Coup On Agriculture – Village Life And City Style – 5 [Oxen Discipline in work]

In this context, I refer you one of my childhood experience, which thrilled me like any thing. When I was 7 years old, I visited my grandfather’s house in a village. There my uncle i.e. co-brother to my father who was doing agriculture looked like a hero to me. I felt wonder when I watch him while he was dealing with oxen, ploughs, driving the bullock carts and folk dancing at the temple, every night after dinner. Being kid, I was fascinated towards the life of a farmer.

Every day, he used to go to the fields early in the morning after having buttermilk and rice with lime pickle and onion. My grandfather had two pairs of bullocks. Persons and animals used to work together. Any way in summer and seasonal non working gaps, they used to take rest. So during work urgency situations they used to manage the work with limited rest. In this position, my uncle was working continuously for one weak without taking proper rest and he was making his oxen to work with him.

In this busy work schedule, one-day morning, one bullock out of 4 had reluctant to go to the field. Though he pet it and beat it, it didn’t move and even didn’t stand up. Simply it lay on the floor. When my uncle was forcing it to move with him to the field, my grandfather told him “son. Leave it. May it felt restless? Let it take rest for to day.” Then my uncle tied it in the shed and fed it. He had driven the remaining bullocks to the field to work. Next day also the bullock repeated its reluctant behavior. They called on the veterinary doctor, examined it physically, and observed its movements of taking feed, breath etc. Within 2 days observation they concluded that the bullock was healthy, but showing laziness to work.

My grand father told my uncle to keep the bullock on fasting. They didn’t give food and water to it for two days. I felt that it was so cruel to that animal. But to my surprise on the 3rd day, early in the morning the bullock was voluntarily ready to go to the field, it moved towards the plough, and giving symbolic cries which could be under stand by his master. With its behavior my uncle and grandfather, all other family members laughed at it. They fed it. And pet it. While my uncle was massaging its body, after feeding it with fodder and water, it was rubbing its throat as my uncle’s back and licking his hands to express its affection, guilty and repentance. It was very clear to express its feeling in body language.

When my uncle, grandfather and grandmother were analyzing its behavior, I felt it as a wonder. That day I was accompanied with my uncle to the field. On the way, in the fields, and while working I watched the bullocks enthusiasm, sharpness and work ability. Both my uncle and the bullock enjoyed the working together and co-ordinance in working. The
Co-farmers had remarked this and congratulated my uncle regarding his handlings of work and the animal. I noticed a satisfaction, a bit of proud with achievement in work in my uncle’s face. I thrilled about such feeling and expression in my uncle’s face & I determined to experience such achievement in my career, whatever it is, in my life.

May the so-called ‘animal protective societies’ argue that the above treatment towards the ox was obstruct able. Because these societies have obstructions on cinemas, which shoot horse riding or dogs bark. In such case, how any one can produce historical movies in which the only conveyances are horses and epic movies in which chariot wars are must, we don’t know.

Recently I read about the pseudo kind of these societies on animals. One of such society seezed a pet bear of a beggar’s family, which show small feet’s on road. They sent the bear to zoo and filed case against the poor beggar’s family. They shown mercy and kindness on the animal and forgotten the same on poor people, as well they forgotten the psychological problem of the animal in the zoo. Since years, it was habituated to certain life style with the nomad family. And it had certain bondage with those family members.

The society didn’t consider all of this, only they were particular about their publicity and sensation. If they were sincere towards the spirits of their society i.e. humanity or kindness to animals etc. ambitions of their society, they should have to think about the life food of that poor family. By leaving their co-human beings to hunger death, what was the love and affection that they could show on other animals and birds? In this opinion, Sri Swami Vivekananda supports me and you can refer it in his writings, “Letters to his disciple”.

And one more thing I can tell you that such pseudo societies have no minimum touch regarding love and affection of animals. That’s why only they were not able to understand that how much grief that the pet animal could experience when it was departed from his master. This I can say with practical experience. Because, since my child hood my family had cows, buffalos, dogs, cats, hens, lovebirds, and pigeons as pets, and few months I had a tortoise and a squirrel as pets.

