulia under the convenorship of Dr. Pratap Agarwal. 'The meeting on indigenous breeds of cattle took place in Kasturbagram Krishi Chetra, Kasturbagram, and Indore on October 18 to 20, 1984 under the convenership of Shri G. K. Menon. A meeting on indigenous tree species is being planned to be held in Pondicherry. In May what follows is a brief report of the three meetings held so far.

Convention on Organic Farming

The convention was a general meeting which discussed various aspects of indigenous agriculture, animal husbandry and forest' practices. It discussed the problem posed today by the modern practices, how these practices became so wide spread in our country, the state of- traditional techniques as well as new experiments being tried out by various institutions and individuals to rediscover Indian organic farming.

Claude Alvares introduced the convention by observing that organic-farming is not a foreign idea but is part and parcel of existing farming practices in this country. Unless organic-farming can be related to the indigenous agricultural system. Which still operates in major pockets in this country, it will tend to be a fad or fashion. He emphasized the fact that we have two distinct forms of knowledge that are being explored in our country today. One is the indigenous the other is knowledge that has been evolved in other environments. That exotic knowledge can only be harmful to our-interests. For example, in the area of-improving our animal stock, what cross - breeding with exotic strains is doing is actually destroying our indigenous genetic resources. Most of the traditional crop gene pools are being rapidly eliminated to create a situation-that will be of benefit only to the multi-national corporations. Adopting organic agriculture is one more strategy for countering imperialism and for keeping the World Bank and other international financial institutions at a safe distance.

Dr. Saileh Ghosh in his inaugural lecture made the point that in the U.S A. billions of acres of land have been deprived of top soil due to chemical farming. He observed that it is not true that there is not enough organic matter available, as some critics say. Organic matter may not be available in push-button form like chemical fertilizer. It requires a way of life. We are now recognizing belatedly the importance of trace elements in the soil. These have been mined to exhaustion by chemical farming. Snakes, earthworms and insects beneficial to farmers have also disappeared.

Banwarilal Chaudhary of Gram Seva Samiti, Raisalpur (M.P.), observed that barely twenty-five years ago villages always had milk and grains. The Green Revolution has brought more crops but villagers are hungry. His village in Hoshangabad District, M. P., purchases fertilizer worth Rs. 11/4 lakh. Most of the grain is sold as soon as it is cut to repay loans at inflated rates of interest. Earlier Rs. 30,000/- was sufficient for all agriculture. It used to get 10 times more than it sold before it began using chemical fertilizers. Then it began getting 40- 50 times more. Now it is down to 10 times again, but with expensive inputs. All of it goes to Itarsi and Hoshangabad towns. Since only wheat is produced there are nutrition problems.

Further the poverty of his village in Hoshangabad District has increased
considerably. Health has deteriorated at 4 in the morning all the milk from the village goes to Itarsi. Seeing all this, he has reverted to organic farming. There was a fall in [the yield in the J first year. In the third year the yields increased. Large quantities of organic manure are not important. Homeopathic doses will do. Crop rotation is a must. We have to boycott chemical-fertilizers. Non-hybrid seeds will have to be used. It is not by increasing the maximum yield of the crop in some areas but by increasing) the average yields of the crop everywhere that poverty can be eliminated.

Dr. Ashok Jhunjhunwala of the PPST argued that there seems to be a mistaken impression that only those who cannot afford chemicals are using organic fertilizer and that in the competition between chemical and organic farming the latter is losing. That this is not so can be understood if one looks at what has happened historically. He referred to the Voelcker Report on Indian agriculture in the end of 19th century and also pointed [out that even the Cambridge Economic History of India recently admitted that till about 1800, yields in Indian fields were higher than 'scientific' agriculture’s yields in England.

