2011: THE YEAR IT WAS!

The gradual and steady progress ever since I started the movement on 12^th of March 2010, understanding the ground realities, interacting with villagers, analyzing various issues, trying to find simple solutions, generating awareness among the busy Indians and the world, and making important connections all over the globe with some of the very outstanding leading activists of various countries and last but not the least – connecting the world (as many as 90 countries worldwide) through the blog... certainly the year 2011 have been an eventful year for the movement – support 4 suicide farmers families.

Depressions, joy, happiness, sorrows, the dejection, love, hate, pain, frustrations... not even a single emotion has really escaped from my daily life... and yet I had to have a very high level of patience to keep my passion intact and alive, to keep it all above else... for many all over the world, the ‘journey of destiny’ is trying to revive a glimmer of hope and expectations... for me, the every day battle to survive yet another day to keep the hope alive has been a passionate affair with my Sai Baba... who has been sending me beautiful angels from all across the world... reminding me to keep walking... and that HE will always be beside me along with the beautiful departed kind soul of my Mamman (Late Mrs. Pratibha Jaiswal), who adopted this orphan as her own son!

In February 2011, I started the series in my blog – WHAT THE FARMERS NEED? – discussing various important issues that are directly related to agriculture and farmers of the world. I am indeed glad that the local politicians of Vidarbha took notice of the first and the main point – Irrigation Infrastructure – and since February, they have been active to demand the State Government about the failure and completion of various irrigation projects in Vidarbha. I have been in Vidarbha since April 2010 and in the last 11 months (since then) no one had even bothered about the completion of various irrigation infrastructure... irrigation projects in Vidarbha has seen many Chief Ministers come and go since the last 30 long years... many projects are still incomplete and many are just on the papers while the project costs keep escalating to a new high in billions of dollars or crores in rupees... none of the past CMs have completed even one big irrigation projects for Vidarbha.

Needless to say, corruption is very-very high and the will to provide succour to the farmers by providing water for irrigation through efficient infrastructure is lacking big time among our politicians and the ruling government... while all the rivers’ water are diverted for the heavy industries and various private thermal power projects, there are remote villages in Vidarbha, where villagers have still not seen proper drinking water or electricity and are digging wells with bare hands and simple tools... in the age of the 21^st Century, where our corrupt Prime Minister is claiming for stupendous economic growth of the nation amidst 120 plus scams worth billions and billions dollars... who really do we blame for our inefficiencies?

MSP (Minimum Support Price) of various crops too was one of the points that was covered in the series – WHAT THE FARMERS NEED? – and this year, even though Vidarbha saw some protests by various politicians (because of local assembly elections)... the farmers didn’t get the benefits... that they so much deserve! Once the elections were over, all the protests died down... the will to help the farmers of the nation is lacking big time... I often wonder what will happen to the nation when there will be no farmers and no fertile lands to cultivate crops?

Every night I have sleepless hours thinking about the dangerous future that we are heading towards... and none of the leaders of the world are really bothered about it... and so also are the citizen of respective nations. I have to fight bouts of depression month after month, all alone as I have lost many good friends, who don’t have time to listen to or suggest me as to what I should do... the ‘journey of destiny’ is certainly a very lonely journey and only I have to keep walking come what may... as days have turned into months and months are turning into years... I have to smile, cry, make new friends, forget the lost ones and keep working slowly and steadily. At times, I do wonder as to what am I doing here in Vidarbha leaving everything in my life? After all, the demonic myth of farmers’ suicide and malnutrition deaths have been created by the system to milk the billions of dollars... Out of the 1.21 Billion Indians, even if half the population will work for the welfare of the poor... the system will not allow the problems to cease... such is the magnitude of these demonic myth and crisis in the nation. The world may end but these problems are certainly not going to cease on its own or those who are dedicatedly working to achieve the unexpected...

Often I ask Sai Baba as to why at all YOU created such a world... where the poors are exploited, killed, raped, beaten, their houses burnt, their fertile lands acquired in the name of economic growth and every facilities snatched away... I know I will never get the answer from HIM! The only thing I feel so blessed about is that HE gave a new meaning to my life in serving the poor farmers of my nation and to do something worthwhile for the future of the children of today!

