Let’s pause what we are doing and pay attention to what the farmers are saying on #FarmersDay from across the country.
Bhanwar Lal Saran , farmer from Barmer district has a wonderful message to the fellow farmers, the citizens, the politicians, the social media, the electronic and print media.
Thank you very much Bhanwar Lal ji for your message of unity, resolution and determination to stand up and do something for our farmers.
Bhanwar Lal’s message in Hindi – Click Here
Namaskar.
I am Bhanwar Lal Choudhury from Chanderi taluk of Barmer district in the desert region of Western Rajasthan. Like every year, this year too Dec 23 will be celebrated as Farmers’ Day and I am very happy about it.
On the occasion of farmer’s day, I would like to tell my fellow farmers and those farmer leaders that the farmer in this country is today in a crisis. A farmer is unable to get a fair, remunerative price for his produce. And he is faced with many kinds of natural disasters. These disasters damage the crops but the farmer is not getting compensated for this.
Farming Community:
This is why I would like to first of all request my fellow farmers to consider this as Farmer Unity Day. It should be a day when farmers vow to stay united. I would like to say that we should be all united and fight for our rights and we will certainly get justice. We have to fight unitedly against injustice.
The Intellectuals:
Secondly, I would like to request the intellectuals of this nation to speak on behalf of the farmers. Because farmers are not so capable or aware or educated, they do not have the capacity to make the Government hear their voice. That is why, farmers need leadership. And it is only intellectuals of this nation who can give it. So, these intelligentsia should selflessly, without any political agenda raise the voice of the farmer. They should fight against the injustices as well as unite the farmers. It’s only then that farmers will get justice.
The Corporate World:
My third request is to the corporate world. Corporate companies and industries earn a great deal of profits, I want them to spend some part of those profits on the farmers’ cause. The corporate world should invite farmers, discuss their problems and extend cooperation.
The Media (print and electronic):
So also with media. They should speak the voice of the farmer. They should discuss farmer issues. Farmers are facing problems but this issue is not getting transmitted to all parts of the nation, it is happening in pockets. This is why a farmer becomes helpless and tolerates injustice. In this connection, some workshops should be held, farmers, intelligentsia and the corporate world should discuss issues on a common, shared platform. And work for solutions.
It is important for print media and social media also to speak on behalf of the farmer. And let farmers across the country at least know that Dec 23 is observed as their day. Till this day, farmers are not even aware that there is a day dedicated to them in the year. That is why there is a need for us to unite.
Doubling the Farmers Income:
Government claims that it will double the income of the farmers by 2022 but till now, on the ground, even 5 per cent of it is not visible. So how it can double overnight seems like a puzzle. Farmers of this country have always been victims of politics. So, it is my request to our leaders that they should rise above political interests. Many people raise issues with a political agenda, once they occupy a position of power, they forget farmers and do only politics. They simply shed crocodile tears and our fraternity does not have believe them. Therefore, I believe that there should be periodic discussions between farmers, intellectuals and those serious-minded people in various walks of life.
There should be a discussion at the grassroots level, make small efforts to find small solutions. Then, I think, India’s farmers’ problems will be solved. Farmers are a big community and each region has its own problem. For instance, my area is western Rajasthan’s desert region. Here, out of every four years, there is famine for two years. The annual rainfall here is 25 cm. So this region has always been drought-prone and people cannot find their full livelihood through agriculture. That’s why in this region, government, intellectuals and NGOs must come up with some alternative livelihood sources.
Till now there has been no facility for irrigation in this region. So, there can be a crop only once in a year, in the rainy season. And farmers get some produce only when monsoon is on time and it is not drought. In these circumstances, it is essential that a farmer is shown alternative sources of livelihood and income. A farmer should be engaged in activities other than agriculture, such as animal husbandry, dairy, small-scale agro-activities, small industries and cottage industries so that a farmer can earn some extra income.
That is why we should be united. I would like to wish my fellow farmers the very best on the Farmers’ Day.