I refer this, to explain the pseudo practice of some of the societies, but I’m not saying that all of the voluntary societies are practicing pseudo-ism. By leaving this discussion here, I’m turning again to the topic of farmer life.

Coup On Agriculture – Village Life And City Style – 4 [Farmers’ friendship with animals]

In agriculture, the co-operation of animals was must for the farmers. To kill the rats in the fields snakes were needful and in house cats were needful. To protect from the snakes, dogs were needful. To plough the fields, to carry the crops, bullocks and buffaloes were needful. To have milk, cows, she-buffaloes and goats were needful. To plough with oxen, it was tedious, time taking process.

By the tractors we can plough the fields with more efficiency and fast. To run the tractors, we need petroleum products for which we have to dig and hallow the earth. And in exchange, tractors are warming the earth, filling the smoke in the atmosphere. In the case of oxen, their fuel was only grass, they filled earth with their dung and fertile the soil. More over they love human beings and to do work with such talk less animals with co-ordination, we could enjoy the nature and divine love, and we could experience the real joy of working.

Here I’m not opposing the usage of machinery in agriculture. I know its advantages. I know that if we didn’t adopt mechanization, there will be the deficiency of food to this high population of the world. But I’m referring the divine love of animals that how much we are missing by the way how much distance we moved from the nature. Though we use tractors and bikes, for the sake of experience of affection and touch with native, why don’t we maintain the bullocks and horses, at least in minimum probability?

When I was 7 years old, I had gone to my grandfather’s house in a village. They were farmers in the village. There I had observed village life which had strong influence on me as per my memories. When our vehicle entered in to the village by crossing a small bridge on a water flow i.e. small stream, the servant of my grandfather noticed us. When we reached their house, immediately he followed there to attend his master’s guest. He didn’t wait for the call from his master. That was villager’s sincerity towards their work.

In return they used to take crops at the time of Sankranthi festival, after thrashing. Same case with every other service in those villages such as washer of clothes, tailor, doctor, barber etc. As per my father’s and mother’s information regarding their childhood, the services of all above tailor, weaver etc. throughout the year, they used to enjoy and the payment was through crops after thrashing at the time of Sankranti festival. At the time of festivals of crops i.e. Sankranthi from farmer’s houses, all other professional people could get their shares against their services to the farmers through out the year.

This barter system could keep the people beyond the pollution of money. Because, there was no immediate result or income, their relations were beyond the limits of money and with in the boundaries of co-operation, and bondage. At the time of crops sharing, the bamboo go downs in front of houses of every villager would filled with grains which were more than sufficient for their food all through the year. Such that the socialism was under current in the life style of Indians villages.

At the time of crops sharing, the other professionals i.e. service oriented of the village and artists like Hari Kadhakulu, Poojaries, dancers, musicians, Haridasas etc used to praise the farmers as Annadata, that means donor of food. This made the farmers to feel satisfaction and proud regarding their profession and motivate them towards more commitment of cultivation. The scholars, intellectuals used to bless them, which had served the same purpose. As well the farmers used to praise the co-operation of other service people. It leads them to improve their unity in life. If any in-satisfactions in work, in-services, the entire corrections also would take place at that time.

Totally, every body should have broad mind and work mind. The service oriented people used to refer the farmer as “You are the kings and able to harvest the crops. You should be broad while sharing the crops towards our service.” With such delicate restriction, the farmers used to think as “who were there to govern the other villagers and without their service, how could we cultivate the fields? Their service was ours and our crops were liable to them.”

Where are such feelings in villagers and farmers now? I’m not saying that people should not have self respect. And this is not the matter of self-respect. This is the matter of bondage, co-operation, co-ordination, unity, affection and mutual respects. Whatever the professions, whatever the money and service exchanges, instead of barter system among different sections of people, are there such affections, respects and harmony in the society now? Though we develop in to modern systems, mechanical systems, why should we drop out our natural human characteristics, feeling etc.? Can’t we manage the development and humanity in parallel?

