In the past, 'Jai Jawan and Jai Kisan' was the chorus of children in our schools. But today when the same farmers march toward the centres of power, barricades, water canons and trenches await them.
BOBBY JOSE KATTIKAD OFM CAP
Van Gogh painted shoes several times. Once the dusty, worn out shoes of a farmer was the subject of his painting. Thinkers such as Martin Heidegger and Zach Darida base their observations on Van Gogh’s 'A Pair of Peasant Shoes' to discuss art history; and meaning of art in particular. As Heidegger observes, the soil from the field is not found on it. But the toil and daily struggle of an ordinary farmer is etched so clearly on them.
I remember my great grandfather who toiled in the fields of Kuttanad. The likes of him had not even had the good fortune of having a pair of shoes. They were mostly barefoot. The farmers ensure that we have food on our plates; but then, what have we done to them? Consequently their lives have become more uncertain and insecure than farming. In the past, 'Jai Jawan and Jai Kisan' was the chorus of children in our schools. But today when the same farmers march toward the centres of power, barricades, water canons and trenches await them. Are the police personnel happy to do this?
We run a small mess in one of our towns where people are welcomed to eat even if they have no money. Suddenly one day we see a pile of bananas on the street. On discovering that those bananas were sold for pittens, the mess thought it could add a piece of steamed banana to its menu. But soon we realised the sad situation of the farmers who wouldn't even get a price equivalent to the water poured or the months of toil put in to cultivate them. Soon, the fruit turns bitter in your mouth. It is not just about the price alone, but we experience the devaluation of the whole spectrum of agrarian lifestyle.
Once, we were nomads and we found peace and security from agriculture. The first lesson of an organised social structure was learnt there. Even our culture depends a lot on agrarian life. Our ancient scientific wisdom too found its root there. There is no greater discovery than the finding of seeds. Even if we live in the times of AI, we have not yet produced a seed on our own. And therefore, people who dedicate themselves to farming all kinds of seeds call for utmost reverence and honour from all of us who are the beneficiaries. What is more disturbing? The shrinking farm-lands or the tragedy of the dwindling number of farmers who have taken up farming as a livelihood, who are giving up or committing suicide day by day. Just think of what happened to paddy cultivation, which is as old as the Yajurveda!
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