A Seed Tells
A Farmer’s Story

This is a story told by a seed. This is not a story of the seed but a story of the way farming was done earlier and now. Times have changed and farmers have also changed the way they grow crops.

Tractors have replaced the bullocks for tilling the land. Synthetic fertilizers have replaced organic fertilizers. Farmers are using new varieties of seeds to get better harvest. Farmers are earning more money.

This watercolor painting is made by Ajay Anand

But all of this has come with a price. Farmers are now in debt trap. Environment is getting damaged because of new methods of farming.

Tell

Question 1: Are rotis made in your home? From which grains are they made?

Answer: In my home, rotis are made of wheat flour.

Question 2: Have you eaten roti made from bajra or jowar? Did you like these?

Answer: Once, I was on a trip to Jaipur. I ate bajra roti at a roadside dhaba. I liked the taste of bajra roti.

Find Out and Write

Question 1: In your house what is done to protect grains and pulses from insects?

Answer: My father brings some medicines to put in the container of grains.

Question 2: Which are the different festivals related to farming, celebrated in different seasons? Find out more about any one such festival and write in your notebook:

The name of the festival, in which season is it celebrated, in which states of India, what special foods are made, is it celebrated only at home with the family, or together with many people.

Answer: There are many festivals related to farming, for example: Makar Sankranti, Baisakhi, etc.

• Makar Sankranti is celebrated in almost every part of India. It is called Makar Sankranti in Gujarat, Lohri in Punjab, Sakrat in Bihar, Khicdi in Bengal, Bihu in Assam and Pongal in Tamil Nadu.
• In Bihar, people eat poha and dahi (curd) for breakfast and lunch. They also eat laddu made of til (sesame seeds) on this occasion. They eat khichdi for dinner.
• In Tamil Nadu and other states of South India, Pongal is celebrated for many days. There are different rituals for different days. They make a kheer or payasam (porridge) which is called pongal.
• People celebrate this festival with the family.

Question 3: Talk to elders in your family and find out if there were some special foods cooked earlier that are not cooked anymore?

Answer: There are many lost dishes. Farra or Bagia is one such example. It is called Farra in UP and Bagia in Bihar. This is made from rice flour. This is a kind of dumpling which is filled with a spicy mixture of pulses. This is steamed, so I have compared it with dumplings.

Question 4: Find out about the crops – cereals, vegetables, pulses – that are grown in your area. Of those, is there anything that is famous across the country?

Answer: Many crops are grown in my area, like paddy, wheat, maize and vegetables. But my district is famous for being a big produced of turmeric.

Discuss

Question 1: The bajra seed saw differences in the way Damjibhai and Masmukh did farming (for example, in irrigation, ploughing, etc.) What are these differences?

Answer:

Question 2: Hasmukh said, “With profits from our fields, we can progress.” What is your understanding of progress?

Answer: Hasmukh is earning profit from farming. So, he thinks has can progress. But I think, progress should not come at the cost of environment.

Question 3: What kind of progress would you like to see in your area?

Answer: I want that people of my area should earn enough to live a comfortable life. I want greenery all around. I want a school in my village.

Discuss and Think

Question 1: What can happen to Hasmukh’s farm after some years?

Answer: Hasmukh’s son Paresh is not interested in farming. A time will come when Paresh will leave the village. He may end up selling all his land in his village.

Question 2: Damjibhai’s son Hasmukh chose to become a farmer like his father. Hasmukh’s son Paresh is not a farmer, but a truck driver. Why would he have done so?

Answer: Farming is a difficult task. Farmers rarely earn profit. Paresh does not want to toil in the fields. He wants to earn more money. He thinks driving a truck will help him earn more money.

Question 3: The seeds were not sure that what Hasmukh was talking about was really progress. What do you feel?

Answer: I think that seeds are correct. There are many reasons for this.

• Grains and vegetables from new variety of seeds do not give good taste.
• Farmers have to take loans to buy fertilizers and farm equipments.
• Farmers are falling in debt trap.
• Groundwater is going down.
• Farmers are not growing variety of crops.

So, I think Hasmukh’s progress is not real progress.

Question 4: Have there been any changes near your area, which may be difficult to call progress? What changes are these? What are the different opinions about them?

Answer: Recently, an expressway was built through my area. People say that they can now travel from one city to another within an hour. But this is not progress for me. Earlier, it took me ten minutes to reach my school. Now, it takes me more than thirty minutes because of so many U turns the school bus needs to take. I can no longer go across the road to buy my favourite candy.