Coup On Agriculture – Village Life And City Style – 3 [an elder child education]

In the villages, the life of farmers was full of occasions and festivals. From childhood, the farmer’s children could learn the agriculture. In their student hood, their education was ‘Pedda Bala Sikshaw’ i.e. ‘an elder child education.’ In that, they used to learn how to write, how to read, how to account the things, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division etc. mathematical operations, average, ratio, or interest etc. calculations, the surrounding science, science of time i.e. Panchangam basis of Natural science & Biological science and certain extent of astronomy and astrology.

They used to learn how to read and under stand stories, and issues. They used to learn how to read and under stand people, neighbors, people, society and kings or rulers administration. That’s enough. Their primary education was completed. After that they used to start some professional education. Naturally, it was their ancestral profession such as profession of their cast. They used to adopt the parents profession such as farmer’s son took agriculture, potter’s son took pot making and carpenter’s son took wood work etc. in fact this was the gradual evolution of profession, possessing by birth of the person i.e. caste, from the situation of profession, possessing by the virtue or character of the person.

The present generation i.e. of 25 to35 years aged of poor farmers, farmer coolies and other poor professionals are like deceived people by both modern and traditional education. Most of the poor farmer coolies and other professionals like fruit venders etc do not know the minimum calculations and multiplications in their trading. This was result of removal of education of ‘Peda Bala Sikshaw’ from their lives, as well Govt. primary education didn’t substitute the place of ‘Peda Bala Sikshaw’ before 30 to 40 years in past.

Up to 5 years, the kids learn some oral education as devotional poems, rhymes, stories, actions, little arts of folks etc. from the grandparents, parents etc elders. They won’t touch pen pencil etc. up to the occasion of “Akshara byasam”, that means begging of practice to write letters. So up to 5 years age, they used to enjoy freedom, protection & affection of elders. Then, the kids start their primary education i.e. elder child education ‘Peda Bala Sikshaw’, at the age of 5+ years.

Depends up on the intellectuality, merit or learning capacity of the child, they could complete it within 2 to 3 years, rarely within 5 years. Then their education turns in to epics section; and morals section. They used to under stand the epic stories, philosophy of epics, morals of epics and some important slokams and poem along with Neethi sathakams i.e. moral poems. They used to by hard some poems, idioms etc. This used to make the child to form his personality, wisdom, behavior style and attitude.

By completing this, the children acquire the age of 10 years around. Then depends up on their interest, talent and the capacity and willingness of parents, they used to send higher or special education. If the child had music interest, and if he was supported by parents, he could search for relevant teacher to learn music. By approaching certain music teachers, the child had to pay his service as disciple to learn music from him after completion of education he had to satisfy the teachers with Guru Dakshina i.e. gift to teacher. Same case with literature, logic, mathematics, astrology, painting, sculpture etc, every art. Same case with business and other services like medicine[Ayurvedic] etc.

If the child was not interested on any one like above or if the circumstances could not allow him to learn, then they used to start to learn their ancestral profession. They used to learn from their parents and fore parents. But the pity was these opportunities were not available to girls in most cases. Some girls could learn primary education and then all the girls used to practice the house administration or house management or house execution. By eliminating all the negative or bad methods and by modifying them up to our circumstances, if we design our children’s education, how nice it will be in the life?

When a farmers’ child completed his primary education, their metarnary uncle used to give new cloths to him as Dhoti. There starts their farmer’s life festival. The first day when they start to handle the plough, there could be small pooja by the child to the agricultural tools and he used to take the blessings of elders. Same case with a girl when she starts to handle the churning stick.

There was a wish of flourishing crops and milk Products behind these festivals. There started the bondage of bullocks and the farmer younger boys. There was a religious, cultural, or traditional touch to devote all the tools, animals which were useful in their profession. On every Vijay Dasami, Ganapathi Chaturdhi, Kanuma of Sankranthi, Nagula Chavithi and Nagula Panchami the villagers used to devote their agricultural equipments, bullocks, cows etc. all animals and including snakes, which help them by killing rats, the destroyers of crops.

