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A few weeks ago there was an moment in the Indian parliament. A member of the opposition spoke against Modi's neoliberal agricultural reforms & in support of the farmers' protest against them. At some point in his speech the parliamentarian mentioned rural America...
He brought up the fact that the suicide rate in rural parts of the US was significantly higher than that among Indian farmers, who themselves suffer high rates of suicide. He used these statistics to warn against India imitating the US's economic model.
The speech was compelling considering the venue. On a conceptual level there were issues. His comparison ignored the vast difference in levels of development between the two countries, and the MP didn't posit a better way to transcend a still partially agrarian economy...
To me this suggests an implicit pastoral utopianism. No society has ever achieved a decent standard of living for the bulk of its people while most are still engaged in farming. So the question must be how to make the transition.
All that being said the speech was an appropriate
All that being said the speech was an appropriate
political challenge to an unacceptable imposition by the ruling administration. The reforms are so damaging that the criticism is welcome despite its lacking a positive alternative to the status quo.
Anyway, I thought it was interesting that rural America and its sorry state found a mention in this unexpected venue.
It made me wonder when the last time was that the American rural suicide rate was brought up in the US congress. I bet it has been at times, but I can't recall.
It made me wonder when the last time was that the American rural suicide rate was brought up in the US congress. I bet it has been at times, but I can't recall.
