Happy-Happy DOZEN 20!

Wish one and all a...

Wonderful-Wonderful DOZEN 20!

May Joys in every life be of plenty

Happy-Happy DOZEN 20!

FARMERS NEED HIGHER M. S. P TO SURVIVE, NOT RELIEF PACKAGE

Last year in December CM Prithiviraj Chavan announced Crop Damage AID of 1,088 crores (billions) for Vidarbha Farmers, as crops were damaged due to unseasonal rain in October 2010...

No one really knows what happened to the AID money? Farmers in Vidarbha are clueless if some State Government Officials has ever entered their villages to disburse the AID...

Yes, the 1,088 billions surely has earned 60 % interest (because even after a year, it has not been disbursed to the affected farmers of Vidarbha) on the principal amount to make the CM and Congress coffers overflowing with more black money...

This year, once again 2,000 crores Relief Package have been announced yesterday (14th December 2011) by CM Chavan for farmers of Vidarbha, Marathawada and Northern Maharastra... for Cotton, Soyabean and Paddy crops...

An approximate 58 Lakh (million) farmers is likely to get the relief package but there is a condition, MIND YOU!

If a farmer has damage 25 % of its crops, only then the relief will be given... not otherwise!

I wonder, how many days more it will take the State Government Officials to disburse this amount, if at all it will be released in the first place by the CM, to 58 Lakh farmers?

So what will happen to marginal farmers who own just 1 to 2 acre of land growing cotton? Will the meagre amount of Rs. 1,000/- per acre help them in any which ways? Will they even get the AID?

Mr. CM, the farmers of the nation doesn't need RELIEF PACKAGE or AID, they rightfully need HIGHER MSP for respective crops to keep farming for the nation and somehow feed their hungry families...

If Pharmaceutical Companies can demand a higher price of cotton to the tune of Rs. 50,000/- Per Quintal for their product, why are the poor farmers of nation capped and exploited at being paid a controlled MSP (set by the Government), who actually should get all the benefits for all the hard work in their fields... for the benefits of the nation's economy? 

Last year, because of floods in China, Bangladesh and Pakistan... the rates of cotton went upto Rs. 7680/- Per Quintal from Rs. 4,000/- onwards... so this year, the price should get higher than what the farmers got last year... imagine, the government was paying just Rs. 3,000/- Per Quintal as the MSP in 2010... after all prices of everything has been increasing on a yearly basis... if companies can increase the petroleum based products almost every month, then why farmers cannot demand a suitable rate for their product? Here the Government Policies FAIL miserably!!!

Farmers of the nation should get their rightful due and a Higher MSP, so that they will not succumb to suicide instead will continue farming for the nation to benefit at large.

Without supporting the farmers' community with FARMERS BENEFIT POLICIES, how can the government insist that farmers should use new technology to grow more....

When the farmers grow more, the government along with the traders' lobby and WTO drop the price and not forgetting the billions of worth food grains are allowed to rot in the open FCI godowns... all the selfless hard work put in by the farmers' community of the nation goes in vain...

In spite of almost negligible Irrigation Infrastructure in the nation, High Price of Seeds, Fertilizers, Pesticides and Labour Wages, Nature's Fury... the Indian Farmers have kept their dedication towards the nation to feed the nation even when they have had to sell their wives to feed their children or else take their own lives... the Nation's Government have been exploiting them to the hilt and pushing them towards the edge to end their lives, so that their fertile lands can be grabbed in the name of economic development...

Sad to say, the opposition is just not bothered as well... they are raising the issue but will ultimately give in, once they get their share from the CM, to keep their protest silent! The media will highlight some other scams or disaster to forget the real issues (please read the series - WHAT THE FARMERS NEED? in the blog) of the poor farmers of the nation....

Statistics will be quoted by vested interest to be in limelight as farmers will succumb to take their own lives... their families will continue endless suffering living in miseries and poverty all their lives... DO WE REALLY CARE FOR OUR FARMERS' COMMUNITY IN THE REAL SENSE?