In the 1850's, the organic relation between forests and agriculture was disrupted as trees were set aside for railways, ship-building and. other industrial needs. This in itself necessitated the use of cowdung as a fuel. The centralization of all the revenue receipts by the British led to the decline of irrigation tanks, and their maintenance, which was a local responsibility. The export of oilseeds and bones further deprived our agriculture of fertilizers. These policies struck at the basis of our traditional farming system. High taxes precluded any investments on lands. The system of agriculture started collapsing and its knowledge base got steadily eroded. One can gauge its strength from the fact that even after more than a century of such erosion, it still survived and mainly fed our population till 15 years ago. It was at this point that modern agriculture intervened. It never had to compete with a healthy traditional agriculture but with its degraded version. It is important also to point out that modern agriculture is not just harmful for the environment but is industry oriented. Not only do its inputs come from industry, its output feeds industry in return. The tasks today are twofold. We must collect indigenous knowledge still available with our people or described in old books and reports and second, we must re-establish the link between forest resources, irrigation and water, indigenous seeds, etc.

Dharampat said that it is necessary to understand the process of the decline of Indian agriculture. The Edinburgh Chronicle recorded higher production and better wages for workers in early 19th century India. Agricultural implements from India used to be sent regularly abroad. He observed that if central control and central guidance is chosen as the only way to run the country best, then may be chemical farming is suitable for such an objective.

Dr. R- H. Richaria, former Director of Rice Research Institutes at Cuttack, Raipur, then outlined his work at the Institutes. He suggested that this conference should be re-named the Rediscovery of the Organic System in Indian Agriculture. The first point he made was that we should decide whether we want to make our agriculture factory-oriented or based on local resources. Centrally controlled scientific organization will never work. Hardly 5% of research from institutions reaches cultivators. Conditions differ from village to village. Richaria spoke of the 19,000 varieties of rice that he collected in Madhya Pradesh. He also spoke on some of the major varieties of rice and their specific qualities. These seeds are now getting lost at a very fast rate. The Indian Government not doing anything about it. In fact our Government is often aiding in exporting these seeds. The multinationals are collecting these seeds systematically and are now openly suggesting that with rich genetic resources under their control and with the collapse of modern varieties in a few years, they could ask any price for appropriate seed varieties in future. Reports were also presented on the experiments towards organic farming going on in several places including Friends Rural Centre in Rasulia, Murgappa Chettiar Research Centre in Madras, in Auroville and by Prof. Dabholkar in Poona.

The discussion on cattle breeds started with a talk by Banwarilal Chaudhry. He observed that in India, cattle rising were a family occupation. Indian cattle are dual purpose breeds, raised for milk and for draught. Foreign or exotic cattle are mainly for milk and beef. We have 15-16 indigenous varieties which are important. Some indigenous cross breeding took place earlier to increase milk or for better working cattle. Recently the worst of both Indian and exotic breeds have been cross-bred resulting in a totally useless breed like the Taylor breed. Operation Flood is out crossing our - herds using exotic breeding. Exotic cattle cannot- tolerate our environment and are susceptible to disease. In India the best .breeds that give milk are found in areas of less rainfall as in Rajasthan. The imported breeds like Jerseys and Holsteins, which also require exotic feeds, are destroying the traditional system. If they cannot be given concentrate feeds their milk yield is no more than 2-3 liters. In. one village studied, only 2-3 males out of 50 were) capable of working the plough BanwarNal felt that there is a conspiracy to finish off our breeds. The whole program is for the cities, not for the villages. The key village centre scheme in M.P. which emphasized local breeds was terminated. Lots of concessions and subsidies were given for exotic breeds, none for the local ones.

Korah Mathen of La|bhai Group Rural Development Fund observed that comparative figures of" the yields of exotic and indigenous animals are generally cooked up. Generally the better of the exotic animal’s one compared with the worst or the average of the indigenous species. The strategy of White' Revolution and how dearly it has cost our country was also discussed.

The discussion next focused on forest practices. Dr. Vandana Shiva of Research Foundation (for S & T and Natural Resource Policy, Dehradun, spoke of the third area of interest to organic farming' namely forest resources. She observed that traditional practices have transferred fertility from forests to soil through .animals and through green mulch". With the decline "'of forest areas a massive afforestation program was started with Canadian International Development Agency and World Bank help but of a kind which is now damaging to our agriculture."

