Bachannapeta, the Mandal headquarter, was established on 25th May 1985. The mandal is very dry with ground level water at more than 200 ft deep. Cultivation is mainly rainfed. A seed company opened its trial fields in this area with its GMO Bt Cotton. This has not only resulted in easy handing over of farmer’s life line (in the form of seeds) to the company but also destroyed the complete face of farming. Earlier there was lot of crop rotation (multi-cropping) and millets, but now it has been taken over by mono-cropping of cash crop, that too of GMO. Those seeds were available at subsidized rates and were patronised by the organizations at every level. All their rich crops were replaced by Bt cotton. This belt where water has already been sparse, the area was falling in an arid zone with very low rainfall. This had made the situation very grim and more complicated than ever. The Bt cotton crop had destroyed the soil making it barren, decreased crop variety, zipped bio diversity, replaced food production with cash crops of cotton, thus cutting off the food supply, and introduced dependence on seed companies for seeds unlike the earlier situation of saving from the outputitself. Increased vulnerability of monoculture has created a context for debt, suicides and agrarian distress. No wonder, there have been innumerable cases of suicides. This belt has witnessedthe highest number of farmer suicides in the country.The people are generally given to wine and meat consumption besides other debilitating habits.
Bachannapeta appeared on the map of Sri Govind Gau Gram Prachar Yatra and the Yatra bus reached there in the morning hours at about 10’o clock on December 23, 2015. The place being the mandal headquarter receives good traffic every day with farmers, women coming there for different types of works. Since many years it has also functioned as a trading center where people would get the best of the bulls, cows and cattle. The farmers would also trade with their produce in the weekly market. The devotees had tried to take permission for their program from the village sarpanch, Sri Balakrishna. He being of a Communist background was indifferent to the program but nevertheless had given the permission.
The most frequented and crowded spots in the area were wine shops. The devotees therefore parked the Yatra bus right in the middle of the village where there was a wine shop on one side and chilli pakoda mobile stall on the other! The place was bustling with activity right from the morning hours. It was so much so that the devotees thought of accepting the challenge of maya. They thought they would try their best to ensure that the crowd near their bus should outnumber the one at the wine shop. Thinking thus they prayed to Srila Prabhupada and their Gurudev.
Villages are places where there is not much privacy. People know everything that is happening in the next house. It is all like living in a big family. Seeing a new bus enter the village also could not go unnoticed. Not very later, people began swarming around the bus asking all sorts of questions to the devotees. It was an open opportunity for them to preach and they pounced upon it. Even before the program had begun formally, while speaking about the importance of cows and panchagavya products, complete stock of Nirgudi oil (used for joint pains) was over. More than 60 bottles disappeared in a jiffy. The stock was over, but the demand continued.Taking cue from the condition, the devotees began discussing as to what had caused this surge in diseases. They explained them how their ailments were directly connected to the destruction of soil, change in their food habits, change in cropping methods, change in cultivation, change in the number of livestock… and how have these affected their health, bringing a change for worse.
Farmers who were filled with anger against the large seed companies shared their experiences of working with Bt cotton. They shared how one of the pests had become completely resistant to their pesticides and there was no way to control them. They shared how they had been forced to replace the normal crops with cash crops. The farmers were completely frustrated with these ‘developments’. The adverse results of motivated moves of the seed companies had now begun to surface but they did not know how to address the situation. Unfortunately, the damage was not confined to just this. They had far reaching impact. They had destroyed the soil, fodder availability, self-sufficiency in food and seeds. The situation was so bad that even if they were given free cows to serve, they were scared to keep them fearing unavailability of fodder. Mother Cow who holds key to all kinds of problems had herself turned to a liability for them. The devotees were playing the agony aunt for all of them and tried to give them solutions for these problems. The devotees interacted. They began with the establishment of the importance of the phrase – “Produce what you need, and use only what you produce.” They pointed out they could still revert to the growth of millets – divine crops instead of cash crops. It is not in vain that millet crops are called the divine crops. They were suited for that belt, as they sustained themselves on very less water – blessing for arid zones. Further, the complete plant of millet was useful for different entities. The long roots of the millets helped in fixing the nitrogen and increasing its fertility, its top portion supplied food to men and birds and its tall middle portion offered food to the backbone of any economy – Mother Cow. This solved the fodder issues too. From there they moved on to soil revivification, which was closely connected to cow protection. Still not everything was lost. Cow urine and cow dung could still undo the damage of fertilizers and pesticides. It had attracted everybody there, the crowd swelled in size with every passing moment, outnumbering the one at the wine shop. Incidentally there was a big chemical fertilizer shop right opposite to where the Yatra bus was parked. They had been seeing the developments right from the beginning. Filled with anxiety they closed the shop from inside. While this side, new villagers kept joining the crowd. The devotees were telling how they could resort to traditional method of farming using cows and her progenies and how cow was very crucial to their real sustainable development. The devotees soon realized that many press people had come there and were covering them. Even electronic media crew was present. In fact, one TV channel kept requesting them for a talk, which they finally gave.
Jananivas prabhu spoke to the media, beginning with the introduction of Srila Prabhupada, the Founder-Acarya of ISKCON, the golden jubilee celebrations across the world and the role of Sri Govind Gau Gram Prachar Yatra – offering a balanced growth (both materially and spiritually) to the neglected zones, different villages throughHarinam or chanting and reviving of our traditional culture (farming & cow protection). The local TV channel later telecast this program at the prime time, giving a fillip to the Yatra.
