Stubble burning and pollution: It is a deeper question of the dignity and identity of farmers
Friday, October 27, 2017 IST
Attempts by a range of agencies to address the issue of stubble burning in Punjab have repeatedly failed. We suggest that this is not only because we’ve missed the key explanation of the problem but also because of a far deeper cultural issue: the question of what it means to be a farmer.
We contend that it is impossible to solve the issue of stubble burning, unless we pay proper attention to the way farming communities are organised, circulate knowledge, and produce value while retaining their dignity. Only when alignment with these cultural values is addressed, can one address stubble burning as a problem of health and environmental damage.
This is not to deny the reality of the stubble burning problem. The air quality in cities such as Delhi is deteriorating with each passing day due to multiple factors including rapid and unplanned urbanisation, increasing number of cars and population growth. This gets worse with bursting of Diwali firecrackers in Delhi and the burning of straw after harvest in Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh. Satellite images and scientific data confirm that smoke from burning fields in Punjab deteriorate the air quality in Delhi in the month of October and November.
This has enabled news agencies, citizen charters, government bodies and the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to find a common culprit – the farmer. Unaware of these developments in the elite quarters of Delhi, farmers in Punjab and Haryana only came to know about the problem when they were threatened with fines and imprisonment. Reactions from farmers ranged from letting the straw rot in one corner of their fields to protesting and defying government regulations.
The question of farmers’ dignity and identity is a common thread in all these reactions. How is it that farmers, who were celebrated as national heroes and saviors of the country after the Green Revolution, are now criminalised and called irresponsible? If they are feeding the nation, isn’t the problem of stubble burning a collective responsibility? Aren’t all of us culprits, then?
Related Topics
Trending News & Articles
While the Uttarakhand High Court has asked to block 857 websites, the Ministry of Electronics and IT (Meity) found 30 portals without any pornographic content.
...
Recently posted . 64K views . 1 min read
The four boys as well as five school officials, including the director and principal, were arrested after the incident. The minors were presented before the Juvenil...
Recently posted . 10K views . 1 min read
Rahul was having an Italian passport and was carrying suitcase full of dollars. Some say it was about was it $2 million.
Rahul and his girl friend was th...
Recently posted . 9K views . 7 min read
True – Tr...
Recently posted . 8K views . 83 min read
More in National
It is seldom advised against keeping certain things within a car on a hot day. The list of no-nos range from a baby or a dog to plants, electronic devices and sever...
Recently posted. 809 views . 1 min read
A new study suggests that it is best to grow a beard, especially if you want to boost your love life and succeed in a long-term relationship.
...
Recently posted. 853 views . 1 min read
As man-made fires scorch the biggest rainforest, Brazil’s Bolsonaro continues to defy climate change concerns
Recently posted. 845 views . 0 min read
Recently posted . 1K views
Recently posted . 1K views
Recently posted . 2K views
Recently posted . 1K views
Recently posted . 3K views . 52 min read
Recently posted . 3K views . 26 min read
Venezuela crisis: Hyperinflation, mass migration, food shortage, increasing number of crimes and grinding poverty has spiralled Venezuela into a deep turmoil.
Recently posted. 1K views . 1 min read
A suicide bombing in the Afghan capital Kabul on Wednesday killed eight individuals and injured no less than 28, officials said, in an assault on a convoy of armore...
Recently posted. 787 views . 10 min read