The forest departments, she said, are the biggest landlords for the past 100 years. A forest, seen as a timber mine demands a different regimen than a forest seen as a (living system the reason why the chief forest officer was called Con-servitor of. Forests were because his job was to conserve forest revenue. In the Western Ghats the first onslaught on the forests was for constructing cantonments, for ship building and railway lines. A massive destruction of forests took place. The so-called 'Scientific Management' of forests began in the 1870's. Attention was focused on production," not on soil conditions. By the middle of this century fresh demands like the production of' paper led to clear felling of natural forest and the raising of large monoculture plantations with, for example, Eucalyptus. The Eucalyptus tree returns only 40-50 kgs of leaf litter to the soil. It provides zero cattle fodder.
The meeting discussed many other aspects including the methods of composting, whether the slurry from biogas plant was fit to be used in fields and how best it could be used as fertilizer, etc. The following were some of the decisions taken at the convention.

1. The preparation of a directory of organic farming techniques being tried out today in the country.
   
   
2. Traditional sayings, proverbs, etc., should be collected and experimented with for testing their validity.
   
   
3. There was a need expressed from most of the participants for a coordinating body or an Association, to further the objectives of organic farming and the preservation and strengthening of indigenous living resources including plants, animals and trees.
   

The Seminar on rice and Indigenous rice Varieties*

The note prepared for the meeting states.

India has been store-house of a rich diversity of plant genetic material. In rice alone, there are as many as 43,000 varieties, identified and documented form within India.

Of the 1,20,000 rice cultivars, so far identified, all over the world, over one-third come from India. Each of these special varieties has .its- own specific character, size, form, level of. disease resistance or proneness to infection/pest attack, stress response to weather, etc., which helped it to survive, by a series of adaptation to a specific environment, Such an evolutionary process of natural selection and adaption, now stands gravely threatened under the impact of Western-style development programs. In India today, there are only about 30 commonly grown varieties of rice a situation, fraught with extreme danger for the food security of our country, as a whole.

It is precisely this wide genetic base, which gives the specific variety, the ability to cope with adverse" and diverse environmental conditions, that spawned the green revolutions, we have seen, so far. However, in the single minded pursuit of maximizing yields, a number of other desirable characteristics, like disease resistance, ability to withstand drought-prone environments, etc., were sacrificed. These aspects we're sought to be remedied, by the introduction of a battery of chemical agents, for improving yield response patterns, for countering pest attack, to ward off specific diseases, etc. In addition, large quantities of water were needed to off-set loss in ability to survive drought-like situations. The introduction of these hybrids, on a large scale, meant the greater introduction of farm mechanization equipment as large quantities of crops, had to be harvested, almost simultaneously. While agriculture-based chemical industry and a host of others, took this great opportunity for generating huge profits, the poor farmer kept getting more and 'more into hot water. Control over his operations, moved away from him, and he remains hopelessly dependent on others, for his very survival.

Historically, the Green Revolution represented a choice to breed seed varieties that produce high yields under optimum conditions. It was a choice not to start by developing seeds better able to withstand drought or pests. It was a choice not to concentrate first on improving traditional methods of increasing yields, such as mixed cropping. It was a choice not to develop technology that was productive, abor-intensive, and independent of foreign input supply. It was a choice not to concentrate on reinforcing the balanced, traditional diets of grains plus legumes.

The dangers in this type of development are many. Not only have many of these high-response varieties, displaced and eliminated traditional varieties, thus causing loss of valuable genetic material, but these new strains, being vulnerable to many pests and diseases, have often brought about large scale crop failures. Pesticides used to kill off the major pests have left the crop exposed to attack of minor pests, which have become major in their own way. In addition, pests have also acquired considerable immunity to the less potent chemicals, and have, even gone on to break down these chemicals into harmless compounds, through acquired drug resistance. Similar has been the problem with weeds, etc-while' these toxic chemicals destroy a number of beneficial organisms, bacteria, etc., which provided life support to agriculture in the past. A lot of these toxic chemicals being used find its way into water sources and the human body, wrecking havoc to plant, animal, aquatic and human life. With ever/ disappearing plant, nearly ten to thirty dependent species of insects and higher animals and other plants also slowly die out. Large quantities of water used, without adequate drainage, etc., expose large tracts 'of highly fertile land to salinity build-up. In the name of development projects, large areas of the wild, genetically rich [and diverse forest areas are being regularly cleared to make way for man, causing irreparable damage and loss to the nation's genetic pool. Further, food grown under the chemical farming system is less nutritious and lacks many of the other beneficial properties that traditional varieties possessed. With the*growing elimination of traditional varieties, even those who advocate and propagate 'chemical farming' are under a severe threat, as they will no longer have access to these varieties, to incorporate desirable characteristics in their new varieties. In other words, it is a situation where everyone stands to lose but, the most severely threatened are the poor farmers, whose very existence and survival is at stake.

