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6. I do not mean to say that the Agricultural condi- 

 tion of India is in a specially depressed condition, as it is 

 in some countries in Europe. Barring occasional famines, 

 local or general, which has been the order of the day 

 in India at all times, the agricultural population of India 

 may be regarded as being in a prosperous condition. The 

 area under cultivation is steadily increasing; exports of 

 food grains, which represent surplus stocks, have been also 

 increasing notwithstanding increase of population, and the 

 rental and revenue from land have grown. There is no such 

 thing in India as lands getting out of cultivation, and farmers 

 getting ruined and emigrating to foreign countries in quest 

 of a living. Emigration in India is still a forced project. 

 In spite of his debts which are a hereditary thing with the 

 Indian raiyat, we do not find many cultivators alienating their 

 holdings and going in for other trades. Many crafts and 

 trades have suffered of late years, but not agriculture. The 

 agricultural produce of other lands has not been able to com- 

 pete with India's own products, and she has always more 

 and more to spare for the needs of other countries. The 

 late famine in Bengal went to show that the resources of the 

 masses had increased of late years. The failure of crops all 

 over India since 1896 has been unprecedented, and, if this had 

 taken place 20 years or even ten years earlier, the havoc 

 among the agricultural population would have been terrible. 

 But the resources of the country have been developing 

 steadily for over half a century. It is a significant fact that, 

 during the 61 years ending the 3ist March 1896, India im- 

 ported foreign merchandise to the value of Rs. 1931,00,00,000, 

 while during the same period the value of her exports amount- 

 ed to as much as Rs. 3064,00,00 ooo. Her exports therefore 

 exceeded her imports by Rs. 1133,00,00,000. Of course, the 

 whole of this does not represent so much into the pockets 

 of the Indian peasantry. But that Indians, and especially 

 Indian cultivators, have materially benefited by this excess 



