Are Middle men a boon or bane to the society? How and why the need for one ? The recent developments in the Agriculture and its reforms pose these questions.

Intermediaries existed as far as our memory takes us back on trade. Trade and commerce developed outside the local areas of production through them . They played a pivotal role. Mostly the items which were traded included gem stones, expensive fabrics, precious metals, aromatic spices etc. There was a common rule of give and take. Foreign cultures, languages also came in through this route only. Now how did these intermediaries managed to deal with totally new people in an absolutely new land is still an enigma .

The foremost quality in the Middlemen is their enterprise. They are the first to see the right opportunity and wish to explore. This desire drives them to take necessary steps towards the goal. They learn to live in insecure places and spaces to experiment. Over a period they pickup the know how of the things and manage their activities. Agriculture still has this class of people who have become very influential and rich. They have assumed the role of money lenders and also Mandi owners. They control the prices and also set the trend for the farm prices. Naturally drawn into Politics , they have become very powerful.

The ordinary farmer, after all these years has not managed to come out of his woes. Solely at the mercy of the Rains and its patterns, the effort he puts in is highly vulnerable . The life sustaining rivers aren't the way they should be. This and many factors have led the farmer to think of suicide. The interlocutors on his behalf don't seem to bother for the real upliftment .

If the intermediaries are to be taken as a collective force and the backbone of agriculture then what has taken them so long to help the marginal farmers?Acharya Vinoba led the Bhoodan movement in the past for restoration of the ownership to the tillers. Today the privileged and wealthy agriculturists should take the lead to take our country's agriculture forward. This becomes binding on them as they have the advantage of the knowledge of the field thoroughly. All their political affiliations kept aside, they should come together for this cause.

The land that has fed for millions of years is posing this question to the Middle men when will you repay me back?