With this in mind the convention commenced with Dr. R. H. Richaria giving a few lectures on the origin and history of the rice plant, the numerous varieties 'of rice, their importance and the technology to improve seeds and increase yields. .There was a practical demonstration by Dr. Richaria of various aspects of the rice plant in Rasulia rice fields. [Mr. Krishna Kumar, Mr. Balaram and Mr. Pratap Agarwal gave a firsthand account of the experiments underway on the Rasulia farms .based on no-till agriculture and organic manure. Bernard and Jaap from Auro-ville explained how their studies aiso reveal the superiority of the indigenous rice varieties. Besides, Priya Deshingkar provided a review of the ongoing research, extension strategies and approaches involving HYV's carried out via the programs of IRI and ICAR.*

The participants emphasized the need for setting up a new rice research institute with the specific aim of developing the indigenous varieties and welcomed the initiative taken by M. P. Government, in inviting Dr. Richaria to explore the possibilities. The participants also decided that a booklet should be prepared for distribution among farmers regarding the rice question and the importance of indigenous rice varieties. Activities will also be initiated to preserve whatever cultivars of indigenous rice varieties that are available in various parts of the country.

The Seminar on Indian Indigenous Breeds of Cattle*

The note prepared by Korah Mathen for the Seminar States:

"India has been known, through the ages, for her cattle wealth, both in terms of quantity and as well as in terms of quality. Quantitatively, 'approximately 20 percent of the total world-wide cattle population is in India. Qualitatively, it comprises a rich diversity of breeds, specially adopted to Indian conditions, and valued highly, for their special characteristics. Traditionally, cattle in India have been bred with multiple objectives - as milk producers, as draught animals for agriculture and transportation purposes, for their extremely high disease resistance, and for their ability to survive in draught-prone environments. In order that cattle survive the realities of the Indian environments, balance between these multiple objectives was always sought after, rather than just maximizing any single objective, Therefore Indian cattle are not necessarily the best producers of milk. However, there were and' still exist specialized breeds in this country whose milk yields are comparable to the best internationally. In addition, cattle in India, have continuously contributed, in a major way, towards raising and maintaining the fertility of soil, throughout India's long history of involvement in agriculture.

Into such an environment, we have introduced Western technology in cattle care and management through cross breeding with exotic foreign breeds. The rationale being given is that we must maximize milk production as a single major priority. Further, the argument that only such cross breeding with exotic foreign breeds can raise the milk production in this country is being, propagated as the sole and sacred truth. The utility of the cross-breeds are considerably lower than that of the indigenous cattle, except may be for milk production. All such cross breeding with foreign exotic breeds reduces the disease resistance, lowers its utility value as a' draught animal and decreases considerably its ability to survive in drought - prone environments. In addition, the proper care and management of these cross breeds involve sophisticated feeding patterns, greater use of water and supportive health care facilities. Lowering of the disease resistance and increased requirement of health care facilities is advantageous for the organized pharmaceutical industry. Lowering the utility of the animal in terms of draught power, gives those involved with farm mechanization equipment, the necessary boost to increase the sale of their products. The use of greater quantity of water is beneficial to those involved with identification, tapping and equipment-supply for the use of such large quantities of water, In other words, the total' picture that emerges is that the adoption of such technologies benefit the organized industry rather than the poor villager/farmer.