HIGHER MSP should be the only DEMAND by all the opposition political leaders for the farmers of the nation to benefit and survive... but will it ever HAPPEN?

HOW THE GOVT IS CHEATING AND LOOTING THE COTTON GROWING FARMERS OF THE NATION

Did you know that a packet of 400 grams of Medicated Cotton costs Rs. 200/-?

That means 1 Kg of Medicated Cotton will cost Rs. 500/-

So if one calculates the Medicated Cotton at this rate @ Rs. 500/- per kg, a quintal of cotton will cost Rs. 50,000/-

Now, imagine the Nation's Government fixes the MSP (Minimum Support Price) of Cotton @ Rs. 3,300/- per Quintal.... for the poor farmers.

From raw cotton to finished and Medically treated cotton, the price by Pharma Companies is totally unbelievable... I was honestly shocked to calculate the per quintal rate!

Tell me citizen of the world, where is Rs. 3,300/- Per Quintal and where is Rs. 50,000/- Per Quintal??? So right from the policy makers to ministry of agriculture to Nation's government to traders' lobby to middlemen to big traders to the finished product sold by various companies... each one of them are making money in thousands while the poor farmers, who has to first buy seeds at a higher price because the market creates artificial shortage during sowing season to buying short supplied high priced fertilizers and pesticides to physical labour of the whole family to paying exhorbitant wages to labour for weeding and plucking to finally take the yield to the government procurement centre... all that the poor farmers are paid is just Rs. 3,300/- per quintal....

Mind you, apart from all the hardships mentioned above, the farmers have to face the nature's fury year after year... one year, it may rains cats and dogs, and the next, there may not be any sign of any rain... not to mention the unseasonal rain, which often damages the cash crop... The meagre amount of just Rs. 3,300/- per quintal for the poor farmers' community as the MSP, which puts its heart and soul to grow cotton for the nation's economy to benefit is being LOOTED by the Government in the most bizarre fashion without anybody's knowledge...

Yes, before the packet landed in my hand, even I had never had thought about such a huge difference is there between Raw Cotton and Medicated Cotton... there is certainly the HUGE DIFFERENCE of Rs. 46, 700/- per Quintal... but I was always researching to get the price of cotton at the international market and the price of cotton being exported from India to other countries.

Is this JUSTICE the Government of my NATION??? PLEASE-PLEASE this is certainly not a fair treatment... the farmers' community badly needs a suitable MSP for their selfless hard labour... now looking at the above mentioned rate, I feel even Rs. 15,000/- Per Quintal is really less for the laborious farmers. Time the government and all the political leaders to wake up from their misconception that what is being paid (MSP) by the Government of India is certainly a case of cheating and looting the Cotton Growing Farmers to push them towards the edge to succumb to suicide!

FARMERS are the ORPHANS the NATION always IGNORE!!! - Johnny D

The greatest son of the soil Late Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri is and will always be the only Prime Minister of the Independent India, which duly gave the rightful place to Bhartiya Kisaan (Indian Farmers) and Fauji (Army) with his effective slogan - "Jai Jawan, Jai Kisaan"!

Yes! For every nation in the world to flourish in the real sense, the Defence and the Agriculture Sectors are the two most essentials... while the first protects the nation from all the invasion (external & internal), the second feeds the nation! Unfortunately, before and post Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri's rule, none of the Prime Ministers of India have really bothered about these two sectors in the real sense... while Defence Expenditure have been increased because of neighbouring countries aggression since 1947, sadly, the Agriculture Sector Expenditure has seen drastic drop as decades have vanished in oblivion...

