Saturday 10 May 2014

Let the next decade be dedicated to farmers…



Last week’s ‘who will feed the farmer?’ received a lot of comments and feedback.

Many readers supported the farmers’ cause and a few farmers from around the world wrote in to share the plight of farmers worldwide.

Their concerns were well placed and I thought it would only be fair to share their concerns on this forum this week too.

One of the farmers had written in to say that his land can longer be used for farming as huge business houses are eyeing his land. His comments have come in at the correct time.

How long are we going to shut our eyes continue to think that the world around us is dark?

I would like to recall the words of Thiruvalluvar in his work Thirukkural (Chapter104, verse 1033). 

 "Uzhudhundu Vaazhvaare Vaazhvaar, Matrellaam Thozhudhundu Pin Selbavar".

Most of the revolutionaries have hailed agriculture as the best and noblest of professions. The Thirukkural above translates thus:
Those who till the land live life, the rest simply march behind them as followers.

"Those who labour in the earth are the chosen people of God," were the wise words of R. G. Ingersoll. In fact Emerson went one step higher and declared, "To plough is to pray."

"To plough is to pray" Photo Courtesy:greenfieldgeography.wikispaces.com
 
The time is ripe once more and the good earth requires farm hands that can till and plough. We have had enough inventions and progress that have turned our focus away from agriculture.

In a hurry to earn money to make life more comfortable for us and our children, we have become self-centric and lazy.  

Let the farmer’s voice fill the air. We have filled the earth with material wealth and money. Let us lend our voices in support of the farmers.

Beginning with celebrating farmer's day, let us make it to farmer's week and then slowly turn it into the farmer's decade!

Your voice will make it happen...

2 comments:

Michelle Stanley said...

The farmer's cry about his land being eyed for commercial usage is a common one. Where will our food supply come from if the farms are bought by realtors looking only to make a quick profit, without giving consideration to the ones who provide the food they eat? That's why some foods are becoming costly to purchase, due to limited quantities being produced.

Unknown said...

Unless we seriously take a re-look at our current lifestyle, it may be too late for us to reverse the trend...

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