RSS offshoots want more money for farmers, small biz

NEW DELHI: The offshoots of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) want the government to increase budgetary allocation for sectors such as agriculture and the small and medium enterprises and focus on removing inequalities and creating jobs.

In their wishlist ahead of the budget to be presented on February 1, these offshoots that work with labour unions, small enterprises and farmers, have demanded money for strengthening indigenous production, public health and education.

The RSS’S ideology forms the bedrock of the ruling BJP but its offshoots have not demurred from taking on the Bjp-led government for some its economic and labour policies. Outfits such as the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), which have criticised the government for trying to amend labour laws by replacing permanent jobs with contractual engagement, want the “mismatch between spending on social sector versus focussing on growth indicators” to be erased.

“The thrust is on growth and we are getting carried away by rating agencies, while what we need is spending more on farm- ers, labour sector and the common man,” CK Saji Narayanan, BMS president, said. He said successive governments have reduced spending on social sector, which does not bode well for the masses. “We are not against the government for focussing more on banks and helping them with issues such as NPAS, but it must also assess why 73% of the total wealth is still concerned by 1% of the population,” he said.

Agrarian crisis, manifested through farmer suicides and protests, are areas of concern that call for attention, RSS has noted.

It has cautioned the government that unless it makes amends, farmer’s discontent could impact the electoral outcome in Rajasthan and MP as it was perceived to have done in Gujarat where the ruling BJP’S seat share came down from 115 to 99. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat made a pointed reference to farm crisis in his annual Dusshera speech last year.

“Farmers are in pain today. He is depressed after facing the onslaught of floods and droughts, export-import policy, meagre pricing, mounting loans…,” he said. Bhagwat also dubbed writing off bank loans to farmers a temporary measure that won’t solve the problem.

The Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS) wants the government to have a separate “rural budget” that will have a component which can be allocated to gram sabhas.

“Rural budget should have provisions for irrigation, power, animal rearing, cooperatives, etc., because when money is allocated separately there is a little account of where it is spent,” said Badri Narayan Chaudhary, BKS general secretary. “The government should also incentivise animal and cattle rearing as it creates employment and reduces dependence on chemical fertilisers and pesticides,” he added.

The BKS also demanded an allocation to create storage facilities for produce in each of the 127 small agro-climatic zones, increase the ratio of the central government’s share in schemes where both the state as well as the Union government are required to chip in, and preventing lapsed funds from being returned.

The farmers’ body also wants agriculturists to be able to decide the price of their produce through auction at markets. The Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM), another affiliate which ran a campaign against import of Chinese goods, wants government to create an enabling environment for small and medium sectors.