After 18 months of struggle and frustrations, finally on the 1^st of December 2011 the movement got the registration of the Trust – support 4 suicide farmers families, wardha – certainly, it is the first big step in years to come by... I cannot express my joy in words and no one will even understand what I have gone through visiting a number of times the office of the assistant charity commissioner of Wardha. I did lose my patience but then as I slowly regained my momentum... the patience was in its place. Devotion and Patience – Shraddha aur Saburi – as Sai Baba always had preached, has seen me growing from strength to strength to keep moving ahead in the ‘journey of destiny’ to face all adversities.

The ‘journey of destiny’ surely is an unending journey and there are many ground works to be done slowly and steadily in an effective manner to achieve great results in coming future... as we all move from one year to another... I must confess without strong financial background... we have certainly covered a very small distance so far... as the years will come by, I will be needing great help from one and all... so that we can achieve some good results... I really don’t know where this journey will take me... but I know that till my last breath I will be working for the farmers of my nation.

From the bottom of my heart, I wish to thank everyone all over the world, who have been instrumental in lending me great help and support to pursue the ‘journey of destiny’. Be it the 20 Beautiful Angels with their yearly financial help or all the angels who have been contributing in their own ways to support the movement... it may be monetary, medicines, clothes, encouraging words or else to make me feel that they are always behind me... I truly appreciate each help that has made this movement build a strong base! Sai Baba bless you all always and forever!

Cuidate :)

AGRICULTURE FORCE OF INDIA - AFI... Cont'd

As we all know that India has been an Agriculture dominated nation with almost 70 % (now 60 %) of the population are still dependent on the unorganized sector. While the nation has grown in leaps and bounds to see the Multiplex-Mall Culture taking precedence with MNCs dominating to milk the nation's economy, the Agriculture sector has deteriorated from bad to worse. All the factors leading to agriculture have seen or made sure to exploit the farmers of the nation to somehow survive under all circumstances... irrigation infrastructure takes decades to remain incomplete with billions of dollar  spent (God know where all the billions land up), the ever-increasing prices of seeds, pesticides, fertilizers, labour cost, traders' lobby controlling rates of all the crops and not to forget the erratic nature of nature year after year...

All the factors compel the rural population to migrate to cities in search for survival and better pastures... more migration means increase of unemployment escalates and thereby increases poverty to a new high! Every policy, act or law are rewritten to exploit the poor farmers and the sorry state of the unorganized sector is courtesy - the Central Government, the State Government, the Planning Commission, Greedy Rich Corporate Companies and needless to say, the corrupt politicians.

While the poor farmers are pushed to the edge to succumb to suicide (Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharastra, Kerala, Punjab, Chattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat) or else sell their wives (three villages in Bundelkhand, UP in 2009) to feed their children in extreme drought-hit situation - the rich and all the other sectors have benefited at the expense of the farmers' community. The need of the hour, before it is too late, is a well-planned creation of the Agriculture Force of India to benefit and secure the future of the generation today (tiny-tots).

The Agriculture Force of India like the Defence Sector will comprise of various departments

Management

Research & Development

Work Force

Marketing

Production

Storage

Processing

Maintenance & Servicing etc etc

Under each department, various sections will be looked after for a flawless operation and day-to-day functioning... just like it is done in the Defence sector.

This may seem like a foolish dream of mine, but it is high time now to create the Agriculture Force of India to secure the future of the tiny-tots of today before every thing cease to exist... the nation will benefit and even though I know the corrupt leaders of my nation will never dare to think for a long term solution to overcome the problems of the nation, unless it is served on the platter from the Western world with a hidden agenda. Agriculture has to be treated like all the important sectors in a systematic manner for the nation to benefit at large.

Will some country (reading the post) create the National Agriculture Force to secure the future of the coming generation to shape it as the industry of the FUTURE?

I look forward for your reaction... so please send me your feedback... acchaka!

AGRICULTURE FORCE OF INDIA - AFI

CAUTION: If not now, the generation today (the tiny-tots) will be eating each other to survive in coming future, when there will be no fertile land left, water to irrigate or food grains to eat!

The TIME is not so far from all of us HUMANS! BEWARE!!!

"Jai Jawan, Jai Kisaan!" Lal Bahadur Shastri had so aptly coined the tagline for a strong nation!

The only Prime Minister of India that every Indian so wish was still alive to lead our nation once again... sadly, his sudden demise in Russia is still a mystery! Was he eliminated by vested interest of greedy politicians and corporate world or did he really succumbed to his destiny? The Russian cook was held and as per various reports, he was believed to have poisoned (the food) of India's brilliant Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri - the true beloved son of the soil!

