451. Farmer the Backbone of my Country……

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/philosophy/farmer-the-backbone-of-my-country

My country India is the land of Rishi (Seers) and Krishi (Sowers). A Rishi (telling yogi) sows the seed of thought while a Krishika (tilling yogi) sows the seed of nourishment. The seed of thought enriches the mind and the seed of nourishment enhances the body and then we have a healthy mind in a healthy body.

To have a healthy body to accommodate a healthy mind I need to consume healthy food which is provided by the farmers. They are the one who till their land continuously every season to fill my belly pot. They plough the land to make it soft and break up the dirt that had become callous from the previous yield. They pull out the dried up roots and remove rocks and gravel. Re-install the fertility by adding organic manure which provides vigor to the germinating seed.

I am certain there was a lot of sweat, sore muscles and prayers for rain as the precious seeds of the vegetations were sown into the soil with great care and keenness. And then there was a phase of waiting, waiting for the seeds to germinate and peep through the soil which every farmer would love to see. The soil which was red or black is painted green with the emerging sprouts it’s a lovely sight. From the sprouts spring the two leaves which symbolize the revival of the vegetation. Thus the plant starts to yield grains which not only satiate the hunger of humans but also of the rodent and a few avian families.

Our elders would pray to the farming tribe at the end of every meal by saying “Annadata Sukhi Bhava” (Let the provider of this meal be happy). Now in this era unfortunately the “Annadata” (provider of the food) is supposedly the one who give us money to procure food, the boss in the office, the employer in the factory and the head of the organization.

The first person responsible for providing us food is the farmer. Traders come next followed by the women in the house who cook for us. Without a farmer the other two does not exist. Traders have to ensure that those grown by the farmers reach us fresh and unadulterated so that the women of the house, our mothers and wives cook and serve it to us. One has to be grateful to all these three parties and wish them to remain happy. Even if the farmers has produce a good crop if the commission agents do not give them the appropriate price or the traders do not distribute correctly then the efforts of the farmer is down the drain.

Off late a few companies have lured the farmers in buying their seeds for a better yield of the crop by introducing Genetically Modified seeds to them. Farmers should not fall to this trap and poison the land and water with chemicals. There is abundance which comes with time and it is the quality not the quantity that matters.