Slowly as the evening began to settle, the farmers who had come to the mandal from far-flung villages began to return. There was lesser number of farmers now. Gour Gopal prabhu and Jananivas prabhu rode a bike, driving through different lanes of the village and began making announcement of their evening program and inviting all of them to participate in it. They were clearly announcing how they should not desist from attending the program just because they have taken meat or wine. They announced how just for their sake they had chosen not to organize the program in the temple but at the central open ground. After making repeated announcements on the bike, they returned to begin the program with the sankirtan. The village was in such a state that there was not a single indigenous breed cow present even for performing puja. In the absence of a desi cow, the devotees simply read out the prayer to mother cow to invoke auspiciousness, then beginning with Shikshastakam they set out. Gour Gopal prabhu was again leading the kirtan and the small group of devotees followed him. Though they were putting in their best sincere effort there was not a single new soul joining them, not even children. Their spirits were not be dampened though. Just a difference of a few hours, the situation was completely different – from being surrounded by a surging crowd to none. However, they had seen many miracles happening during the Yatra. And nevertheless they were able to send the transcendental vibration of the Holy Name to every soul’s ear. Finally, the devotees returned to the open village ground, still there was none. The cold was bitter and the carpets were empty. There was fire in the belly and warmth in the heart, but only of devotees. They could see the villagers standing at a distance watching them keenly but not coming close.
The experience of having reached out to 33 villages had made the Yatra devotees very much experienced. They knew all the tricks of the trade. They began fixing the projector and pretending to check out the movie quality. The villagers watched them wide-eyed. Thereafter, they again made the announcement – “Everybody is welcome to watch the movie. We have not chosen Chenna Keshava (the main temple) temple simply because we want each and every one of you to come and attend the program. Do not hesitate. Let nothing stop you from watching the movie.” In no time, there was a good crowd of about 200 people.
A short and crisp kirtan was carried out by Gour Gopal prabhu. Alcohol helped them to throw all barriers of hesitation to wind. They rejoiced the music and clapped their hands in a spirit of joyous abandonment. Then Jananivas prabhu took over beginning with interesting stories from Mahabharat related to the conversation between Yudhistra and his brother Bheem, just when Kali has made his entry. In the course of narrating, prabhu told them about strange phenomenon that Kali purusa had seen and asked its explanation:
- Fencing is eating the crops- what does it mean and why? — leaders
- Cow has been seen eating her own calf. Its meaning and why? — abortion
- Whole elephant being able to pass through the eye of the needle but his tail getting stuck — Kaliyuga who do big scams will not be caught, but those who pay one small EMI are caught
- Pilgrims travelling. One big rock blocking the path. All healthy looking strong looking men are unable to remove it. But one thin man removes it with the help of one thin string. That rock turns to powder whenthrown.— its meaning. This thread is of Harinam in Kali.
- A man puts a few glasses of water but when he putsthe same water back it is much lesser instead of being equal – one father will take care of so many children but all the sons will not be able to take care of one father
They pondered hard to think of its explanations, but could not. As prabhu explained them point by point, convinced they laughed heartily. They clapped their hands in agreement and cheered the speaker at every point, encouraging him to speak further. With this narration everyone could relate to the present situation and most of them were in one predicament or other.
One bearded man who was present right from the beginning of the program and who had one rudraksha beads around his neck, appeared sober. He not only heard attentively but also kept raising his hands in the air in the gesture of joining them in their direction. The devotees thought that there was at least one person who was sober and was listening with full attention and conviction. However, later they came to know that he was totally drunk, more than anyone else present – so much so that he could not even move. Connecting the thread of theMahabharata story, Jananivas prabhu requested everybody to chant the Holy Names of Krishna and Rama to overcome the problems of life. He also demonstrated how to chant the Holy Name on the japa beads and requested them to chant at least one round every day, which would take them just 7-8 minutes.
Then Jananivas prabhu moved to the second topic of agriculture and Mother Cow at the center of one’s life. He again began with a story, this time the story of Lakshmi (the Goddess of good fortune and prosperity) pleading to occupy place in Mother Cow’s body and the sacredness of Mother Cow. He elaborated how the worship of one cow implies worship of all 33 crores of demigods in the universe. The villagers clapped and nodded their heads in agreement.
Building from that pastime, Jananivas prabhu explained how Mother Cow is the source of positive economics. But how we like fools are taking the suicidal move of killing our own life line by resorting to cow slaughter instead of cow protection. He gave the statistics of cow slaughter even in free India. The screening of the two documentaries brought the reality of situation right in front of their eyes not leaving much to their imagination. It was hard to believe that the people, who were completely under the influence of alcohol shed tears of repentance on hearing the agony of Mother Cow on being slaughtered. They pledged to save Mother Cow and take to traditional methods of farming, using bull and cow dung.
This was followed by Maha-arati to the Lordships in which everybody participated with zeal and then there was wideprasadam distribution. The devotees were pleased to see the good response. Suddenly they spotted the sarpanch in the crowd. Till then he had been indifferent to the program right from the beginning, but now he was there amidst everybody. It seems he had been present in the program right from the beginning and was totally impressed. Before the program could be concluded he came forward, expressing his desire to address everybody. He openly supported the cause of the Yatra saying– “Mother Cow does not give milk to just one religious sect, but to everybody. She needs to be protected.” He then appreciated the devotees who had taken the pains to come to their village and spread the message of traditional farming. He also elaborated how the growth of Bt cotton had ruined the face and fate of farming and the farmers. Though he was from a Communist background, yet his open support to the cause of Mother Cow and spiritual dimension of the Yatra lifted the spirit of the Yatra devotees. In return, the devotees gifted him with a copy of Bhagavad-gita, the eternal knowledge, which he happily accepted. Srila Prabhupada once said that Krsna consciousness can establish “communism” in true sense. This was proving true here too.
Srila Prabhupada ki Jai!
Sri Govind Gau Gram Prachar Yatra ki Jai!!
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