Skip to main content

Sahariya tribals emerge as successful small farmers overcoming hurdles, create model farm

By Bharat Dogra* 
Ghanshyam and Sona are Sahariya adivasis and own a one hectare farm in Bamauri village of Lalitpur district, Uttar Pradesh. One acre out of this has been devoted to creating a garden which itself has three components. Firstly, a diversity of fruit trees including Indian gooseberry or amla, guava, lemon, jackfruit and other fruit trees have been planted in the main  garden area. Secondly, many vegetables like brinjal, cucumber, onion, bottle gourd, cucumber and even a spice like turmeric are inter-cropped in the same area. Thirdly, on the border of the garden several other useful trees, such as neem, and in addition bamboo have been planted.
During Covid when there was a shortage of vegetables, Ghanshyam went on a cycle to sell vegetables in several places and his earnings increased at that time.
Apart from using a part of the farm to meet basic food needs like wheat and millets, another part is kept aside to meet the cash needs of the family by growing groundnuts. This is mainly cultivated by sons of Ghanshyam and Sona, each of whom is given a certain portion of land. It is interesting how individual initiative is also promoted while maintaining the united farm for the entire family. They are known to be hard-working cultivators. This year their groundnut crop could give cash earning of more than Rs. one lakh (100,000).
This farm also has one buffalo, two calves and eight goats.
What is very interesting is how in very difficult conditions attempts are being made all the time to find satisfactory sustenance for the family. For some people this land may not have been cultivable as there is water shortage and wild animals, particularly nilgais try to enter the fields and graze the crop in night. So the family now lives very close to the farm and they appear to be leading a fairly satisfactory life, although keeping away wild animals is a tough task that tires them quite a bit.
Ghanshyam says that ideally he would like to shift entirely to natural farming, but he says that it is more practical to shift gradually and he is already in the process of doing so.
Sona is also a jal saheli, or volunteer linked to Parmarth voluntary organization for the cause of water conservation and meeting water needs. Apart from her more routine tasks such as trying to prevent water wastage, she has also contributed voluntary labor at the time of creating more water sources in the village by constructing check dams.
Due to difficulties involved initially in cultivating this land, Ghanshyam spent an earlier part of his life toiling as a migrant worker in cities like Indore and Bhopal. However when during one of his visits back to his village he came to know about the work being done by Parmarth for creating gardens called baaris he decided to stay back to try to make a success of his neglected farmland, something that he had always wanted to do, but had not really got any opportunity for this. 
Sidhgopal, team leader of Parmarth in Lalitpur and some neighboring areas, says that in the area covered by his team efforts have been made to provide opportunities to nearly 700 such farmers and there has been a special focus on dalits as well as Sahariya tribals (who are also called rauts in several of these villages).
The ability of Sahariya tribals to emerge as successful small farmers is particularly good and heartwarming news keeping in view the extreme injustice and neglect that they have suffered in many villages in the past. The sincere and creative work of farmers like Sona and Ghanshyam helps to create a model of how more of them placed in similar difficult circumstances can still overcome these difficulties to emerge as successful farmers.
---
The writer is Honorary Convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now. His recent books include ‘India’s Quest for Sustainable Farming and Healthy Food’ and ‘Protecting Earth for Children’

Comments

TRENDING

Workers' groups condemn Gujarat Ordinance increasing working hours, warn of statewide agitation

By A Representative   At a consultation organised today by the Asangathit Shramik Hit Rakshak Manch at Circuit House in Ahmedabad, leaders of major trade unions and labour rights organisations strongly opposed the Gujarat government’s recent ordinance amending the Factories Act and the draft rules notified under the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Code, 2020. Around 50 representatives from central trade unions, independent unions, and labour welfare organisations participated in the meeting.

The myth of population decline: India’s real challenge is density, not fertility

By N.S. Venkataraman*   India’s population in 2025 stands at approximately 1.4 billion. In 1950, it was 359 million, rising sharply to 1.05 billion by 2000. The population continues to grow and is projected to reach around 1.7 billion by 2050.

How natural and organic farming can be a key to combating the climate crisis

By Raj Kumar Sinha*  On July 9, while addressing the “Sahkar Samvad” in Ahmedabad with women and workers associated with cooperatives from Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan, Union Home Minister Amit Shah emphasized that natural farming is essential for both our health and the health of the soil. This is a significant statement in the context of addressing the climate change crisis. Natural farming can play a crucial role in combating climate change. Also known as organic farming, it is a system of agriculture that can increase food production without harming the environment. Natural farming has the potential to reduce carbon emissions by 35% to 50%.

Another 'honor' killing in Tamil Nadu: Caste pride has murdered love, again

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  Once again, Tamil Nadu has witnessed a brutal so-called 'honor' killing. This time, it is Kevin Selvaganesh, a 27-year-old software engineer from the Scheduled Caste community, who has been hacked to death by the family of the girl he loved since childhood. Kevin, a brilliant student employed at Tata Consultancy Services, was in a relationship with Subashini, his schoolmate and girlfriend. The couple, both well-educated and professionally qualified, had plans to marry. Yet, that love story ended in bloodshed — sacrificed at the altar of caste pride.

From Kailasa to Lodonia: The business of inventing nations in India

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  This is the story of India—and the 'ideas' and 'imagination' that shape it. Some years ago, someone announced the creation of the 'United States of Kailasa,' a fictional nation 'founded' by Swami Nithyananda, who remains wanted in multiple criminal cases in India, including rape and murder. Remarkably, representatives of this fabricated country even managed to 'participate' in various United Nations events, including sessions of CEDAW in Geneva.

The GMO illusion: Three decades of hype, harm, and false hope

By Sridhar Radhakrishnan  Three decades of hype, billions of dollars spent, and still no miracle crop. It's time to abandon the GMO biotech fairy tale and return to the soil, the seed, and the farmer. “Trust us,” they said. “GMOs will feed the world.” Picture a world where there is plenty of food, no hunger, fields grow without chemical pesticides, children are saved from malnutrition, and people live healthily.

'Bengali Muslim migrant workers face crackdown in Gurgaon': Academic raises alarm

By A Representative   Political analyst and retired Delhi University professor Shamsul Islam has raised serious concerns over the ongoing targeting and detention of Muslim migrant workers from West Bengal in Gurgaon, Haryana. In a public statement, Islam described the situation as "brutal repression" and accused law enforcement agencies of detaining migrants arbitrarily under the pretext of verifying their citizenship.

Deaths in Chhattisgarh are not just numbers – they mark a deeper democratic crisis

By Sunil Kumar  For a while, I had withdrawn into a quieter life, seeking solace in nature. But the rising tide of state-sponsored violence and recurring conflict across India has compelled deeper reflection. The recent incidents of killings in central India—particularly in Chhattisgarh—are not isolated acts. They point to a larger and ongoing crisis that concerns the health of democracy and the treatment of marginalised communities.

100 yrs of RSS as seen by global media house: Power, controversy, push for Hindu-first India

By Rajiv Shah  On a blistering summer evening in Nagpur, nearly a thousand men in brown trousers, white shirts, and black caps stood in formation as a saffron flag was raised, marking a graduation ceremony for Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) workers. This vivid scene, described in a recent FT Weekend Magazine article, “A hundred years after it was founded, India's Hindu-nationalist movement is getting closer to its goal of a Hindu-first state,” captures the enduring presence of the RSS, a century-old Hindu-nationalist organization.