"Farmers Protection Act"?

[Capt M Kumar]

Shashwat Yogic Farming

Shashwat Yogic Farming Farmers can grow wholesome food with far less expense, reports PRITI AGRAWAL.



India was once the sone ki chirya (golden bird) — a land where people knew how to live with nature and for nature. To get back to that golden era we need to respect nature and live in harmony with it. Today’s farms are mechanised,echnology-driven and have record land yields. But this increased output has been achieved at a great cost: harmful chemicals and pesticides have made our food toxic and are leading to health complications.



The Rajyoga Education and Research Foundation together with the Prajapita Brahma Kumaris Ishwariya Vidyalaya recently organised a conference in the capital to focus on how to restore harmony between man and nature for better farming. The conference concluded with the recommendation that a spiritual and meditative approach to farming can have a positive impact on farm output.



BK Sarla, national coordinator, Rural Development Wing of the Rajyoga Education and Research Foundation in Mehsana, Gujarat, asked the delegates what was so special about the food made by our mothers. He went on to give the answer: “It’s the love that a mother adds to the food while cooking!” The feelings and emotions with which food is prepared affects its taste. It is the same with agriculture, he added. If farmers think positively, are peaceful, and nurture their produce in an eco-friendly way, then the foodgrains and vegetables they grow would be enriched and taste much better, he concluded.



Today, farmers use chemicals to kill pests and increase production, but this suffuses the crop with negativity as well as retains remnants of the pesticide, making the food unhealthy and in some cases, even toxic. Shashwat or perpetual yogic farming is the need of the hour. Yogic farming techniques can then help farmers grow healthier, sattvic and non-toxic food far less expensively.



The conference emphasised that man’s mental and moral degradation vitiates the environment, also because of moving from a need-based to a greed-based culture. Greed had resulted in ecological degradation and inequitable distribution of natural resources. Sarla implored: “We are an agriculture-based society, and we need to think about the development of our villages. Excess use of fertilisers and chemicals to increase yield destroys the natural nutrients of the soil. We need to change our attitude to bring back the natural balance.”



Kiran Rawal, a professor in a college at Adipur in Gujarat, added: “Chemical farming has a negative effect on the fertility of the soil. This might increase yield, but degrades our environment and has even been known to contribute to the cause of earthquakes, tsunamis, floods and global warming.



BK Sushant, national media coordinator of the Brahma Kumaris, urged people to overcome greed and stop exploiting nature in the interest of common benefit. The future of agriculture lies in blending science with spirituality and adopting yogic farming techniques that are compassionate and eco-friendly.



Delegates pointed out that farmers in certain parts of Maharashtra and Gujarat have been trying out the power of Rajayoga meditation; they are using innovative farming methods and organic fertilisers. The result: Better crop output. “Yogic farming helped me improve yield from 28 metric tons to 32 metric tons of sugarcane from just 4 acres”, says Brahmakumar Balasaheb Sripal Ruge, a shaswat farmer from Kolhapur, Maharashtra. For him, meditation proved a powerful tool: “Five minutes of meditation helped spread positive vibrations to mother earth. And you can also send out good wishes to every creature on the planet to make the world a better place to live in.”