Self-Sufficient Farmers Play Pivotal Role in Crisis Situation.

Publish Date : 02/06/2020

Aalo April 05:- As we enter the 13th day of Shutdown along with rest of the nation to fight Covid-19, there is a visible concern, restlessness and mad rush for essential commodities among the urban population whereas countryside has a better take on the lockdown and more comfortable. The self lockdown in the form of ALI-TERNAM, YULU MONAM by barricading the roads leading to villages rampant particularly in West Siang district speaks volumes about the concerns of the rural people about the dreaded disease and in many places the barricading have been extended up to 21st April. The situation may take more of a restless twist as the day progresses after finding one positive case in our state and growing number of positive cases in the neighboring state of Assam. Almost all districts of our state have banned import of vegetables from Assam and even vehicles entering the states carrying food grain are seen with suspicious eye now. The emerging healthy trend is that self reliant farmers in the rural areas are coming up for the marketing of essential commodities. One Shri Raken Padu, retired commandant of Police(in picture) who prefers to stay in countryside nurturing fish ponds, vegetable garden, paddy fields, piggery, bee- keeping etc is such a self-reliant farmer now. He sells fishes of varieties ranging from small ones to more than 5 kgs in weight. One who has his number orders and it’s like an online delivery. Shri Togi Tali who has served govt. for 40 long years and enjoying a retired life of 28 years has food grains of
three years and granary is still full. He says, “The work culture and hard work which I cultivated since my childhood runs in my blood and I cannot sit idle so long I am alive€, when he is persuaded by children to stop working at the age of 88. The children and villagers in scarcity now depend on him for food grains.The survival instinct is high among the countryside and they have been sustaining their lives that way only through the ages in the absence of modern facilities. The stock food grains, bamboo sooths, dried meats and fishes, plenty of vegetables available in the jungle can sustain them for years together. There are other progressive farmers in every village who are now coming up for the supply of safer and organic green vegetables and food grains. The Department of Agriculture has invited all such progressive farmers for supply of essential commodities at regulated prices in the township areas. The need for govt. rations looms large only in areas where lands are not fertile and where people have no place for wet cultivation and large family to feed. Hope the govt. aids and assistances reach out to such people first. The recent crisis owing to Covid-19 should teach a good lesson to very walks of people to be self- dependent to manage crisis at their own level than to depend solely on govt. as such unwarranted and
unforeseen crisis may occur in the days to come also and this dependence syndrome has taken us to the lethargic way of life. It has brought to fore that mad rush to urban areas even encroaching govt. land and demolishing govt. structures for settlements serve no good in crisis situation where money do not buy everything unless you run back to your own areas. This self dependence can help you to eat safe and healthy as villagers have organic way of cultivation than to depend on contaminated commodities in this age of mad race for commercialization of crops and vegetables.

 DIPRO Aalo