Even if one were to consider milk production as the major objective, there are many Indian cattle varieties, which could have and can adequately fit the bill. The added advantage in cross breeding with such local high-mi Ik-yielding varieties of cattle would be that it would not result in lowering the standard of disease resistance, its utility as draught animals, or its ability to survive drought-prone environments. Such high milk yielding varieties of cattle are found throughout India, but are slowly disappearing under the onslaught of the cross breeding program centered on exotic foreign breeds. In cows, for instance, the Red Sindhi yields around 5,440kgs of milk per lactation period the Sahiwal, around 4,900kgs. of milk per lactation period the Tharparkar around 4,375kgs. per lactation period several others like Gir, Kankrej, Ongole, Gaolao, etc. which give over 3,000 kgs. of milk per lactation. In buffaloes, varieties like Murrah, the Jaffaradi, Surti, Mehsani, Nagpuri, etc, are known to produce over 3,000 kgs of milk per lactation (with fat percentage 7-8%). In addition to the milk production, the males are extremely good draught animals. Having evolved over generations within the Indian environment, these breeds incorporate a high degree of disease resistance, as well as considerable ability to survive a hostile drought-prone environment. In comparison, cross-breeds with exotic foreign breeds average, between 3,000 to 4,000kgs. of milk per lactation period. There is therefore, ample evidence that we need not necessarily cross-breed with foreign exotic breeds, even if we do want to improve the milk production capacity of the average Indian I cattle.

However, everything today points out to an increasing trend of cross breeding with foreign exotic breeds. In doing so, especially, through, the process of artificial insemination of frozen semen, we are progressively reducing the genetic diversity, of Indian cattle, thereby increasing tremendously the risks, relating to their survival. "Today increasingly, such survival is becoming more and more dependent on organized industry? Which sees this as a tremendous opportunity" for profit making. The security of our cattle wealth is getting concentrated in the hands of a few. In this process, local breeds are allowed to languish and "die out. 'This trend is extremely dangerous for us and our country and positively suicida for the poor villager / farmer".

The Seminar recommended in strong term. That further crossbreeding is not in the interest of the country's long term dairy development, its breeds of cattle or the farmers as a whole. Such cross-breeding or out crossing should be either discouraged, jor banned and phased out.

Dr. M.Y. Mangrulkar retired principal of Veterinary College, Jabalpure stressed that the cross-breeds were not doing well even on the milk front and noted that farmers were being forced to" use fans to cool their exotic animals. In some states like Kerala, worthless exotic bulls were being sent to the butcher en masse. Dr. D. P. Persai who has worked for the past 25 years with the Killari-Tharparkar breed in Satara informed the Seminar that it [took five years for him. to get bank loans to finance his genetically improved indigenous animals. Several participants pointed out that while it is easy to get "loans and subsidies to purchase, exotic cattle, banks, and financial institutions do not easily give loans for indigenous varieties. Mr. Korah Mathe'n pointed out that for operation Flood it, out of a target of 10 million improved animals, not even 4,00,000 improved calves (exotic) have been born through artificial insemination method. Cross-breeding was not only expensive it also led to cornering of common resources to maintain such expensive animals, thus decreasing the amount! of fodder left for local breeds. This was bound to lead to decrease in milk production nationwide, since most of the milk collected was still produced by poor villages and tribals. It was further noted that conclusive results of cross-breeding can be obtained only after three generations. Already it has been observed.' that there is a reduction of 15% in milk yield in the second generation. The whole picture about the future of such' cross breeds is dark and we would phase out all our investments in such a program. The participants in the Seminar sent, a Memorandum to the Evolution Committee of Operation Flood II from which the following is extracted.

No one can have any objection to the production of more milk in the country. The supreme importance of our cattle wealth (Pashu-Dhan) has been universally recognized by all Indians, irrespective of religion. ''Everyone, realizes that long long ago this country was flowing with milk. Even in 'Moghul days we had cows yielding 40 seers of milk or more per day, besides yielding for cultivation, in the predominantly agricultural country,, highly efficient male progeny which also was an economic source of energy for traction, fuel and organic manure. During the British Raj, our cattle wealth was neglected and it was hoped that the clock would be set right after we became independent, and that our very valuable indigenous breeds of cattle will be rehabilitated and restored to their earlier productive glory. But this did not happen. With increased export of cattle feeds, with the sale and smuggling of the best specimens of our world-renowned breeds to foreign countries, with the ever-increasing exports of live-stock or their derivatives (particularly beef at present, besides skin, bones, horns-hooves etc.) and with the continuing wilful neglect of our cattle wealth, is it surprising that we at all levels of leadership and intelligence are forced to admit that our cattle are no more our wealth but- only a dead weight and a liability, fit only to be slaughtered on a mass scale and utilized to earn foreign exchange by export to beef-eating countries.