For any nation to be strong, its defence forces and its farmers' community should be strong and well looked after! While the defence forces will defend the nation from internal and external aggression / invasion, the farmers will look after the nation's food grains. While the world all over have spend billions and billions of dollars on defence (WARS), ironically, none of the countries have really bothered to spend an equal amount, if not more, on Agriculture or on farmers' needs!

While all those, who serve the defence (army / navy / air force / police) to protect the motherland are entitle for pension after 56 years in service, sadly, a farmer even at the age of 75 plus have to fend for self and his family, while continue growing food for the nation. I have often wondered, while our democratic nation states Equal Rights to every citizen - these two main forces - the Defence and the Peasants - have two different policies by the nation's constitution... so tell me, where exactly is the EQUALITY?

No one, I repeat, no one has ever pointed out this point for two different treatments of the two major forces of the nation. Both the Defence Forces and the Farmers' Community selflessly dedicated their lives to serve the nation (unlike all the other professions) for the safety and betterment of the motherland and its citizen. While the Defence Forces is a well-organized force, the peasants have been left on their own to defend for themselves and at the mercy of nature!

As I have put a CAUTION right in the beginning of the post, it is still not late to build Agriculture Force of India (AFI) for a better secure future for the generation of today's tiny-tots! If the AFI is built or created by the nation's leaders and government, the nation will benefit at large. The AFI will employ all the farmers of the nation, who will serve as the Defence personnel on a monthly salary + perks + privileges + benefits as being provided to the Defence Forces. So farmers will become a collective force under the government, that means - the State will cut on all the middlemen / traders' commission, thereby keeping a check on the prices of food grains / vegetables / fruits and every product associated with agriculture (juices / cereals / jams just to name a few). Unlike the Defence Forces' 56 + 5 Years reserve retirement age, the government can let the farmers serve till 60 + 10 years to be eligible for State Pension!

Needless to say, since farming will be under the State, all the agriculture land will belong to the State. So it will be mandatory for the government to make sure the protection of all the fertile lands. Since farmers know better than all the white-collar planners of the Planning Commission, they can plan and guide better to cultivate and grow respective crops for the nation to benefit. Under the State, proper plan of action for various sectors under AFI can and should be developed by using the expertise of farmers. The AFI can become the force to reckon with, for the the nation to benefit and be secure of the future.

The farmers' community will be too happy if AFI is created to benefit the nation and their community. The farmers can concentrate zealously like any other factory workers or soldiers without worrying about the infrastructure because the State will have to make sure that everything is in proper order just like we all see in Defence Forces - from irrigation infrastructure to seed banks to electricity to harvesting to labour problems to marketing to feeding the citizen of the nation in a healthy manner... once their jobs are secured, their families can reap the benefits for a better future with proper health care, education for children and their lifestyle too, will improve automatically. This way, the State will be solving various problems simultaneously:

Unemployment

Rural-Urban Migration

Eliminate Poverty

Control Rising Prices

Check wastage of food grains -

just to name a few of the major problems haunting the nation's government constantly! Also by checking all the never-ending problems, the nation will strengthen self with a proper Economic Growth in the real manner!

... to be continued...

चमन मेरा / GARDEN OF MY LIFE

(English translation is below the Original)


बिखरा हुआ था चमन मेरा कुछ इस तरह
अहले-दिल में मगर हौसला था हर पल मेरे
पल-पल सिंचता रहा मैंने ज़मीन को दिल से
आज पहले अंकुर की लालिमा ने जन्म लिया है
नन्ही सी, प्यारी सी, उम्मीद की ये नई लहर
चमन उजड़ा सा जो था कभी मेरा दुनियावालों
कल इस चमन में होगी हरयाली जज़बातों के
खिलेंगे रंग-बिरंगे फूल खुशियों के 'डी' चमन में


--- स्वरचित ---
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GARDEN OF MY LIFE

In ruins, such was the garden of my life
My brave heart though was courageous at all times
Every second I irrigated the garden with all my heart
Today the first flush of seedlings originated by
Tender, sweet, this new wave of hope
O' citizen of the world, the garden that was in ruins
Tomorrow there will be greenery of emotions in plenty
Colorful flowers of happiness will bloom 'D' in the garden


--- Johnny D ---
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