Please critique, don’t criticise — Sikkim
Organic Mission is far too important - and yes for the future of young
Sikkimese farmers
By P. D. Rai
One can look at political rhetoric in many
different ways. If it leads to useful debate, imaginative thinking and good
outcomes on matters of policy, they are hugely welcome. But what SKM leader PS
Golay attempted in the recently concluded session of the Sikkim Assembly when
he spoke on Sikkim’s Organic Mission, relied more on accusation than substantial
critique. What is known as ‘optics’.
Unfortunately, Golay and the Sikkim
Krantikari Morcha, have reduced their politics to throw-mud-and-see-what-sticks
and Sikkim’s Organic Mission appears to be their chosen victim. As the
opposition, they may continue to play their games of one-upmanship, but as a
State, let us not sell ourselves short.
Consider what Chief Minister Pawan Chamling
pointed out in his reply: this is the first time in the history of the world
that a state has attempted to become fully organic. Prime Minister Narendra
Modi’s endorsement of our Organic Mission is testimony to the Mission’s success
so far. As he said in Germany — home to the biggest Trade Fair on organic produce
— “now the doors for global trade have been opened for the State.”
Have we become perfect? No. But the Organic
Mission has set Sikkim on a journey that will shape the future of our economy
and livelihoods of many young Sikkimese along the entire value chain. It is
also an investment in the health and well-being of our children and our elderly.
It provides for better quality of life whilst lowering healthcare costs.
We can already see changes in our ecological
balance. Bumblebees are back. Flowering and productivity of our Cardamom has
gone up significantly. The mad scramble for seedlings of Cardamom is an
indication of the health of the ecology besides fetching good prices.
Our targets for the implementation of
Sikkim Organic Mission are aggressive — something the departments are perhaps
not used to — yet, we will meet them.
Golay cited examples of irregularities in
the certification process. The Department of Agriculture must take note and
ensure more stringent monitoring going forward. But let us not jump the gun and
say the Agriculture and Horticulture department’s intentions are mala fide! This
is the classic cutting your nose to spite your face.
It is foolish to assume all land would be Organic
and certified from day one. Certification is an ongoing process. Soil-testing
labs have already been established in each district. And Certification of land
under organic cultivation is being regulated by the Agricultural &
Processed Food Products Export Development Authority of the Union Ministry of
Commerce and Industry — through APEDA accredited certification agencies, who in
turn use service providers such as NGOs who implement National Program for
Organic Production (NPOP) regulations. This is needed for differentiation in a
market where robust standards rule.
It is one thing to critique policy, and
another to use its garb to allege that the policy was made for corrupt
purposes. The latter, we must wholly reject. When you critique something, you
evaluate it thoroughly. When you criticise, you hold an opinion for just
creating confusion in the minds of people.
As the Chief Minister reminded us all in
his speech, “farming is a dignified occupation.” There has never been better
time to empower our young farmers with the right knowledge, incentives and
support to lead an Organic farming revolution that will become a model for the
rest of the world to follow. It is naive to expect that a mission of such
ambition won’t face challenges. Yes, there are teething problems, and that is
why all of us must work together to find solutions. At the Centre, there is
renewed thrust in promoting organic produce and we cannot afford to lose all
the hard-work we’ve done so far to political pettiness. Unsurprisingly this
position will hurt the future interests of our youth, farmers and Sikkim.
To borrow a quote from former President Dr.
APJ Abdul Kalam, whose death was condoled in the assembly by all members during
the same session: “Let us move on with the spirit of I can do it, we can do it,
and the nation can do it.”
(P. D. Rai is the
SDF Party’s Spokesperson and sitting Lok Sabha MP)
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