Farmers are the orphans the nation always ignores but farmers' community also happens to be the LARGE CHUNK of MEAT for everyone to exploit and suck the last drop of blood from their bodies - from greedy corrupt politicians to corporate companies (fertilizers, pesticides, seeds, farm machinaries etc) to moneylenders, micro-finance and banks (giving loans to buy all the lavish items like motorcycles, tractors, Dish TV etc) to the media (to encash and highlight farmers' suicide without really writing about the ground realities) ... well, till the last drop is sucked from their poverty and selfless act to feed the nation... everyone seems to be busy with various plans of action!

Irrigation Infrastructure takes decades to remain INCOMPLETE, faulty government policies make sure that MSP of various crops are kept so low that farmers will never be able to come out of the debt cycle, the market lobby along with the government make sure that during sowing season the rates of the seeds, fertilizers and pesticides are raised by creating the artificial shortage, and in the name of Economic Growth their fertile lands are grabbed by everyone, water which should actually go for irrigating farms are diverted to private thermal power projects and heavy industries by government... and if this is not, even the nature doesn't leave the farmers with its swinging moods - either there is heavy rainfall or else drought...

So what does an orphan do in such a situation? Succumb to suicide?

The selfless act of the farmers' community to grow food grains and cash crops for the nation in extreme conditions - be it heavy rains, hot sun, high and low temperatures... they forget about their family's hunger to work for the nation... BUT... what does the Nation gives in return to these selfless hard working community? 

No water to irrigate their farms;

No electricity supply when there is the real need to operate their pumps to irrigate their farms;

Suicide;

Debt Trap;

No proper godowns to store the food grains (as billions worth food grains are allowed to rot by ministry);

Improper MSP for crops by government;

They have to sell their wives (in Bundelkhand in 2009) to feed their children;

No Pension for their efforts till the ripe old age of 75 plus;

Their fertile lands are grabbed in the name of economic growth;

No proper Medical Aid;

No proper education for their children;

No alternative of employment during off season of farming;

Anti-export policies;

No proper subsidy;

Well, life of a farmer is certainly not a rosy one in our nation, a nation that is supposed to be dominated by the Agriculture as near about 70 per cent of the population live in the rural India... just like an orphan who is often thrashed by anyone and everyone in the society, the farmers' community have really no one that will stand for them to benefit in the real sense... everyone exploits them to benefit out of them!

It is certainly high time the NATION should take due notice if it wish to secure the future of today's generation... because the future ahead is heading for a big catastrophe with:

No Sufficient water;

No Sufficient fertile land;

No Farmers to grow food ( as farmers are quitting farming for better pastures);

No Sufficient Natural Resources will be left;

Farmers are the orphans that needs love, care and every help possible that should make this wonderful laborious community to keep growing food for the nation... by supporting them and their families... and not exploiting them for the greed!

रोटी का पेड़

(English translation is given below the Original)

"माँ!
जैसे होता है आम का पेड़,
क्यों नहीं होता है वैसे 'रोटी' का पेड़?"

"मैं क्या ज़ानू बेटा,
बनाया क्यों नहीं भगवान ने ऐसा कोई पेड़!"

"होता!
तो कितना भला होता ना
हम गरीबों का माँ?
जब कभी लगती भूख मुझे,
फट से एक तोड़ कर खा लेता
और पेट भर जाता अपना! (मुस्कुराते हुए )
तुमको और हर माँ को
होता फिर कितना आराम ना माँ?"

"हाँ मेरा प्यारा भोलू,
अच्छा ही होता
गर रोटी का पेड़ होता तो!"

"चूल्हे के धुऐं से कैसी हो गयी है
तुम्हारी सूरत माँ!
कितना कष्ट होता है तुम्हें
माँ रोटी बनाने में!

बोलो ना माँ, बोलो ना माँ,
क्यों नहीं भगवान ने बनाया
रोटी का पेड़?"

"भगवान को शायद पता था,
कि किस तरह अमीर
छिनकर सब कुछ हमारा, शोषण करते हैं!
शायद इसी कारण से, नहीं बनाया
भगवान ने रोटी का पेड़!"

