Amritsar, March 9, 2022 (Yes Punjab News)
Earlier Punjab brought Green Revolution to make India self-sufficient in food requirements and now it is this agrarian state alone that can bring the everlasting Green Revolution” for a sustainable agriculture for the benefits of the farmers. This was stated by renowned expert on agrarian issues Dr. Davinder Sharma during a seminar on ‘Agricultural Sustainability in India’s Grain Storage and its Environmental Perspectives’ at Khalsa College here today.
The seminar was part of the highlights of the ongoing National Book Trust-sponsored Amritsar Literacy Festival in which Dr.Sharma said the holistic development of agriculture, addressing the environmental issues and increasing the income of the farmers must be the focus of any new policy on agriculture. He called for setting up of the Punjab Farmers Commission to bring the farming out of the prevailing crisis.
Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina, Honorary Secretary of Khalsa College Governing Council while agreeing with Dr.Sharma called for the governments and the society at large to address the issues concerning farming in Punjab. He sought the minimum support price (MSP) to be given the legal sanction by making it a law and to be enforced fully to save the farmers. “Any purchaser paying less than the MSP must be booked and brought to the law”, he said.
Chhina said that farmers have a very important contribution to the nation’s economic growth and apart from the government the society at large must come together to save the farmers and to make this profession profitable by increasing the income of the farmers. Dr. Sharma earlier, quoting statistics on India’s agrarian crisis said that the monthly income of a farmer today is not even enough to raise a cow, then how can he raise his entire family.
He said that the income of farmers should be at least Rs. 30,000 per month. He said that Punjab was at the forefront of the green revolution and farmers contributed immensely in it. But to get the farmers involved, the governments showed a great deal of willpower and played a vital role in building the basic infrastructure for the same.
He said that now the country and Punjab does not need a second green revolution as it would create environmental issues.
However, in order to revive the environment of Punjab, it is necessary to bring an environment based everlasting green revolution. He said that it was possible to bring this revolution and for that the governments would have to shoulder the responsibility of setting up such a huge economic infrastructure.
He said that the farmers are well aware of the problems of burning of straw and depletion of ground water in Punjab and they too wanted a solution to these problems. But leaving the burden of all this on the farmers alone cannot solve these problems.
Earlier, inaugurating the fifth day’s program, Dr. Mehal Singh, Principal of Khalsa College said that as per the rich traditions of this historic College, it has become the center of discussion on the current situation in Punjab. We are providing a platform for scholars from all fields of life to express their concerns so that we can have a vision for a better future for Punjab.
Later Chhina and Dr. Mehal Singh released ‘Qaeda-e-Noor’, a program organized by Dr. Ajaib Singh Chattha of Jagat Punjabi Sabha, Canada. The program was dedicated to mother language Punjabi. Coordinated by Principal Beant Kaur Shahi, the program had scholars like Dr. SS Gill, Ravinder Dhillon, Principal Kanwaljit Kaur Bajwa, Principal (Dr.) Rajinder Singh, Principal Baldev Singh and Satinder Kaur Kahlon. They expressed their views on Qaida-e-Noor and said that during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, this Qaida was distributed in every village to impart education to the people and with the help of the same, the elders of the village used to impart education/knowledge to five persons of the village.
On this occasion, Chhina appreciated members of Jagat Punjabi Sabha for their efforts to promote Punjabi language. Later in the afternoon program ‘Mela Chahun Kootan Da’, the audience was mesmerized by the cultural colors of Majha, Malwa, Doaba and Puadh areas of Punjab, which was conducted in association with Punjab Sangeet Natak Academy. Dr. Atam Singh Randhawa, said ‘Naari Mann Diyan Baatan’ program will be coordinated by Dr. Raminder Kaur, former Head, Department of Punjabi, Guru Nanak Dev University
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