In fact, all Indians i.e. Hindus have this tradition to treat all of their equipments & tools as weapons and devote them, as well as trees, plants and animals. And this was criticized, ridiculed and made mockery on it until all the people feel inferior and shame to practice such tradition by spying. The media and other so-called intellectuals like Ranga Nayakamma etc. talented professionals i.e. writers and others and some spying agents had played this strategy successfully. One happy thing is now, the youth is feeling proud to practice these ancestral traditions and treating them as our in heritage assets.

Coup On Agriculture – Village Life And City Style – 2[Gold Vs Food]

No skyscrapers, no flyovers, no busy roads can remind us such nature and natural feelings. To explain this fact, I tell you, a story of phantasy.

అనగా అనగా …………..

Once upon a time, there was a country. It has good water sources as rivers and tanks, good fertile land so that the country was prosperous one and wealthy. People of that country were hard working and sincere.

Days were passing happily. One year, at the time of crops thrashing, two Sister Goddesses, Dhanya lakshmi i.e. Goddess of crops and Dhana Lakshmi i.e. Goddess of money came to visit the country in invisible form. In conversation, they felt competitive with each other in the context of which Goddess is more liked by people. They wanted to find the result practically. They kept heaps of crops and gold coins on the either side of the roads & ways in the country. When people watched these heaps, they ran towards the heaps of gold coins, gathered the coins in bags and carried them to their houses. No body even touched a granule of crops. The Goddess of wealth, Dhana Lakshmi smiled at Dhanya Lakshmi, Goddess of crops with victory.

Dhanya Lakshmi felt sad and left from that country. People didn’t notice it. They were dancing with joy by having the heaps of gold coins.

When they hungry, they wanted to cook rice, but these were no edible rice but gold rice. When they looked for water, it was liquid gold. Same case with milk and other drinks. When they looked for fruits and other eatables all were golden.

People were hungry, thirsty and tired some. Finally, they realized their mistake and prayed Goddess Dhanya Lakshmi. As a mother, Goddess excused them and gave food to them. People were happy!

That’s the entire story.

I read this story some where in my childhood.

This reminds us the famous song of Bhadra chalam Ramadas, as
“లక్షాధికారులైనా లవణా మన్నము గానీ
బంగారు కణికలు మ్రింగా లేరుగా మంచి
పలుకే బంగార మయేనా కోదండరామ”
That means even millionaires also have to eat salt and rice only, but not golden lumps. This word itself is gold, Sri Rama!

In the famous Telugu Novel “వేయి పడగలు” i.e. thousand hoofs written by Sri Viswanatha Satyanarayana in another famous autobiography “నా జీవన వేదం” i.e. My Life Veda written by Sri Dasarathi Ranga charya, the village life was described in detail. I had little experience with such village life, and a lot of familiarity through reading and listening to elders.


In ancient times, there were no seed companies, no fertilizer companies and no pesticides companies. The farmers themselves and the villagers themselves were all the seed producers, fertilizers producers and pesticide makers.

I’m referring the time of farmers before the robbery of British etc foreigners. In those days, though there were blind believes, superstitions, theft and flood fear, but people had enough wealth to lead comfortable life and to feel satisfaction about life. There were enough and relevant teachers and scholars to motivate the people to think and feel properly as well as to improve their maturity. There were enough and relevant ruling system and religious customs, cultural traditions to keep the people under the control of discipline and sincerity.

Once upon a time, agriculture life means an every day festival. Now the agriculture life means an everyday danger. In past, the farmers used to celebrate or remark every event and every stage of their cultivation. When the monsoon rains start, the farmer’s wife used to prepare ‘Pongali’ and perform Pooja. The farmer’s children used to devote the agricultural tools. On the first day, when the ploughing starts in every season, there was a little celebration.

