D.D. BHARAMAGOWDRA – BADUKU BESAYA
Compiled by : V. Gayathri,
ICRA, Rs. 150
It is difficult to find a ‘representative’ farmer of Karnataka, and some of the farmers’ ‘representatives’ are not cultivators themselves. Bharamagowdra who left this world in January 2016 can atleast be termed an honest and true spokesperson of the Karnataka a farmers. ‘We should empower the plants to tackle drought. Soil and water management are key to their growth,’ was his off-repeated contention.
Publications in Kannada about Agriculture fall broadly into three categories: 1. Technical books, which give you information on new practices, new technology, handbooks, glossaries etc. 2. Monographs of innovative farmers. For instance, the late Devangi Prafulla Chandra, Cherkadi Ramachandra Rao and L. Narayana Reddy and 3. Books written by farmers themselves.
This book however, is different, because it doesn’t fit into any of the above categories. The book is Bharamagowdra’s efforts, experiences, ideas and opinions that have been recorded for over a decade, and edited into the book form.
Bharamagowdra died rather suddenly. The ‘Nenapina Putagalu’ (12 pages, 39 colour photos) offers the reader a peek into his life’s journey. The quality of reproduction of some of the pictures are exceptionally good. Some that remain in the reader’s memory are perhaps one with his daughter at the wheat field, with Medha Patkar, Hagevu, Village view Balli Shenga and several others.
An individual’s work is more important than his/her life. It is apt that the ‘Besaaya’ (Farming) segment here is near;y double in length, to that of ‘Baduku’ (Life).
While the chapter “Naanendare…..’ is brief, the interview (by ‘Sahaja Saguvali’) which runs into 21 pages could have been edited (atleast the interviewer’s own observations).
Agriculture cannot bee done/seen in isolation. His life started in 1948: Only one well for drinking water, four vegetables used in the daily diet, a buffalo as source of milk, pre-Green revolution days, his father’s initiatives in agriculture, how the field operations were related to festivals, selection and preservation of seeds, pulses as chief ingredients in food etc. “Hasiru Kranti Bantu’ is a small chapter – his thirst for change draws him into the revolution, the agriculture department becomes a temple for him, an avid listener of radio lessons for the farmer. In about 15 years, he realises the merits and flaws of his journey.
After incurring losses and search for alternatives, he gets into organic agriculture in 1988. Bharamagowdra’s accounts of his visits to Auroville, Rasulia and participation in “Natural Agriculture, Natural Living’ seminar are particularly interesting.
Bharamagowdra was known for his forthrightness. Read some of his observations: ‘Farmers evince interest but are not doers’, ‘No dept. or scientist has done anything for dry land farming’, ‘Media mention the present financial success of a farmer, not the losses he incurred in the past’, ‘Farmers shift from one cash crop to another, how long this can last? 5-10 years, till the soil becomes good for nothing’, ‘They dig borewells to get rich but commit suicide’ -- these are some of the samples.
In spite of the shortfalls in transcribing and editing, the narrative can be called a first hand account and authentic. There is no difficulty as far as readability is concerned. Bharamagowdra should not be labelled as a model organic farmer – his quest as a dryland farmer is more important, and he wanted to try rainfed horticulture also. He regretted the over dependence of farmers on government.
Multicropping and mixed farming was what he advocated repetitively. His tips on seed preservation are invaluable. By documenting his life and work and also giving it a reasonally good shape, ICRA has done a yeoman service to the farming community of Karnataka.
