We Are Not Going Anywhere, Mother!

Various rituals were being celebrated in full swing at the wedding function. There was the usual noise of the greetings and acknowledgements among friends and relatives. A long time friend moved in and sat next to me. He lives in a village along the west coast. He had traveled overnight to reach the venue of the function. Usual greetings and enquiries about breakfast were exchanged. 

It was time to find about how farming activities are going on around his village. 

"How are your agricultural lands? What are the crops this year?"

"No crops for the last few years. I am unable to manage the activities."

"Why? What is the problem?"

"Agriculture requires continuous attention during the cropping season. We need labourers for assisting in various farming activities."

"What is the problem in getting agricultural labourers? Were they not available all these days?"

"Now they are not available. All able bodied young people have migrated to towns and cities. There are only old people in villages."

Though this was being heard often, its intensity had not struck me till then. 

"Why such large scale migration?"

"The conveniences and pleasures of city life attracts youngsters."

"What is the reason?"

"Who wants to soil his hands when working as an office boy in a city is more appealing?"

"What about women agricultural labourers?"

"They are taking the lead in urging the menfolk to move to cities."

"Why so?"

"City life appeals more to them. They also get cleaning and maintenance jobs. More and more boys are taking up driver jobs with Ola, Uber and other transport companies."

This is closer to our experiences. 

"What are you doing with the lands now?"

"I have allowed some elderly people in the village to use the lands to grow whatever they want."

"How is the crop shared?"

My question arose from the experience I had some fifty years ago when our lands were given to sharecroppers. They would share one third of Ragi and half of coarse Rice grown in the lands. Expenses were borne by them. They kept more Ragi as it was their main food item. 

"There is no sharing of any crop now. I am happy if they grow something and keep it for themselves. My only condition is to give me fodder for the cattle."

"Oh, you have taken up dairy farming! How many cows do you have?"

"Are you crazy? I have only one local cow and its calf. Milk production is only for our household use. It is difficult to find fodder for that one cow!"

I had no courage to ask further questions.

*****

There was the usual crowd at the evening wedding reception. A relative, elder to me by about ten years, arrived. We greeted each other. I had some knowledge about his achievements as a progressive farmer and how he stuck to his native village when all other close relatives moved away for various employment opportunities. Though he was also employed in the nearby city, he kept his contact with his village and continued to be a farmer. 

"How are your farming activities going on in the village?"

"It is going on quite well. It is tough to manage, but I am carrying on fine."

"I am glad that you stuck to your roots in the village. We still have representation in the village because of you."

"There is a big reason behind my holding on to the village and being tied to farming. It is a part of my life story."

This was indeed an interesting phase. I asked further questions. His answers opened up many issues.

Some hundred years ago, the head of the family moved to that village migrating from another place, looking to start a new life. He started as a farmer and made the village his base. His five sons were also initially involved in farming. Two of them moved away on other employment. Members of the next generation found employment elsewhere. There was only one branch of the family left in the village. Landholdings had become fragmented and income from farming activities was not sufficient to manage a big family.

On one of his visits to the village, the young man observed that his mother was very sad. He desired to find the reason for her being upset. 

"What is the reason Mom, you appear to be very sad."

"Nothing in particular. The usual ups and downs of life"

"What are the usual ups and downs you are referring to?"

"I have lived all my life in this village and in this house."

"I know that. What about it?"

"Everybody in the family has moved away from the village and we are only left here."

"What if so?"

"You have also taken up employment elsewhere. Some villagers are telling me that one day we will sell this house and little lands we have and we too would move away."

"You do not want to move away?"

"No. Given the choice, I would live all my life here. This is where I belong."

The young man reached a sudden decision.

"We are not going anywhere, Mother. We shall stay put here and show others what we can do. This is my promise", he said. 

He devoted more time to the family's affairs in the village. All the brothers worked as a team. Two younger brothers became full time farmers. Others too chipped in with whatever additional resources they could bring in. In course of time, the family bought lands of those who told the mother that one day they would leave the village and go away. 

The family took up modren methods of farming. Irrigation sources were found and bore wells were dug. Now they grow a variety of crops including rice, vegetables and other seasonal crops. An orchard with 100 Amla (Gooseberries) trees has been developed. Dabur come every year and buy the crop at the orchard itself. Some Chyavanprash you bought last week may have those Amla as an ingredient. "Dhatri Havan", a religious-cum-social festival is celebrated every year in September-October as a mark of growing Amla. New varieties of mango are planted and harvested. All manure used is manufactured in-house and organic farming is practiced. It is indeed tough to manage all these activities, but it has also generated employment for many in the nearby villages.

A hallow brick factory has been developed as a local industry. The old family temple has been expanded. Ramotsava is celebrated every year around Lunar New Year's Day (Ugadi and Ramanavami). 

The promise of "We are not going anywhere, Mother" has been fully realised, and is being expanded in the next generation.

***** 

More and more agricultural lands are being converted into non-agricultural uses nowadays, especially for housing near and around cities and towns. Vast fertile lands are becoming industrial areas or utilised for other infrastructural requirements like roads and flyovers. Migration of workforce from villages to towns and cities continues unabated. These are disturbing signs indeed.

At the same time, statistics show that food grain production is increasing every year. Organic farming has become the in-thing. People are prepared to pay much more for organic agricultural produce, believing merely the print on the packages sold as organic produce. Health consciousness has brought back "Siridhanya" with vengeance, the grains that were liberally used five or six decades ago but forgotten later. 

The two instances referred above are reflections of the two paradoxes summed up in the above two paragraphs.