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TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN TWO CORRIDORS IN INDIA
On
the 7th of April 2013, I had written an “Open Letter to the Railway
Minister” with the “Simple Solution towards Green Abundance”
On
the 13th of February 2014, I was so-so happy to read in The Times of
India, a small column stating the Railway Minister Mallikarjun Kharge in his
Rail Budget 2014 – 2015 that “GREEN CURTAINS” will be created by the Railways through
landscaping along the tracks. Creation of “Green Curtains” at Agra and Jaipur
stations are being taken on as a “Pilot Project”.
I
cannot tell you all how happy I am and grateful to the Faizabad Farmer Ravindra
Kumar Kewat (grows greens and vegetables adjacent to Guru Teg Bahadur Nagar
Railways Station on Harbour Line) whom I had interviewed on the 15th
of March 2013 to understand the possibility of farmers growing “Greens & Vegetables” all along the
Bombay Tracks! Ravindra Kumar Kewat was kind enough to make me realize that the
simple solution should be Nationalised so as to benefit the nation at large.
And I had promised to him that while writing about him, I shall do as
suggested. That is how I wrote the “Open Letter to the Railway Minister”
providing the simple solution.
A
simple farmer, who barely makes a little money by toiling hard with his family
members thinks about the Nation’s Benefit before his own. Ravindra Kumar Kewat
is an example of a True Devoted India, who loves his country more than his
selfish gains. I am indeed very proud and grateful to the young farmer of India
Ravindra, whom I met as destined to benefit the nation at large. I wish to
thank him and the Railway Minister for acknowledging and starting up “Green
Curtains” along the railway tracks through this blog post.
I
also request to the Railway Minister from the bottom of my heart to implement
more “Green Curtains” throughout the Nation’s Railway Network, so that it
generates more work for the poor landless farmers of India, beautifies landscaping,
there is green abundance in the nation and the Railway protects its land from
the goons and corrupt politicians.
A
WIN-WIN solution for everyone! Thank you so much Ravindra Kumar Kewat! Thank
you so much Railway Minister!
The
Open Letter is reproduced below:
(7th April 2013)
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE RAILWAY
MINISTER:
Respected
Sir,
I
am writing to you this letter with the simple solution to benefit the nation in
totality towards green abundance. The solution will benefit the Indian
Railways, majority of the landless farmers of our nation and the citizen with
fresh healthy greens (saag) throughout the nation and the nation’s economy.
To understand the simple solution, first
I wish to write about a farmer from Uttar Pradesh, who provided me the insight
to suggest such a reality that is simple, effective and possible to make India
proud.
THE CASE STUDY:
Farmer:
Ravindra Kumar Kewat
Village:
Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh
Farming: On a
patch of acres adjacent to Guru Teg Bahadur Station in Mumbai
Family Consists of:
Father:
Working in BMC, Mumbai
Mother:
Housewife / Farm Labourer
Brother:
Working in Merchant Navy
Self: Full
time farming, growing greens / vegetables since the last 13 years in Mumbai.
Wife:
Housewife / Farm Labourer.
Daughter: 2
years young
Farm
Labourers: Four
Monthly Salary
of each Labourer: Rs. 3 to 4,000 /- Monthly + Meals two times daily.
Annual Rental
of the patch of land (1 acre): Rs. 9,000 /- (is given to the Railway Employee,
who has leased the land, as Railways don’t give the land to farmers directly –
the rental for Railway Employees is very-very less as compared to what the
farmers pay the employee who leases the land.)
Farming is
done 12 Months of the Year.
Mode of
Irrigation: Drainage along the Railway tracks.
Urea & Fertilizer are used.
During Summer
& Winter: GREENS: Palak, Pui Saag, Hara aur Lal Maat, Chauli, Raddish
During Monsoon:
Bhindi, Chauli
Yearly income
(after all expenses are taken care of) Rs. 1,00,000 /-
SIMPLE & EFFECTIVE:
When
I was living in Mumbai, I was always fascinated to see farmers from Uttar
Pradesh and Bihar farming in hot sun and monsoon all along the railway tracks,
keeping the area green and clean from local residents along the tracks, who
defecate early morning by farming on
these tracks of land all along the railway lines.
These farmers do wonders, to supply the daily greens at cheaper rate for the
citizen to benefit all along the local markets and local railways stations.
Because
of these farmers, the foul stench of early morning defecation, in many stations
along the Western, Central and Harbour Lines have seen a drastic change since
the last couple of years, all thanks to the dedicated lot of farmers from UP
and Bihar.
I
interviewed farmer Ravindra Kumar Kewat on 15th March 2013 and the
startling revelation made me to write this open letter to you. Ravindra
revealed that near about 90 per cent of the farmers, who grow vegetables are
from UP and Bihar. Majority of them (near about 85 to 90 per cent) do farming
for 8 months and return to village during Mumbai monsoon season. However, 10 to
15 per cent cultivate greens and vegetables throughout the year.
When
I told him I will be writing about him and his hard work in my blog, Ravindra
was very happy and insisted that I should write for the whole nation to benefit
from such an endeavour. I assured him that was my sole aim in interviewing him.
He was candid and didn’t hesitate to narrate the dangers and problems faced by
farmers like him. He said, “We don’t get any security from the Railways. If
Railways provide us security, we can be more effective and can grow more and
more vegetables. Sometimes local goons from the nearby shanties and drunkards
create problems for us. Sometimes, the locals steal greens and on purpose
defecate in fields to create unwanted problems. We have to keep high level of
patience to see all these things happening on and off.”
When
I asked how Railways can help these farmers, he said, “There is no electricity
supply for us and there is no drinking water available. We have to fetch water from
far away. If electricity supply is provided, we can use it to run our pumps to
irrigate the vegetables and our investment will come down. Sometimes some
railways’ employees throw dirty oil in the drains, which makes us to fetch
water from far away to irrigate our land. If these problems are looked upon by
railways, we can grow more greens per acre.”
ONE OF THE LARGEST NETWORKS IN THE WORLD:
As
per Wikipedia: It is one of the world's largest railway networks comprising
1,15,000 km (71,000 miles) of track over a route of 65,000 km
(40,000 miles) and 7,500 stations and as per TOI report: India comes fifth
with 62,658 km of railroad after Canada and China.
Now
imagine the scale and magnitude at which, we, as the nation, with the help of
all the landless farmers can do, if all along the tracks greens and vegetables
are cultivated with the help of Indian Railways.
MULTIPLE BENEFITS:
Indian
Railways will earn huge yearly revenues in billions by leasing the unutilised track
of lands to landless farmers directly (not through their employees).
The
landless farmers of the nation will get to earn their own by working on this
patch of lands, which in turn, will contribute in billions towards nation’s
earnings to simultaneously eradicate unemployment of landless farmers.
The
green abundance will make India as the nation to export greens and vegetables
to various countries to earn foreign exchange for the nation in billions.
The green abundance will feed the nation’s billion
plus population and there will be no shortage of vegetables anywhere in India.
All along the tracks, because of green fields,
beautification of the whole area will be an added feature of Indian Railways
for the passengers to enjoy.
These farmers will also save Indian Railways’
lands that are mostly grabbed by local goons and politicians for vote banks.
The nation will be an example for the whole world
to replicate the model in their respective countries to benefit their citizen
and nation.
Yours truly,
Johnny D
support 4
suicide farmers families
Dhantoli
Chowk
Wardha:
442001
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