The 134 battalion of CRPF here at GLA college ground today celebrated its maiden Kissan Sammelan cum Beej Vitran function to mark the National Farmers’ Day. A gathering of 60 farmers attended this simple but impressive function of the CRPF here.
Stating this Commandant of the 134 battalion of CRPF AD Sharma said, “Our IG CRPF Sanjay Anand Lathkar is the driving force behind this interaction and interfacing of CRPF with the farmers of Palamu. The IG asked us to sit with the farmers. We did the same here today. We heard each other.”
“Back in our six camps where CRPF companies have been deployed like Dagra, Chak, Manatu, Taal, Kooh Kooh Kalan and Harihurganj, our jawans there are doing shramdan with farmers in their fields and doing works like weeding out non palatable grasses in the field or are leveling the fields as part of their shramdan,” said Sharma.
“With this shramdan, we want to convey that security forces toil as hard as the farmers and both can do a lot for our country” he added.
Sharma said, “This function is under civic action plan for the year 2018-19. This is first of its kind. Farmers have never so descended on this battalion ground here in the past as they did today. It makes us repeat our most trusted slogan Jai Jawan, Jai Kissan.”
One farmer participant Saryu Pd Yadav of Chak said, “I just never believed CRPF would be so standing with us like this. It is drought time. My paddy is wasted. But this care and concern of CRPF helps me to stand in this hour of distress with this feeling that there is CRPF standing for us now.”
“We have five components of this farmers’ gathering here. First is the workshop on farming. An agro scientist Dr Ashok K Singh of BAU’s Zonal Research Centre in Daltonganj’s Chiyanki has been roped in to conduct a two hour workshop on farming with this gathering of the farmers.”
“Our second component is distribution of seeds among the farmers. There are seeds of numerous vegetables like lady’s finger, gourd, cucumber, onion, tomatoes, brinjal, carrot, maithee etc. The seeds are of high quality. It was given all free to the farmers here today. Seeds are in various weights from 20 gram to one and a half kilogram also” Sharma said.
This CRPF commandant has this interesting piece to share when he said, “These farmers who have come here today in our head quarter Daltonganj GLA college are of places where our camps are located. These farmers will grow vegetables and other items with our seeds. Once ready to use these vegetables our camps will buy them from these farmers at the market price. There will be no bargaining. This will further cement our bond with the farmers”.
134 battalion of CRPF has given 5,000 in cash to farmers of Dagra village to grow veggies also for their own consumption and for commercial output of it by way of its sale in our Dagra camp, said he.
About the third component Sharma said “Farmers have been shown films and videos of advanced agro activities. It will help them to tap more natural resources for their own agro income” Commandant added.
Fourth and fifth components are soil testing and shramdan. Farmers attending this meet here have brought with them a sample of their soil. CRPF here has arranged soil testing facility. It will enable them to find out what kind of crop the soil is suited for.
“Believe it our cops at our 6 camps have even worked with spade. One who used to carry gun across the shoulder used spade. Is this not a sign for more solidarity with the farmers who are the spine of the country?” he said.
The second in command of 134 battalion of CRPF Arvind Tripathy and his team conducted the whole function. CRPF hosted lunch for the farmers in their traditional manner that is no buffet but plate and bowl full of eateries before each of the farmers.