Wednesday 23 March 2016

Lets Unite India And Say "Saath Hai Hum"

A notable nation whose major chunk of population lives in villages is definitely a lush agriculture land. This is the reason that rural development has always been prime objective while plans for overall growth are drafted. The rural community mainly comprising 'farmers' has been taking center stage when talked about growth equation of our country. No wonder that agriculture sector employs nearly 70% of total workforce of India. Despite all our dependency on farmers for our everyday dietary essentials, I realize that farming is taken as most under-appreciated business in our country.

Actually I also had been a part of the crowd who think of farmers following a traditional daily routine of relentless labour including going to the field, feeding the cattles, cultivating the crops, cutting/raking/ baling the hay, watering the plants and ofcourse arranging for the safety of the crops from adverse conditions. Thinking of a typical villager brings out a picture of an illiterate person completely ignorant of technological advancement changing the world scenario. There seems like a total contrast in lifestyle of farmers living in interiors of rural areas with the so-called ‘city dwellers’.

Finolex Pipes successfully putting up its efforts for bridging the communication gap between people. As we all work through cross sections of India uniting one another & this video comes as a gentle reminder that by listening, conversing, communicating & forming a pipe line amongst ourselves, we can allow love to flow.

Coming across this pioneering campaign #SaathHaiHum by Finolex Pipes really thrilled me as I saw people guesstimating what these farmers do all the day long when we, in cities, take advantage of hi-tech tools to do our everyday chores with much ease. The film unveiled a newer perspective of life of a villager where I could see them breaking the stereotype and getting acquainted with desired access to contemporaneity marching shoulder to shoulder with the rest of the nation towards a successful future.

I felt so curious for a chance to converse live with any of these farmers to be one-to-one with the reality of what we are shown on television and other social media.

Since team Finolex Pipes, as a part of the campaign, had provided an e-mail address through which people coming from different parts of the nation could send in their queries regarding the life of a farmer or a villager, I grabbed this opportunity and got connected via con-call to Mr. Rajendra, a farmer engaged in Sugarcane farming for almost two decades in a remote village of Mangalore.

Walking along the parallel rows of sugarcane, he makes calculations of uncertainties of weather trying dealing with his dilemmas. In the name of modern agri-methods, only the traditional plough

is replaced with a tractor to help him in initial stages of cultivation. Even the most basic access to water and electricity present itself as an unaffordable luxury to him when he has to make efficient strategy to cope up with limited water supply from the canal available for 15 days. The farmer sacrifices his night sleep when the electricity is provided during day time for alternate weeks and then switches over to nights.

In absence of laboratories and proper guidance by any experts, the farmer uses his own experience to use pesticides; but ensures lesser use in quest to promote organic farming as much as possible. The price of sugar might be doubled in the past years but the continuing uptick tempts him to hold on to half the crop for another year as he is unsure to sell off his entire produce in one go to the local sugar factory. Even if he gets to sell off his produce, the funds come to his hand broken into pieces after every four months leading the situation to bank loan.

This direct conversation allowed me to look into the life of a villager that eventually put all my notions to rest. In order to bring the nation closer and to let the farmers enjoy the prestige they deserve, I would wish if the Rural Management can be made a significant part of Management Studies and the knowledge of such graduates can come handy to comprehend agri-business better. It would change the entire structure of farming industry provided some ambitious developmental schemes can be implemented involving national and local agencies along Governmental bodies. If something can bridge the gap between the city and a village, then it can be through a greater synergy between general and agricultural education and through the willingness to work towards rural development. This is when India can march forward to become a developed and prosperous nation on the world map.


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