I have been doing organic vegetable farming and paddy cultivation for the last 10 years and six years respectively. This time the weather has been highly unpredictable affecting farmers like me as there has been water scarcity.
In my neighborhood at Kandanad in Ernakulam, a few of us decided to develop a barren 35 cents. But the dilemma in front of us was water scarcity and so we decided to dig a pond. But immediately locals turned against us alleging that wells in the vicinity would dry up. In fact it was the local CPM leaders- local committee secretary and area secretary- who turned against us.
A similar incident occurred in Koyilandy recently where a few of my NRI friends have 14 acres suitable for paddy/organic farming. These NRI friends under the banner of Theertha Foundation did a project report which would have seen both paddy cultivation as well as vegetable organic farming. The commissars unleashed a campaign, alleging the project would deplete water table. The LDF Government should resolve this conundrum by undertaking steps to sustain rain water harvesting.
Ironically, senior party leaders promote paddy cultivation and vegetable organic farming while the cadre play spoilsport. The more wells/ponds we have, the more water we can hold for agricultural purposes. What is happening is on one end when we try to increase the water level comrades prevent us from digging wells/ponds.
Local CPM leaders in Koyilandy questioned me, seeking to know where I wished to dump the soil taken out while digging the pond. When I told them that they can take the soil, they got confused.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan should have a control over his party leaders. I am certain that the Government’s plan to increase paddy cultivation from two lakh hectares to three lakh hectares is never going to work.
I am aware that a decade ago there was eight and a half lakh hectares of paddy cultivation in the State. I am convinced that one cannot recover such a vast area without the support of the CPM leadership. Instead of the CPM giving the support to farmers, the local leaders have been resorting to goondaism. It is the same local CPM leaders, who decide how many areas have to be paddy cultivation or how much has to be recovered.
Recently CPM mouthpiece Deshabhimani carried a report alleging that I am cutting down on paddy cultivation when the fact has been that my neighbor, who also belongs to the Padasekhara Samithi, widened the existing pathway on his two and a half acre land.
Krishi Bhavans and panchayat offices across the State have idle farm machinery worth crores of rupees. It is the tax payer’s money which is being exploited. In China farmers are seen driving BMWs and unfortunately here their counterparts are resorting to suicide.
Recently farmers in Gundalpet were selling tomatoes at Rs 15 a kilo. Seeing this, the local farmers in the State too started cultivating tomatoes in large quantities. The beleaguered tomato farmers in Gundalpet then reduced the price to Rs 2 per kilo. Our farmers resorted to throw their harvest on the roads. Suicidal!
The LDF Government should intervene and ensure remunerative prices for vegetables. The Government should not run away from the responsibility to ensure the farmer’s welfare. They may not, as they are used to announcing schemes, bask in media limelight for few days. The farmer is forgotten sooner because he is no more a priority.
(Actor – director Sreenivasan, started organic paddy cultivation on 2.5 acres in Kandanadu in 2000, which has since increased to 35 acres with the help of Kandanadu Padasekhara Samithi/ As told to Cynthia Chandran)
