Different Reactions to the Supreme Court’s ban of Endosulfan!

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While most citizens and environmentalists welcomed it, there are some who expressed differing views.  According to the Today’s “Deccan Chronicle” (‘Ban gets mixed reaction’ in print edition), Mr. P. Chengal Reddy, Chairman of the Federation of Farmers Association states that alternatives to Endosulfan are more expensive. 

First and foremost I never heard of this gentleman or of his Association fighting for any of the genuine farmers’ causes.  Like me, he too hails from the state of Andhra Pradesh, where according to Mr. Devinder Sharma, a noted food policy analyst the A.P. Government is aiding the cultivation of pesticide-free crops on over 4 million Acres (1.66 million Hectares). 

Yes, 100% pesticide-free agriculture, horticulture, sericulture and pisciculture is quite possible through cross-cropping and this ancient technique has been in vogue till the Western MNCs started dumping their energy-guzzling (in the manufacture), environment-degrading (both in manufacture and application) and ill-health-causing (both in manufacture and application) Inorganic Pesticides – in the name of Green Revolution-I. 

Mr. Sharad Joshi, the founder of the Shetkari Sanghatana of Maharastra contends that Endosulfan is largely used in horticulture and pulses have been proved to be effective pest killers.  I do not know whether he has ever cultivated either horticultural products or pulses, but I know that pesticide of both can be effectively eliminated with Organic based pesticides / insecticide like plant derivatives of seeds of neem, pongamia, etc. as well as chunks and powder of Turmeric, Karela (bitter gourd), etc. which also provide good nutrition to the crops.

It is high time that our so-called farmers’ representatives leave their A.C offices and arm-chairs and sweat in the field along with the actual toilers of the soil, for their own academic knowledge rather than to teach the farmer how to farm, which they already knew and often forced by the skewed governmental policies influence by the self-centered corporates to use Inorganic Chemicals or been misled by half-baked authorities on agriculture, always ready with their specious defense for the continued usage of harmful chemical fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides, weedicides,  – multinational or otherwise.