Israel, India & South Asia: Some Green Thoughts

India (or, for that matter South Asia) has been described as a rich place but inhabited by poor (especially in the rural areas). In their race to catch up with the developed world, the rulers in the Indian subcontinent simply forgot that a SYSTEM (and a proper INFRASTRUCTURE) has to be in place in the teeming villages/towns to prevent an ensuing chaos.

At this juncture, Israel’s expertise in the field of agriculture can be of great help. Martin Sherman, a research fellow in the School of Government at Tel Aviv University and the academic director of the Jerusalem Summit think-tank (who was also advisor to the Israeli Minister of Agriculture), has made some interesting observations in PRAGATI – THE INDIAN NATIONAL INTEREST REVIEW.

Sherman believes: “If addressed with a prudent mix of resolve and intelligence, of political will and intellectual force, the development of India’s rural sector could be one of the most momentous undertakings of this century—with unprecedented spin-offs for those involved with it.

“A previous article in Pragati (’The India-Israel imperative’, No 16 |Jul 2008) had pointed to the remarkable compatibility between the aspirations of modern India and its leaders on the one hand, and the areas in which Israel has acquired exceptional expertise on the other. This is graphically reflected in the slogan ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, Jai Vigyan’ (Hail Soldier, Hail Farmer, Hail Science).

“In two of these areas, India and Israel already have a well-developed relationship: In the sphere of defence and security matters (reflected by the fact that Israel is India’s second largest supplier of military merchandise) and in the sphere of technology and science (symbolised by last January’s successful launch of an Israeli satellite by an Indian
rocket).

“There thus could be a no more opportune time than the present to turn the attention of both
countries to the third element—the development of close collaborative ties devoted to advancement of agriculture and the enhancement of the lives and livelihoods of those engaged in it, and dependent on it across the subcontinent—and to impart to the call “Jai Kisan” the
genuine significance it merits.”

To read the full article please click here….

Meanwhile the desert of Rajasthan in the north of India is to be planted with a million olive trees grown in Israel in an effort to transform the landscape and the fortunes of its struggling farmers. More here…

“The countries are finalising a three-year plan on agriculture that will introduce several crops associated with the Middle East and Mediterranean to India. It is hoped that the sub-continent — more famous today for its mangoes and spices — will become an exporter of olive oil by 2011.”

More on India-Israel relations…

In a related article in the NYT, Somini Sengupta writes that malnutrition is worse in India than in many sub-Saharan African countries, a paradox in a proud democracy. Please see here…