JOIN USPalekar sceptical of PMs village adoption scheme
While the member of parliaments irrespective of party affiliations are enthused about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Sansad Adarsh Grama Yojana (MP’s model village scheme), natural farmer Subhash Palekar on Wednesday questioned the veracity of the scheme.
Addressing the gathering of farmers at the opening of five-day workshop on natural farming method, organised jointly by Janachetana Trust, Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, Naisargika Krishi Sansthe and other organisations, at Kalamandir in the city, Palekar said, the scheme could ensure the development of every village in the country, as it is focused on only one village in a constituency.
Country of villages
“There are 6.5 lakh villages in the country and the resource from urban centres have to be channelised towards the villages, while the resource accumulated in the villages have to be spent on the development of the same place. The wealth generated in the nation should not be sourced out of the country,” he said.
Palekar also appealed to the farmers to practice natural farming for better health, ecological balance and longevity of the land. Palekar warned the farmers against adopting traditional, chemical or organic farming methods, which are regarded as dangerous to the fertility of the soil. Natural farming was akin to spiritualism, where nature and farmers are brought together.
Zero investment method
Elaborating on natural farming, Palekar said, the method required zero investment. Instead of exploiting the nature, the farmer should make judicious use of it, helping in the conservation of water and land.
Palekar lamented that while the most of the debates were restricted to the food security, suicides, migration of youth from rural to urban parts and others, agriculture was still not on the criterion.
Though former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru emphasised on green revolution, it has not ensured sustainability in food production.
Food security
“Food security is limited to paddy and wheat, while other grains like jowar, ragi are not on the minds of policy makers. Seeds, manure, soaps and garments are being bought in markets,” he said.
Earlier former assembly speaker Krishna demanded the agriculture universities in the State to introduce natural farming to the farmers, by taking a cue from Palekar. “Farmers in China were reaping huge benefits and the agriculture scenario in our country too should change,” he said.