Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale on Saturday, 23 July, expressed concern over inflation and rising food prices but said that the government's actions shouldn't hurt farmers.
“The link between inflation and food prices needs to be pondered over. Prices of industrial products rise… but people feel food and clothes must come at lower prices. It is among basic needs and should be affordable," Hosabale said at a conference, according to The Indian Express.
India's inflation rate in June came down marginally to 7.01 percent from 7.04 percent in May.
'We Have To Ensure People Live in Villages'
In his address at a two-day conference organised by RSS-affiliate Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, Hosabale credited governments, scientists, and farmers for the development of agriculture in the country over the past 75 years.
He stressed that basic necessities like food should be affordable but the burden should not be passed on to the farmers, adding that government cooperatives have a big role to play in this.
“The objective of agriculture is to produce sufficient nutritious food for all. Everyone must get nutritious food, so its prices must not increase. Otherwise some people will not get it,” Hosabale said.
He also expressed concern about India's rapid urbanisation, pointing to the fact that more than 52 percent of the population lives in cities.
"If India’s villages start disappearing, the civilisation and culture that we speak of with such great pride will be impacted. So we have to ensure people live in villages; we have to strengthen agriculture and allied industries," he said.
(With inputs from IANS and The Indian Express.)
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