8 February 2024, Pune: The Art of Living’s Farmer’s Meet witnessed a historic gathering of 10,000 farmers, 500 sarpanch and heads of villages who expressed their gratitude for the change and abundance in their lives brought through the work being done by The Art of Living for the farmers of Maharashtra. More than 10,000 tribal farmers have been trained around Sambhaji Nagar District, Maharashtra in natural farming and sustainable agriculture, making them self-reliant. The project found mention in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Mann Ki Baat show as well.
Global spiritual leader and humanitarian, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar expressed urgency in resolving the issue of farmer suicides in the state. "We have to stop farmer suicides. We have 500 sarpanch present here. I request you to make sure, not a single farmer should be depressed in your village. I appeal the Government of Maharashtra also to take this forward- that farmer suicides will not be allowed to happen anymore. Our volunteers will work with you for this. If you see even one farmer is sad or stressed, stop and talk to them. Ask them what is bothering them? We should tell farmers, if you want to give your life, give your life towards the nation’s welfare. This is what Art of Living does- helps clear the mind of the poison of negativity and adds renewed purpose to life." Gurudev also appealed to village heads and parents in ensuring youth and children stay away from addictions and alcohol. Gurudev pointed out that if the farmer is unhappy, the consumer of the food he produces will not be healthy either. "We need to raise waves of devotion and happiness like there was during the times of Sant Tukaram and Namdev."
In its efforts to bring about holistic rural development in the state, The Art of Living is also implementing natural farming, training thousands of farmers, in more than 1.3 million hectares in Maharashtra, under a recently signed MOU with the Government of Maharashtra. And it doesn't stop there, they are also facilitating a direct market for their produce, eliminating the middleman thereby resulting in increased profit margins.
The Kisan Basket launched today at the event, allows consumers to connect directly with farmers by subscribing to produce baskets.
The benefits of natural farming are multifold. "With Gurudev's inspiration, I have been practicing natural farming for the last seven years," shared Kishor Thorat, farmer from Maharashtra, "With mixed cropping, now I determine the rate of the fruits and vegetables I grow naturally. In 1 acre of land, I am growing 28 types of fruits and 40 types of vegetables. I am earning profits around Rs. 7 lakh a year." Another farmer trained in natural farming, Dattatray Dumar from Dhumalvadi village, Faltan is selling the fruits he grows all over India, Dubai and UK. Also, since they are all organic produce, no money is wasted on chemical fertilizers.
Also present at the event, popular Marathi actor and environment activist, Sayaji Shinde shared, “Today in Gurudev’s presence I have experienced how work happens successfully when we work with a positive mindset,". He also encouraged everyone to plant at least 500 trees saying, "only trees deserve celebrity status."
Sarpanch, Hiwre Bazar and Padmashree awardee, Popat Rao Pawar also spoke about the need to keep the soil healthy. He said, chemical free farming alone can ensure our future generations stay healthy. "If we want the Ram Rajya we had in Treta Yug, then we will need to implement the vision of Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and take natural farming everywhere."
The Art of Living Social Projects & Govt of Maharashtra-MNREGA signed an MOU taking the JalTara project forward. Also present on the occasion were Shri Mangesh Chivate, OSD to Maharashtra C.M; Rahul Gethe, OSD to Maharashtra MNREGA Dept and Mrs. Sanjana Ghopade, Deputy Secretary-EGS-MGNREGA.
Under Art of Living's JalTara project, 45,500 Jaltara recharge structures have been constructed in 115 villages in just 2 years benefiting lakhs of people. JalTara recharge structures are 4x4x6 recharge structures filled with sand, gravel and rocks so water flows, percolates and recharges groundwater, preventing flooding, reducing erosion, and maintaining nutrition in the soil and protects the crops of the farmers. Water tables have improved by 14 feet on average; farmer incomes have increased by over 120% on average and crop yields have improved by over 42%.
