Upholding the crucial role of the co-operative sector in uplifting the poor and the downtrodden, the Prime Minister of India Mr Narendra Modi said Cooperativism is a collective power of the masses which becomes the driving force in the economy, Modi said from the ramparts of Red Fort, underlining the importance the govt attaches to the idea of co-operative.
“Capitalism and socialism are discussed a lot in the world of economics, but India emphasizes cooperativism. Cooperativism is compatible with our traditions and values. Cooperativism, in which the collective power of the masses becomes the driving force in the economy, is important for the country’s grassroots level economy”, said the Prime Minister.
Co-operatives are not just a system with a network of laws and rules, but co-operative is a spirit, culture, and a mindset of collective growth, said Modi.
“We have taken steps to empower them by forming a separate ministry. We have taken this step to empower the cooperative sector in states”, were the words of Modi which were music to ears of those who have spent decades strengthening the co-op movement.
A substantial part of the PM speech was dedicated to farms and farmers. We will have to put all our efforts to build a new economy in villages in this decade. Today we can see our villages changing rapidly, he stated.
Modi exhorted scientists to integrate new technology into the agriculture sector. “Now we cannot wait any longer. We have to leverage this strength”, he sounded impatient. He dwelt on the challenge of shrinking the land of villagers due to the immense rise in population, and smaller land holdings due to the divisions happening in the family.
More than 80 percent of the farmers of the country are those who have less than two hectares of land. If we see, 80 out of 100 farmers have less than two hectares of land i.e. the farmers of our country are practically in the small farmer category.
The Prime Minister also touched on the PM KisanSamman Nidhi Yojana and said keeping in mind the small expenses of every small farmer, this Yojana is being run. Talking about Kisan Rail he said several products like Kamalam, Shahi litchi, BhutJolokiachillis, black rice or turmeric are being exported to different countries of the world.