Narendra Modi’s promise of a sweet revolution and a blue revolution to enhance the incomes of farmers and fishermen in Gujarat is an unconvincing chimera, given the allegations of environmental violation by the Adani Group’s Mundra port project.
TWO HIGH-PROFILE FUNCTIONS IN GUJARAT involving Prime Minister Narendra Modi in mid September, one to lay the foundation for the Mumbai- Ahmedabad bullet train project in Ahmedabad and the other to inaugurate the controversial Sardar Sarovar Dam over the Narmada river at Kevadia in Narmada district, were held under intense media glare. But a significant announcement he made on September 17 at Amreli did not catch as much public attention.
Addressing a public rally after the inauguration of a new market yard for the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) in Amreli, which is considered a bastion of farmers belonging to the Patel community and fishers from the Koli community, Modi announced that it was time for a “sweet revolution” and a “blue revolution”. By sweet revolution he meant the adoption of apiculture (beekeeping) by farmers to supplement their incomes and blue revolution is a catch-all phrase for the transformation of the economic fortunes of those dependent on marine life for a livelihood, in this case the fishermen of coastal Gujarat.
Modi explained the terms thus: “I want to draw your attention to two things. Today is the inauguration day of the sweet revolution and second, Gujarat’s 1,600-kilometre-long coastline can lead to a blue revolution. Our brothers and sisters who are involved in fishing can set an example of a revolution based on marine wealth. These two initiatives can open a new dimension to rural and coastal Gujarat through the [Central government’s] schemes.”
Modi cited some specific methods that farmers could use to supplement their income through apiculture.
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