________________ 54 Homage to Vaisali landlordism and parasitic middlemen and uneconomic fragmentation,-all a legacy of decadence. In the Mauryan times, the rich merchants of Vaisali and Videba often supplied money, materials and skilled labour to the peasant-proprietors and gentlemen-farmers, where necessary, under strict government control of the extent and terms of such aid. Today, and after the abolition of the Zamindari,-by starting agricultural banks, agricultural material and equipment stores, and institutes training and supplying skilled and efficient landless labourers, for assisting individual efforts of peasant-proprietors and gentlemen-farmers.--I see before me a good number of prominent members of the commercial community: it is up to them to guide their beloved Vaisali again in similar ways. Again, this ancient emphasis on Farming naturally led to special arrangements for food-stuff storage and inland grains-trade, and to a very great care of animals, the mainstay of the group of Farm-industries. It is not for nothing that the Jainas of Vaisali stressed the care of and love for cattle; 'Go-seva' was an economic creed of a farming region. Let these features of Vaisalian economic life be revived again, improving upon the ancient methods of storage and movement of foodstuffs, and of animal eugenics and welfare, by the results of the modern sciences of botany, zoology and biology. Here too, the Jaina mercantile community can render great services today : they could, for example, set up a network of villagecommunity grainstores or 'golagharas' of the Mauryan type, and grain-elevators of the American type, throughout the country, dividing it into circles of ten villages, as in ancient days; they could build up an ipland cross-country transport service of improved bullockcarts and well-bred pack-animals (bullocks, horses, mules, asses, camels, etc.), for the carriage of bulk stuff throughout the interior and rural regions, and construct the road links needed for it; they could organise 'after-care' infirmary and hospital institutions for farm animals, through an Animal Power Insurance Scheme on the lines of Labour Insurance; and they could establish Research Stations for improvements in Cattle-breeding and rearing and in Dairying,-which will teach the people how to have maximum quality and quantity of milk-supply, the most efficient type of animal labour,-and how to prevent deterioration of farm animals by unrestricted multiplication and lack of animal fodder and pasturage on the one hand, and prohibition of surplus animal slaughter or export on the other; for here I may tell you, that without cruelty or any physical injury, and without even affecting the basic animal instincts and outlets thereof, male or female animals, not wanted for breeding high-class stock or for milk-supply, can, by modern scientific
