Agriculture

An alleged fraud estimated at 11.6 billion rupees has been uncovered in Madhya Pradesh, linked to a government programme that encourages the production of ethanol to blend with petrol. But the case also reopens the debate on the appropriateness of using grains for biofuels while millions of Indians depend on food aid.

With the passing of the Women Farmers’ Empowerment Bill, Maharashtra has introduced legislation guaranteeing equal access to financial support and public services for millions of women workers. Until now, they had been excluded because they did not own the land and were considered labourers.

Buddhist monks and farm workers are taking to the fields to defend the rights of livestock farmers in the disputed area of the Eastern Province. The land has come under the scrutiny of rice farmers. In 1974, the area was designated a ‘grazing area’, partly to ensure the balance of the ecosystem. Converting the land would also deprive elephants of their habitat, raising the risk of attacks on villages.

Each month hundreds of elderly, from different religious and ethnic backgrounds, make their way on foot to the local post office to withdraw their miserly doles. Tired and debilitated by a life of abject poverty, they are welcomed by members of the AsiPA group, who offer them a herbal drink and above all make them feel “loved and cared for”, at least for a short while.