"पर माँ,
हम गरीब तो उनसे कुछ लेते ही नहीं!
बल्कि,
कुछ ना कुछ तो देते ही रहते हैं उन्हें!
फिर भला अमीर क्यों 
छिन लेता हमारा रोटी का पेड़?

रोटी का पेड़ होता तो...
कोई गरीब भूखा नहीं सोता कभी,
कोई भूखा नहीं मरता दुनिया में,
कोई माँ तुम जैसी काली नहीं होती,

हर कोई सुखी रहता!

माँ, तुम भगवान से कहो ना
वो जल्दी से हमें एक रोटी का पेड़ दें!

नहीं माँ, नहीं!" (ज़ोर से चिल्ला कर )

"क्या हुआ भोलू?
क्या हुआ बेटा?" (हैरान हो कर)

"कुछ नहीं माँ!
भगवान से कहना
कि वो हमें ही नहीं
बल्कि,
हर गरीब को एक रोटी का पेड़ दें,
ताकि,
कोई भी गरीब
भूखा नहीं रहे दुनिया में!

तुम बोलोगी ना माँ,
बोलोगी ना माँ भगवान से?"

(आसूँओं से भीगे नयनों ने अपने पाँच वर्षीय भोलू की नादानी से
माँ का दिल पसीज कर रख दिया! भोलू तो रोटी खा कर सो जाता है, पर माँ?)  


--- स्वरचित ---


CHAPPATI TREE

“Mother
Like there is Mango tree
Why there is no Chappati (Indian bread / Roti) Tree?”

“What do I know son,
Why God didn’t make such a tree!”

“If there were
how wonderful it would have been Mother
for the poor like us?
Whenever I would be hungry,
I would just pluck one to eat
And my stomach would be filled! (Smiling)
You and all mothers
Would be in so comfort no Mother?”

“Oh yes, my lovely Bholu,
It would be so nice
If there were Chappati Trees!”

“With the smoke of the firewood
How your face have become Mother!
To make chappatis
You have to work so hard Mother!

Tell me Mother, tell me
Why God didn’t make Chappati Trees?”

“Guess God knew very well
How the Rich
Have snatched everything we own to exploit us!
Maybe for these reasons
God didn’t make Chappati Tree!”

“But Mother,
We Poor don’t take anything from the Rich
Instead,
We always give something or the other!
So why
Would the Rich snatch away our Chappati Tree?

If there were Chappatis Tree...
Not even a single poor would sleep hungry,
Not even a single human would die of hunger,
No Mother would be dark complexioned like you,
Everyone would be content!

Mother please tell God
To give us one Chappati Tree!

No Mother, NO!” (Shouting aloud)

“What happened Bholu?
What happened my son?” (Anxiously)

“Nothing Mother!
Tell God
That He should not only give us one
But also one tree to every Poor
So,
Not even a single Poor
Would remain hungry in the world!

You will tell na Mother,
You will na Mother to God?”

(With teary eyes Mother’s heart is broken with her five-year Bholu’s innocence!
Bholu goes off to sleep after eating but Mother?)

--- Johnny D ---

SHRADDHA AUR SABURI – DEVOTION AND PATIENCE

These are two of the most invaluable words that was often used by Sai Baba of Shirdi... we humans often tend to have lovely ‘devotion’ towards God but ‘patience’ is something we often tend to lose in the most trying times. I have often wondered each time I visit Shirdi... to see hundreds of devotee losing their ‘patience’ the moment they enter the temple premise, pushing and shoving while in line for a darshan... strange are also the ways of God for making us like this... even I lost my ‘patience’ when things didn’t happened after repeated attempts... yes, it is a frustrated feelings that overcome our level of ‘patience’.

