Please dont compare apples and oranges. Even I used to think the same way until a few years ago when I was not actively involved in farming. If you are using above equation for agriculture, then why do governments topple over high onion/vegetable prices? Keep aside the allegation that those price rise were man-made, if it had occured on its own without any miscreants involved, would you be happy to pay more in such cases thinking farmers are getting a good price? Then we dont need subsidized loans when interest rates are high. So why does government steps in to lower the prices of what farmers produce by working hard day and night? Just one-two rupees increase in milk price pinches middle class and they are the first one to shout against subsidy for farmers. farmers are the worst exploited.
I understand you view and anger.
Yes, you are correct, subsidies and price controls without thought create imbalances everywhere. All prices should in general be decontrolled within reason. Market driven prices without manipulation are probably going to more efficient for demand supply. The only place where i think this is not necessarily right is healthcare as it can become extortion and you need goverment/public control.
There are probably complications, and exceptions may be needed if other countries dont play fair but i think in general you would agree.
Industrial workers have safety rules in place, fixed breaks, served tea couple of times a day, monitored working conditions ( implementation of some of these things lack, but my point is at least there are rules in place.) But what happens when a farmer working in the dead of night alone in his farm is bitten by a snake? Are there any rules and regulations and an ambulance kept ready in villages or such emergencies, like there are in industries? farmers have to work without thinking if its day or night, windy or raining, cold or hot, without worrying that in the dead of night if he is going to step on a snake or scorpion or if a wolf is at his back. I think you don't need to think over these things until you are served delicious breakfast - lunch - dinner - dessert everyday.
Ideally, you dont have half of your (mostly poor) population dependent on farming. Big farmers should have the necessary expertise and equipment to manage their risks and should hopefully also be able to raise voice to have adequate medical contingencies in place. What you say will be applicable to everyone who are not near Hospitals.
In Mumbai, sometimes people dont even help if someone had an accident. Two guys in my college died because they didnt get emergency care in time.
Emergency care and heathcare in general is messed up for most people in India barring, perhaps, the wealthy. I rather have universal health care with higher taxes than bhagwan-bharose chalta-hai so-called-capitalist system that we have for most people. What will a 3/5/10 lakh health insurance policy do if you are unfortunate to get something that needs much more... Poor people on roads cant even manage that.
And pray tell me, how many of those shouting against subsidy for farmers would willingly give up subsidy they recieve on gas cylinder? Have you, TracerBullet? If yes, then I salute you.
I would gladly vote for their abolition. But i will not refuse subsidy in the name of nation building
while others still take it and which i indirectly pay for. That is just cop-out from politicians who cant think beyond the next elections.
Think about it, petrol/disel/gas subsidies are absolutely moronic. They are anyway unfair. Moreever India mostly imports these. Higher prices get subsidized and demand does not reduce. Our cad f**ks up. Look at usa, high prices reduced demand immediately some years back and then they innovate and use technology to change.
Sometimes i think our congress/others oil ministers get paid by gulf countries to keep this system. Stupid media keeps crying about their prices. Maybe just cynical.
Plus this swach bharat abhiyan cess on internet and mobile is the worst plan this government can come up with. No amount of money can make india clean, if the common man keeps littering it 10 times a day as he moves around. Modi should realise this. And if he still thinks that spendin money can make india clean, the he will have to employ 10% of india's population in this task as one person would be needed to clean the rubbish thrown away by every ten people on a daily basis.
And the first time I was disillusioned with Modi was when he appointed Smriti Irani as HRD minister. Didnt he get anyone better? And left me wonderin.... I voted a man who appointed Smriti Irani as HRD minister?
I dont know about the cess. We have all kind of cesses everywhere and they hardly work. Inefficient and corrupt govts result in funds scarcity and so apply cesses everywhere to fill their election promise cards without caring for implementatiom.
Swach bharat abhiyan in concept is very important. India should change if it wants to be a developed country. Need stick and carrot. So far i hope and believe that his intentions are correct and lets pray he and others can implement it. Just go outside and see how people in developed countries maintain their surroundings vs here. In Mumbai there is dust and garbage everywhere.
Cant argue about Irani. Political compulsions i guess but its a bit sad that education is used for politics. Education quality sucks execpt for the iits and iims which cover only few. Why should a less than brilliant child get inferior education making him even less able. Although i went to decent-in-name colleges i can say my entire school to engineering time was mostly a waste of time. Ofcourse i am better off with it but it was mostly substandard and chalta-hai. Coursera is wonderful though.
Research is nothing compared to foreign univs. In scandinavia they pay you for masters ...
I still think this
may become the best govt we have ever had. Which is not saying much as we are used to corrupt and inefficient govt who get in the way. Too many probems in India but lets hope we see a better one in next decade. Ok, now i wrote enough. i understand what you say but we need people to think for longer term.
