labour holds key to one’s and society’s development. Consciousness, talent, emotion, health, spiritualism etc are formed through social labour. Man is at perpetual interaction with his environment and hence takes part in a non-stop socio-cultural churning.
The environment influences the psychic activity of man and makes quick changes in his adoptive system, bringing transformation in his cerebral system.The Australopithecus, a southern and eastern African ape found about 2.6 million years ago, started walking on its two feet in an upright manner because the climatic conditions forced it to do so.Every animal or man therefore tries to adapt with its surroundings.
The evolutionary process proves that every animal or plant within the animal kingdom needs a sound healthy environmental and climatic condition for self-development. Any animal or even plant, if it goes out of the society for any reason, suffers from psychosocial stress and emotional disturbances.
Ecological stresses may be unhealthy environment, scarcity of food, poverty, lack of security, social disturbances and emotional stresses etc. Only because of them, the conflict between man and animal erupts. It is a sort of conflict of interests.Biological problems are created if man is at odds with his environment. The conflict between man and animal is also related with low productivity of land. This creates health problems and social upheaval. Hence, man to be healthy and happy needs to have a congenial environment.
Most socio-biological problems in today’s world are occurring due to loss of ecology. Random destruction of natural ecological systems of country has led to birth of many socio-economic evils.
The reduced biological diversity ultimately brings economic problems and forces the Government to help the socially and economically marginalised sections by means of several sops and subsidies. Economic instability among farmers and consumers invite reduction of production.Grabbing of land of the poor stokes social tension and political instability. It leads to dominance of the strong over the weak.Unemployment, distress migration and labour exploitation are again the other problems created by social and political instability in a society.
Greater demand for food stuff forces society to use chemical fertilizers in agriculture. Similarly, pesticides, herbicides and fungicides etc required for agricultural practices cause environmental pollution and degradation of natural quality of soil and water.
Especially in eco- climatic regions, the water and soil possess therapeutic qualities which are lost due pollution and destruction of biodiversities. For this reason, the pressure on non- renewable resources like fossil fuels and phosphates increases whose stocks are on a course of fast exhaustion. In Odisha, we can now find a number of bald–headed hillocks without a blade of grass. This is man-made.
Recently the Supreme Court of India issued a notice to the Government of India expressing its grave concern on growing trend of farmer suicide and urged the Government to take necessary steps to check it.It has been found that farmer suicide takes place due to failure of crops. Crop failures render the poor agriculturists incapable to pay off debts. Consequently, they commit suicide. According to sources, 45 farmers commit suicide per day in India.
These days the farm man is performing his job like a factory man. It means agricultural works are getting more and more specialised and mechanization is increasingly playing a lead role. All sorts of machineries and firm implements are used massively with a view to boost production.Today one farmer does not do all the works related to farming. There are specialists. No doubt, this is boosting up agricultural production but at the same time, application of a large amount of chemicals, herbicides and pesticides is creating pollution at a bigger scale.
In Odisha and several other States, the agricultural holdings are small where cost of production becomes more as compared to larger holdings. The cost of irrigation, labour, firm inputs, watch and ward is high and hence, in case of small holdings, agriculture remains an unprofitable occupation.
The relationship between man and nature is so intimately established that the man cannot remain away from nature. life would be impossible without association of nature. The primary objective of man or any living organism is maximising happiness.Because in joy does lie the source of vigour and health. Whenever life goes without any purpose and creative work with emotional accomplishment fails to bring satisfactions, tension is created.
(The writer is a former senior forest officer and an environmentalist. Tel no 9937460649)