The establishment of European Economic Community, in OUT considered opinion, is the root cause of Operation Flood. Some years ago so much of Skim Milk Powder and Butter Oil got accumulated in the E. E. C. stocks that it was described in the newspapers as "Mountains" of S. M. P. and "Lakes" of butter of with no purchaser in the world at the prices demanded by the producing countries. The stocks, however, kept on accumulating. It dawned on F. F. C. that they might as well make a free gift to the developing countries and earn their gratitude (subservience). Which country would have become foremost to their minds but India, which at that time was the bride of choice to woo! From here starts the story of Operations Flood in India.

India came prominently into the picture to become a country to absorb the superfluous milk powder, butter oil and dairy machinery. Liquid Nitrogen plants and containers pastortsation plants, cold tankers, etc for establishing a dairy industry, and at the same time, becoming a bountiful source of beef to feed the starving beef-e3ters. To push the Operation Flood down our throat, no help was denied. and no scruples spared. Our scientists were assured that in order to make our cows better milk yielders we should take to exotic crossing and expedite the process by adopting artificial insemination which presupposed castration of the indigenous male cattle. We accepted all and sundry exotic breeds that were donated or given cheap by other countries on the foolish presumption that every foreign breed is better than our best and that the progeny will be able to withstand our climate. Blinded by our "milk-fever", no one bothered to thing about the male exotic cross as the future bullock for the plough or draft; probably they felt assured that the hybrid male would make as good a bullock as the indigenous male. No one bothered to think whether these cattle will withstand the Indian soil and climate to maintain the performance at the pail, or that we would not be importing serious disease hazards. We have seen for example that some of the exotic breeds {Brown Swiss in Kerala) were definitely heavy beefy type, with ulterior "long-range motive". Some herds (Red Dane in Karnataka) had to be destroyed due to Tuberculosis, and the imported semen of some of the breeds in Tamil Nadu carried an infective virus. We have also seen instances where the performance of the imported breeds, kept under very expensive lordly care was not at all markedly superior or encouraging, and the same had deteriorated sufficiently in a few years to come on par with our much maligned "non-descript" desi cow. Also, the problems of new diseases crop up generation after generation.

Now we come to our chief objection to the Operation Flood. We most strongly feel that the birth, and the manner of working, of Operation Flood is so much tilted in favor of the city's needs and arraigned so much against the basic well-being of the bulk of the rural population that it must very seriously undermine the very peaceful existence of the nation in a not too distant future .

Exotic crossing was foisted with utter disregard to the work achieved by Animal Husbandry Directors in pursuance of the States' Cattle Breeding Policy. This ruined whatever systematic and sensible "Samverdhan" had been accomplished. Thus if an area was earmarked for pure Tharparkar, Maivi or Sahiwal upgrading or selective breeding for some years, the Dairy Department felt no hesitation in ruining the good work already done by superimposing exotic crossing in what they considered there "milk-shed area" for intensive hybridization work. This was made possible by special preferential treatment meted out to milk production under Operation Flood for the important and influential city dwellers, but completely oblivious to the disadvantage thereof to the village kissan…

While inducements were offered for rearing the female hybrid calf, the male calf received neither Subsidy nor encouragement because the operation Flood would find no use for it. It was taken for granted that the (farmer would raise it j and it should make as good a bullock as any native male calf. This of course was not at all the case. The uselessness of the male hybrid progeny has been proved beyond all doubt over and over again and yet the Operation Flood's dogmatic claim to the contrary continues. Actually a research worker fat the N.D.R.I, had seriously come to the conclusion that the Indian farmar should recast his cultivation schedule to suit the hybrid male foisted on him by Operation Flood, and use him during the cooler parts of the day (morning and late afternoon) What could illustrate better the proverb "the fail wagging the dog"?