When the first crop yields, they used to dedicate it to God. They used to hang the corn at the windows of their houses as food offering to sparrows and other birds. Now almost sparrows are disappeared from our lives. When the thrashing start, they used to devote the bamboo plates i.e. ‘Chata’ and mortar, as a symbol of yield. When the crop carried to house, the farmers used to offer ‘Pongali’ i.e. Sweet dish with new rice, jaggery and milk to God in Village Temples. This they perform as a group. There created a limit less spirituality, which can be shared in the group to remind them as “if we distribute material and love among us, it will increase like anything!”

Later, any way they celebrate the harvest festival i.e. Sankranthi [Pongal]. The name of festival will change place to place, but mode and spirit of festival is same everywhere. The coup makers i.e. CIA, ISI, Ramoji Rao and their supporters like Corporate companies had successfully and strategically demolished that network of farmers and they ruined the life style of farmers.

Coup On Agriculture – Village Life And City Style-1[The first occupation of man]

Agriculture! The first occupation of man, it turned the man from nomad to civilized.

Anthropology tells us how man developed from the stage of ape. As a primitive, he knows to lead life as a beast. By observing nature, gradually, he learnt every thing. To prevent the pain of cold and heat, he learnt to use animal’s skin and leaves, barks etc. from plants & trees to cover his body. To protect themselves from natural dangers and attacks from other animals, he learnt to move as a group. He observed that fire could be produced by friction of stones and the fire could drive the animals from their stay. So he learnt how to use fire for his protection and roasting food i.e. primary stage of cooking. He observed that caves were much protective than the tree branches. He observed that the seeds, which he split after eating the fruits, could turn as trees and plants to yield the fruits again. He observed that water is required to animals and plants also just like himself. So he learnt to construct huts like caves and cultivation of plants beside the rivers. Gradually village civilization and then city civilization raised.

Such that the first occupations of man are hunting of animals and agriculture. Animal hunting was risky but result was instant. Food was immediately available and weapons were available with the remaining of the animal bodies i.e. bones etc. From agriculture, food availability was large. Gradually man learnt to use tools and animals in agriculture; and leading more comfortable life.

Now people are living in cities, towns and villages. In villages, the impact of fashions is less relative to that of cities and towns. Though the villagers know the fashions though electronic media, they feel shy to some extent to follow that fashions. On the other hand, the availability of such fashion goods and fashion foods is also less in village relative to such availability in cities.

That’s why villages are in back position regarding fashions relative to cities. In other words, villages are near to the nature and far from artificiality relative to cities. So that feelings and idealistic views are less pollutive in the village people relative to the city people. Village people are like nature flowers. City people are like plastic flowers. The smiles of villages have the fragments of flowers; where as the smiles of cities have the fragments of perfume bottles.

Actually if we observe the history, we can understand that villages are the past of cities. And cities are the future of villages. We can observe this fact as the today’s position of some developing countries is the past position of some advanced countries. Such that different societies or different countries are at different stages in physical development. This is the natural phenomena.

But the important fact is regarding spiritual development. Neither physical nor spiritual development of the world can neglect.

With this view, if we study the village life, city style and agriculture in India we can watch the completeness of our soul i.e. Indian soul. Soul means the other form of God only.

Now in villages, the farmers, other people are struggling hard to find the joy, happiness, satisfaction of their lives because they lost that joy, happiness and satisfaction somewhere. In fact, all of we, and the world is in such a situation. We are like a traveler in a desert who is searching for oasis water to drink. We lost the real joy somewhere in our life. We are running after mirages. Because we lost soul by dropping our selves in the heap of money. We lost feelings by dropping ourselves in the competition with others. We lost wetness of heart by dropping ourselves in the busy schedule of day.

Did you hear the sweet singings of birds with a lot of happiness in their faces when the crops are ripe on the fields at the time of thrashing? The birds sing as if they are Vishwa Kavi Gurudev Ravindra Nath Tagore. Did you observe the activeness spread on the fields at the time of green crops in the fields? In each and every bit of the nature, we can observe the love of God. The wind will pet our body so that we can experience the wet touch of God. The smell of green grass, green plants in the field welcome us as our mother welcome us into her lap when we were kids. The green color of the field up to the edge of our sight makes us to feel the protective hugging of God.