Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday appealed to farmers in Gujarat to adopt "natural farming" techniques as a way to serve Mother Earth.
The PM said this in a recorded video address at the concluding function of the three-day foundation stone laying ceremony of the temple of Maa Umiya, the reigning deity of the Kadva Patidar farming community from north Gujarat. He said that the urge for higher yield within a short time has forced farmers to use fertilisers and chemicals without any care for Mother Earth, which has caused degradation of the soil quality.
"I am here to request you not to forget Mother Earth while you serve Maa Umiya. The children of Maa Umiya have no right to forget Mother Earth. For us, both are the same...I would, therefore, request you to take a pledge in the presence of Maa Umiya that you will take north Gujarat towards natural farming," Modi said.
Natural farming also means zero budget farming, he said and suggested farmers adopt it gradually by setting aside a portion of their land for the same or doing natural and regular farming every alternate year.
"This will save costs and bring about changes, a new consciousness in Mother Earth, and you will do good work for the coming generations," he said. The PM said he will also speak on natural farming at an event in Gujarat on December 16. "I would request you all to understand, accept, and take natural farming forward with Maa Umiya's blessings," he said, adding that such new efforts will contribute to the development of Gujarat.
Modi said that farming techniques like drip irrigation have brought about significant changes in districts like Banaskantha and Kutch, and also helped save water and agriculture. He lauded the Patidar community leaders for taking up the religious project of constructing Maa Umiya's temple along with the service to society, by preparing youth for the future through the construction of a 13-storey building adjacent to the religious structure to serve as a training centre and hostel. He asked them to also make arrangements to train youth in skill development.
"There is a need to increase the importance of skill development," he added. Modi also thanked the community members for responding positively to his call for saving the girl child, as the area with the Patidar community dominance like Unjha had earlier reported a skewed sex ratio, which gradually improved over the years.
He also thanked farmers of north Gujarat and Saurashtra for responding positively to his call for saving water, even when the water supply to their farms increased with the Narmada and Sujalam Sufalam projects. The three-day ceremony of laying the foundation stone for the Umiyadham temple began on Saturday.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah had attended the inaugural function. Apart from the Maa Umiya Temple, the trust, which runs the main temple at Unjha in Gujarat's Mehsana district, will also build a 13-storey complex adjacent to the new temple to provide training as well as a hostel facility to Patidar youths to prepare for the UPSC and GPSC tests.
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