Our contention is that if we in independent India had not accepted Western money, methods and man-power but honestly 'relied upon our own resources, we would have made much headway consistently with our glorious civilized past. We acted definitely unwisely in trying to develop industrially with foreign finance, or loans for support, discarding the greatest asset that we had, via, our cattle wealth. Even after it dawned on us that we had this vast wealth which has sustained this country though the worst days of trial and tribulation, we did not adopt the proper posture regarding the reatest source of our strength. We must admit honestly that we are running more and more into international debt, and trying to pay it off by sacrificing our greatest resource, dead as well as alive.

The Seminar participants concluded that the preservation and growth of indigenous breeds be put on an emergency basis, and that the system of key .village schemes, put aside by the NDDB, should be reinstated in all areas. It 'also suggested the setting up of pure breed herds in every Veterinary college in the country, and of indigenous bull farms. It expressed strong resentment against 'the rise of jbeef export business, with its strong lobby, based on the slaughter of precious cattle wealth in the form of young calves, bulls and mothers. Unless stringent measures were adopted here, the country would suffer an. Irreversible v drain in its cattle wealth. Finally, the Seminar recommended that we should totally alter the present day industrial policies which militate against better nutrition for cattle. Wheat and Paddy straw are rapidly becoming feed stock for industries and even bran is not spared. It, therefore, urged all thinking people to seriously ponder on these unhealthy trends and to aid the Association in its efforts to not only maintain and conserve indigenous material, but to have them propagated. Otherwise, with its indiscriminate chaotic cross-breeding program, there is little chance if any', but a dark future for the country, in regard to its animal wealth.

The Follow up

The three meetings on organic farming do mark a new beginning. The forthcoming meeting on indigenous tree species and another general convention on organic farming should further strengthen the effort. An Association to strengthen and propagate indigenous techniques should get formed very soon.

We should however note that these meetings were not organized or attended by our traditional farmers. This is not surprising as it is highly unlikely that any of our farmers relying mainly on indigenous techniques could come to such meetings today. And yet it is our traditional farmers who have the knowledge and competence to improve our indigenous techniques. It is for those of us who have been-interested in indigenous techniques to go and learn from our farmers. In the beginning our farmers may only serve as sources of information, but sooner or later they will have to take over and lead this movement for regeneration of Indian agriculture.

While working for such a movement, we should seriously set about collecting information about indigenous farming, both from historical records as well as from practicing farmers. We should conduct studies about the state of indigenous resources, what are the pressures that are operating on these resources to what extent modern practices have 'penetrated our villages' etc. We should also raise these issues in various agricultural universities and institutes and pressurize those working in these institutions to do some relevant work in the interest of our agriculture. We should also lobby with the Government to alter its blind and suicidal bias in favor of modern chemical farming.

The indigenous resources and practices are suffering because there is a systematic economic-political attack on these for about two hundred years. Ultimate y it is only a politico-economic counter-attack, which can reverse this situation.



Author: Madras Group

Note:

• J.K. Bajaj : "Green Revolution : A Historical Perspective", PPST Bulletin, Vol. 2, no 2, November 1982.
  
  
• For a detailed discussion of the state of Indian agriculture in late 19th century- see PPST Bulletin Vol. 2 No 2, 1982.
  
  
• For instance, the Royal Commission of Agriculture in India in 1926 pays glowing tribute to the report as the "most comprehensive survey of agricultural conditions in India", and "in his analysis of problems they present and in recommendations for their solutions, still render it a book of tire utmost value".
  
  
• This meeting was held at the "Friends Rural Centre", Hoshangabad, during October 4-6,1934.
  
  
• An article ."Rice Research Strategies for the 80s" by Dr. M. S. Swaminathan and published in Mazingira (Indian edn.) Vol.7, No. 3, 1983, provide the scientific establishment viewpoint on HYVs.
  
  
• This meeting was held at Kasturbagram, Indore, during October 18-20, 1984.