Welcome, wherever you’ve come from, as for me I represent the masses – I am the son of the soil, an Indian – true blue. A farmer if you please. I know you come from that part of India that I have heard much of but not experienced. Either ways I accept you with simplicity and humility – I am like any other of my type – subservient to you city boys. Wait, now what is that you open – my heaven, it’s a television with lights flashing and some sort of pad on which your fingers work really fast….I see your going to use that to write what I say. Interesting. Anyways, I have all the time in the world however I know you must have a schedule. ‘What? Of course how could I forget’, you’ve come to write down my thoughts. Ha, My father used to say “A Man’s thoughts reflect his being”. He was indeed a great thinker – but as genes would have it he was a farmer too, and so was his dad and his and so on. I have of course inherited their loss….

It’s a long story – my thoughts are in my eyes – where else in land of a billion can you see ancient eyes! And hands that work each day for a living! You know people covet my profession. It’s the only true and integral profession they say! Honest! You eat your own toil. Ha! It is easiest to think of the grass as green elsewhere. “Im sorry”, “Oh happy?”,well – you have planned your questions quite well city boy, but I must admit, I don’t know if I’m happy or sad; I´d just say I’m used to my circumstances. I mean things could be worse – I could have been a politician. Ha, Yes I see you are laughing with me. You know one thing a hard life teaches you is humour. I choose to use it with sarcasm. Enough of this banter now. Let me tell you about a farmer.

Quite simply. A farmer makes his living in one of the oldest – and yes honest professions - Agriculture. Cultivation. Husbandry. Call it what you want. I prepare the soil, plant seeds – I create new life and sustain it. My god comes from the heavens – but we call it rain. I am blessed with good yield if he chooses to come down to earth. He chooses. I beg. Now come closer, I must whisper this in your ears must he hear this. Closer, “ok so he can be quite wicked and choosy’. You see we are an agrarian economy, and 70% of Indian population resides in villages. Most of this country depends on a good crop. Good yield equals good money equals better life or so they say. And so it is…I am a child of destiny. And so is my kind. In the recent past, thousands of farmers took their lives out of despair. The gods never blinked. I tell you what I think, It is really not a good place to be – where there is no hope. There was a time when we were in deep debt. The landlords and money lenders ruled the roost. I have heard of those times from my wrinkled faced grandmother. Those were the days. Now my children go to school. Deepak and Vishal; my sons; they have aspirations, you see. With choices comes hope. This is what education can do. Although I hope the two of them don’t overdo it. You see you guys blabber about education too much. I think too much of anything isn’t wise. I bet they’d come back to the farm, with their bachelors or masters if they get that far.

I have been brought up in a conservative system and therefore I think that way. We are like a drop in an ocean in society. We learn early to sacrifice our needs for the larger social cause. We have a deep sense of commitment; big families; lack of privacy; we share almost everything. And in our numbers we are not alone. In our togetherness lies our happiness. We have a witness in all that we do. Yeah, I know you envy me. I feel like a well deserved smile. 

So city boy, if you look around my farm you see a whole lot of things that you would not have dreamed of even a decade ago. For instance, the irrigation system and that tractor out there. Looking back, we employ methods that were unheard of even by my father. The farmer is now a capitalist farmer. There is an urge towards modernizing agricultural methods and the media plays a vital role in the awakening of rural India that is sweeping the countryside. All this is good, India is shinning they say as they move along in those loud speaker fixed four wheelers. I don’t believe a word off course – it may be shinning in your cities and in hell but it is not here. 

Speaking of elections, you see my village loves the elections. It is at this time where we are aware of our power. Now who doesn’t like power huh? Tell me? We are the majority, uneducated, unaware and so we cast an ignorant vote. We are gullible. And so we are powerful, the politician comes to our door step with the vestments of hope and a slippery tongue. Clad in white kurtas, gesticulating charity, which his crooked eyes oppose and most importantly he carries the promise of the devil; Education; Tax saving schemes; Infrastructural improvements. 

Of course there are something’s that have been done well; The land ceiling act that put an end to Zamindars and exploitation; Setting up of manufacturing companies to increase employment; that gives us alternate source of income and employment. 

Currently the Indian farming sector employs 40 to 50% of total work force which is a huge strain on the economy. More than 90% of the farming land is still dependent on the unpredictable monsoon rains which I spoke about earlier; this in turn increases the risk of productivity and returns causing huge turmoil in the life’s of the farmers. It is time to mechanise the profession and move a part of the work force to other sectors like manufacturing or smaller cottage industries to bring more stability to the economic well being of the working population. I always maintain that unless you bring economic stability to the working population you cannot dream of a stable economy for a country. As of now, this is our lament; even the positive steps taken have taken 50 years to come to pass and have effect. We are helpless at best, fearful at worst. My fingerprint was made for his devices and the blue ink reminds me of my sin. Yet I feel good. He came to me. Yeah, you heard me right. That patriotic pig, he came to me; with regal stride maybe, but he was dependant on me and that I cherish. Today, we do not know where we stand after helping so many governments come to power. We know that these governments do nothing to undo the age old adage that the Indian farmer is born in debt, lives in debt and dies in debt. You see me smile. I smile for my ancestors and their loss. I don’t have malice in my heart, I don’t have time for it; the average farmer day has no time for the vanity. 

In fact, let me tell you about my day. You’d like to know right? Of course, you have a coy smile there. Boy, don’t you tell me that look has anything to do with pity. Be far away from it.  Each form of life has its joys. You need to learn to find them. And so we do; my mornings start early, out of habit I dedicate it to the gods, my life is practical I work with my kind and hard at that. The heat is uncompromising and the earth unforgiving. I do not complain. We are quite traditional compared to you city boys. In most farmer communities, men and women folk work separately; you see we have different roles and therefore it is also practical besides it being socially correct. And I like it that way – I have a role and play it well. Professional you’d say. For us it’s the only thing that works. As you know we eat the work of our hands. That is one thing we can beat you dainty city boys at. You should see us eat. It is a treat. In the shade of a tree, in a circle; the aroma of lentils and cooked village rice – A morsel the size of your lunch. Eat that! Burp! That’s traditional; it marks true appreciation; A kind of grace after meals.

I see your feeling full; more with my words than anything else. We have that effect on you weary city boys. I know. I guess my story is inspirational to you in a strange way. You desire something I have. But you won’t ever have it I say. Not until you drink of my cup. A cup for which you have no thirst for. With all I’ve said I´d like you to understand more than hear, a farmer is a product of a nation; I represent my country’s thought; its untapped future and its brand; and I do hope you take that back to where you come from. Jai Ho.