Subhash Palekar
| Subhash Palekar | |
|---|---|
|
Subhash Palekar | |
| Born |
2 February 1949 Maharashtra, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation | Agricultural scientist, farmer, author |
| Known for | Philosophy, Natural farming |
| Notable work | 'Holistic Spiritual Farming' |
| Website | palekarzerobudgetspiritualfarming |
Subhash Palekar is an Indian agriculturist who practised and wrote many books about Zero Budget Spiritual Farming. Subhash Palekar was born in 1949 in a small village Belora in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra in India, and he has an agricultural background. He practised Zero Budget Natural Farming[1] and didn't use any chemical pesticides to cultivate. He conducted many workshops all over India.He was awarded India's fourth highest civilian award the Padma Shri in 2016[2]
Education and profession
He was educated in Bachelor's Degree in Agriculture at Nagpur. During college education he was working with tribals about their problems in Satpuda Tribal region. In 1972 he joined his ancient agriculture with his father. His father was a natural farmer. But after learning chemical farming in the college, he started chemical farming in his farm. While practising from 1972-1990, he was writing articles in media also.
He was attracted to the philosophy (Indian ancient thinking) of the Vedas, Upanishads, and all ancient Granthas. His Spiritual background inspired by Saint Dhnyaneshwar, Saint Tukaram & Saint Kabir. He was searching for the absolute truth. Meanwhile, He studied the Gandhi and Karl Marx and done their comparative study. Then, he found that Karl Marx's thinking is not so near to the truth as of Gandhiji. He found that Gandhiji's philosophy is much closer to truth - the "Nature". Marx has denied the nature's owner ship law. When he heard that, in Russia during Communist movement, thousands of farmers were killed then, he was affirmed to no alternative to Gandhiji’s philosophy, based on truth & non-violence. Great Indian personalities like Gandhiji, Shivaji, Jyotiba Phule, Vivekananda and Tagore had built up his thinking infrastructure towards absolute natural truth and nonviolence (Satya & Ahimsa). Since 1972-1985, while practising the chemical farming, his agricultural production was continuously increasing. But, after 1985, it started declining. He was surprised that, if he is following the technology of chemical farming i.e. Green revolution totally, then why the production was decreasing? After searching the causes for three years, he came to the conclusion that, Agriculture science is based on the false philosophy.Some thing is wrong with Green revolution. Then he had started searching alternate technology to chemical farming.
New beginning
During college life, when he was working in tribal areas, he studied their life style and social structure. He had studied the nature system in the forests. He was surprised, that, in the forest, there is no any human existence and assistance. So also, there are enormous fruits to the big trees of Mango, Ber, Tamarind, Jamulum, Custard Apple, Neem, Moha every year in famine also. Then he started the research on the natural growth of those forest trees. During 1986-88 he studied the forest vegetation. He found that, there is a self developing, self nourishing and totally self-reliant natural system in the forest, by which all the vegetation and ecosystem is existed without any human existence. He studied that natural system and verified those natural processes of the forest on his farm for six year, since 1989 to1995. There were about 154 research projects during this six year’s of research work. After six years of verified research work, he got the package of technique about Zero Budget Natural Farming; Which he is giving to the farmers throughout India by means of continuous workshops, seminars, his books in Marathi, Hindi, English, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil languages and by those of thousands of models farms established throughout India.
Since 1996-98, he was involved in an editorial team in Bali Raja a renowned Marathi Agricultural Magazine in Pune, Maharashtra. But, for enhancing the speed of the movement, he resigned in 1998.He wrote 20 books in Marathi, 4 books in English, 3 books in Hindi. All the books in Marathi are to be translated in all Indian languages. Now, his movement has attracted the attention of media, politicians and thinkers towards the real problems of the farmers and rural economy. Now they believe that, there is no alternative for stopping the suicides of the farmers except Zero Budget Natural Farming. And they also believe that, to available the poison less food to the human being, only way is Zero Budget of Natural Farming.More than 30 Lacs farmers throughout India are practising Zero Budget Natural Farming in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnadu, Kerala, Punjab, Hariyana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Gujarat etc.
Awards
Basava Shri Award In 2005, Sri Murugha Math, Chitradurga of Karnataka state had honoured him with a prestigious award “Basava Shri” given in the name of a revolutionary saint Basava with Rs 1 Lack & Citation. Before him this award was given to Hon. Dalai Lama, Anna Hazare, Vandana Shiva, Medha Patkar, Gaddar, Shabana Aazami.In 2006, Karnataka Rajya Rayat Sangha, a Farmers Union in Karnataka had honored him by Bharat Krushak Ratna Award.
Gopal Gaurav Award In 2007, Sri Ramachandrapuramatha, Shimoga of Karnataka felicitated him Gopal Gaurav Award at the World Conference on Indian Cattle Breeds.[3][4]
References
- ↑ http://www.atimysore.gov.in/PDF/action_research1.pdf
- ↑ "Venkaiah Naidu congratulates farmer on winning Padma Shri". Indian Express. 25 January 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
- ↑
- ↑
http://palekarzerobudgetspiritualfarming.org