A single mother empowering farmers in impoverished areas of West Bengal
When I was a kid, I spent most of my time with my mother on dhaan (paddy) and sarson (mustard) farms. I'd watch her meticulously plant seeds, replant damaged crops and water them everyday. She worked hard. Yet, there was not enough money at home.
I was married at 16. Within two years, I seperated with a son to look after. And soon after, I was diagnosed with severe asthma. I had to use the inhaler 8-10 times every day.
My parents supported me but who can stop the community from talking? People spoke about my failed marriage and the criticism was harsh. I had no hope, nothing to look forward to in the future. I was completely depressed.
When you are depressed, even you don’t know how much the situation around you worsens. I was failing as a daughter, as a sister and worst of all, I was failing as a mother. It was a vicious cycle as those negative thoughts and my asthma problems made me feel even more depressed.
Finding my feet
It is then my brother asked me to do The Art of Living Happiness program. My breathing got better after the sessions. Slowly, the past began to blur and I started looking forward to life. I found my long-lost passion for farming in the Art of Living’s agriculture trust and started teaching their natural farming workshops to farmers in remote locations in Bengal. As I reached more and more farmers, I realized that not much has changed for farmers since my childhood days when farmers had little water and little earnings. I met farmers near India- Bangladesh border with earnings as little as Rs 40/month.
Farmers spend so much money on water to sow the crops despite not having enough water to bathe. We have proposed a new model where instead of paddy which is a water-intensive crop, we are training them to grow vegetables. This will help them grow more crops and help them earn more money.
I’m planning to take this model to more villages like Lakikantapur in Banga. Even now when I think of the farmers toiling so hard in the sun, I get goosebumps. It makes me emotional sometimes but my purpose gives me strength.
Some farmers find it hard to change. And I understand because change involves risk. But we explain the benefits of natural farming, especially the amount of money that can be saved. There will be fewer crops for 1-2 years but after that, the soil will become better and the crop quality will increase a lot
Helping more and more farmers has become my much-treasured mission.
A life of gratitude
As I have pursued this mission, my personal life has also undergone a transformation. From having nothing, today I am earning a respectable income. My son is going to a good school, learning spiritual values and I am reconstructing the old home that I lived in. But more than that, I got a large family, something to look forward to, a cause to work towards.
I attribute this to Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and The Art of Living. Gurudev has inspired me to serve society. And The Art of Living has given me an avenue to fulfill my purpose.
People praise me because I faced depression and now I am empowering farmers. I’m grateful for the praise but I see it differently. Only when you know the pain of hunger, do you appreciate and value even a morsel of food. I had that pain and I valued everything that I got from The Art of Living. Now I want to help everyone like me and give them the same choice, the same happiness.
- Baby Das, Trainer, SSIAST (Sri Sri Institute of Agricultural Sciences & Technology)
As told to Suraj Duseja
Story source: The Art of Living Bureau of Communication