But if you trust in God, whoever you worship, and are devoted... it is ‘patience’ that will see you through the most trying times... needless to say, it is frustrating at times, but no matter what, one should not lose faith in God... HE will make you reach where you belong at the perfect time decided by HIM and only HIM... as often we have heard the lines that we are mere ‘puppets’ at HIS will... The journey of destiny has seen me going through ups and downs, blissful moments and depressions, happiness and sadness... ever since this phase of mine started on the 12^th of March 2010 as destined... so long, things have been trying at times and at times I did wonder as to what I was doing here in Vidarbha... thoughts!!!

It was last June that I started my efforts to register the Trust along with two beautiful friends – Swapnil Barai and Tejal Rajyagor... it took me six months just to keep collecting various documents needed... and on the 20^th of December 2010, I finally submitted the form... each time a ‘date’ was given, I used to hope things to move... but...dates after date... things were just not moving... it took exactly a little less than a year to finally get the Trust registered... on the 1^st of December 2011, finally I was given the Trust Registration Certificate by the Assistant Charity Commissioner Mr. PP Sharma... He wished me all the best in life and was very kind to enquire about the movement... here, I wish to thank Mr. Gunvant Kalamb from the office for being a kind help and also the previous official Mr. Thool and all the staff of the office from the bottom of my heart. I am truly grateful to everyone who has helped me with their kind support and invaluable help all through this lone journey... Blessings of Sai Baba and my (Late) Mamman Mrs. Pratibha Jaiswal – she adopted me as her son and gave me all the love to this orphan – have been my strength all through to believe in what I am here to do is the will of Sai Baba.

Sandipta Dhar, a friend who I met on Facebook has played a perfect guiding force ever since we have known each other. Even though she is based in the US of A, we connect through mails regularly to discuss various things about the movement. Blessings from my English teacher Mr. KK Roy Choudhury and great friend Agith Antony,  Sandip my paperwala in Ambernath, the faceless numerous Indians on Local Trains from Ambernath to Dadar & Dadar to Andheri – and from the streets of Bombay – Andheri (W) – Bandra Linking Road & Thane, Jaya Bhattacharya, Sameer Gambhir, Anita & Kushal, Naresh, Meghana Shetty & Suresh Mistry, Aravind Chandrahshekran, Preeta Rao, Devesh Sharma, Akshay Kulkarni, Madan Patil, Raju Mishra, Sukhinder Bagai, Anandita & Ravi Malik... Swapnil Barai’s whole family’s strong support and great help, the 20 Beautiful Angels who have supported me financially... Amrita Vardarajan, Sagar Barai, Sarika Barai & her friends at Jamnalal College Bombay... and many angels who flew from various parts of the world... be it Parull Gossain, Sanjiv Chabbria, Vijay Beleri, Tarana Masand Rajpal, Aruna Ram Kumar, Uma Iyer, Deepa Nair, Swati Balgi, Arul Kennedy, Dr. Nigam (Shraddha Nigam's father) and family, Nitin of Glamsham.com, Anupama Naigaokar and family (they adopted me last year as their son)... my lovely and kind landlord Mr. Vaidya and family, Sheba Thayil... the blog followers and readers from all over the world, my FB friends... well, the list is surely going to get longer... please do forgive me if I have missed your names... each one of you has been and will always be THE great part of the journey of destiny...

Certainly when I started the journey all alone... I never did realize so many angels will fly to become part of my destiny... people who I have never met, have come to become such good friends and their undying support for the movement has made all this possible... I am just the medium to act on the will of everyone’s destiny’s act... Yes, the blessings of all the villagers I have met and interacted during all these months have given me the required strength to keep moving slow and steadily... I have put in and will always put in the best of the best efforts in trying to make few lives of the poor villagers of my beloved nation better till the time this body will allow me to do... this is a very-very long journey before we achieve something better... but I know my Sai Baba and my Mamman will see me through this journey of destiny.

Last but not the least, I wish to add my Australian friend Lan Christine Parks and all the cast and crew of DESTINY’S WEB, who are helping me with my first international film as a scriptwriter in Australia.

The “Journey of Destiny” continues...