BT history

Will He Reap?
Business Today,
August 15, 2004

With rains playing truant, experts predict zero growth in agriculture this year. But it’s not just the farmers who’ll suffer.

With rains showing no signs of hitting India, the country may be heading into its second year of drought in a span of three years. And more than anybody else, it is the Congress-led UPA government that should know what a drought could do to its political prospects… Even if the rains fail, the GDP may still grow at around 6 per cent, thanks to the robust growth in services and manufacturing. But for millions of poor farmers, life will get a whole lot tougher. And so will it for the UPA government.

Post Script: It’s déjà vu time for UPA-II. Five years ago, their coming to power coincided with a bad monsoon. Will it be the same story in 2009? We will keep you updated.

MONSOON MATH
October 24, 2004

• Number of Met sub-divisions in India: 36
• Number of divisions that registered deficient rainfall: 13
• Divisions that registered normal rainfall: 23

BT's take: Not too bad after all.