Wealth of Poverty
By Keizen Krishna
02 October, 2010
The Verdict Weekly
India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru was an ardent supporter of the co-operative movement. His views on the subject are well known. No individual has, of course, absolute freedom. But, if we value individual freedom, as many of us do, how are we to find a balance between preserving that individual freedom and at the same time getting away from the clutches of an acquisitive society? The co-operative movement seems to offer a philosophy which would aim at this kind of social pattern.
India has a wealth of poverty. Indeed, where poverty is concerned, it has an embarrassment of riches. The United Progressive Government in the centre has launched the National Livelihood Mission for upliftment of the poor people and a new pension scheme for workers of the unorganized sector. With the starting of Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, the government has started a number of other plans for improving the lot of poor populace.
The livelihood mission aims to benefit nearly 6.5 crore poor families by raising their standard of living. This scheme will come into effect from the month of October.
For the success of this scheme, the Union government and the state government will be assisted by volutntary organizations and financial bodies. The scheme would be run by the Union Rural Development Ministry. Through this scheme, the government aims to uplift the lot of people living below the poverty line in villages. Even though people living below the poverty line are also to be found in towns and cities, yet the government has taken up first the welfare of the people living in the rural areas.
This scheme aims to improve the lot of the people living below the poverty line in a period of 6 to 8 years. Under the Mission, the poor people would be provided jobs under MGNREGA, food-grains from the Public Distribution System, health and education facility. It would also be ensured that they have information about all the government schemes and they are also availing benefits of them. Within the span of next seven years, one person of the family below the poverty line would be made a member of self-help group. The Mission has a sole objective of eliminating poverty within the next seven to eight years from rural India. The union government has made a provision of Rs 100 crore for the budget of pension scheme in the unorganized sector for the year 2010-11 and it has been started from September 26. This scheme would be beneficial for those people who are not under the scope of any social security benefits. With implementation of this proposition, all the countrymen are being brought under the umbrella of social security schemes.
In the meantime, one more question in our mind is that is Indian government favouring cooperative sector? Up till now, banks, consumer co-operatives and other business co-operatives, societies like agriculture credit, urban credit, handloom, fisheries and labour co-operatives were not taxable. However, under the revised Tax Code Bill, except primary agriculture credit co-operative societies and primary land development co-operative banks, all other co-operative societies would be taxed.
The above step of the Government of India raises a moot question - Is the GoI in favour of developing the Co-operative sector? Another question which comes to mind is whether the private sector is behind this move of the GoI to withdraw concessions being given to the Co-operative sector as this sector is making fast expansion, a move not being liked by the private sector. For the social and economic development of the people of India, public sector, private sector and the Co-operative sector are playing their roles. However, the Co-operative sector is the only sector which is making efforts for establishment of social structure sans exploitation, welfare of the weaker sections of the society and women and encouraging the system of community life in the country. To achieve its aims, the sector needs more relief and facilities than the other two sectors of development.
India’s first Prime Minister, Pt Jawaharlal Nehru was an ardent supporter of the co-operative movement. His views on the subject are well known. No individual has, of course, absolute freedom. But, if we value individual freedom, as many of us do, how are we to find a balance between preserving that individual freedom and at the same time getting away from the clutches of an acquisitive society? The co-operative movement seems to offer a philosophy which would aim at this kind of social pattern.
Nehru made efforts all his life for expansion and development of the co-operative movement in the country. But, the task of the present government at the Centre is just opposite to that of the Nehru in the matter of co-operation.
Overlooking of importance of the co-operative sector and taking any step by the Govt of India is likely to create obstacles in its (cooperative sector) way to achieve noble goals and this is not in the interest of the country.
Now, time has come to strongly protest the move likely to be taken by the GoI against the interests of the cooperative sector. if not all, at least one fourth of the 23 crore members of the cooperatives in the country should send memorandum with their signatures to India’s incumbent Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and the Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee expressing their displeasure which would create new problems in the smooth functioning of the co-operative bodies.
Task of preparing the memorandum and getting the signatures of the members of various co-operatives should be taken in hand by the National Co-operative Union, New Delhi with the help of the State Co-operative Unions, District Co-operative Unions and other co-operative institutions.
Besides the above, all state co-op unions should pass a resolution regarding not imposing tax on any type of co-operatives by the Government of India and send it by registered post AD to the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister. It should be made mandatory that copies of the resolution passed by every state co-operative union should be given to the state level and the national level newspapers for publication.
Keizen Krishna is a post-graduate in political science from Bombay University and can be contacted at [email protected]
