Photo Courtesy:http://english.onlinekhabar.com/

National paddy day that falls on the Ashad 15 of Nepali calendar is of high significance for an agricultural country like Nepal and is celebrated with much gusto. In the past two years, the ministry of agriculture has gathered much more media attention than the peasants. Last year, the agriculture minister made highlights due to his misconduct in the paddy field and this year another minister has been criticized for sowing paddy in a flower pot.

When villages are rapidly turning into town and towns are turning into concrete jungles, the paddy fields of Kathmandu have been displaced due to haphazard urbanization. When there is not much space available then sowing paddy in the flower pot must be the best alternative available for the minister. As reported by The Hindu – one of the largest selling national daily in India; Raveendran of Kochulloor, Thiruvananthapuram grows paddy in a flower pot and harvests 35 kg of paddy from 350 sq. feet hence it does not sound funny.

Instead of criticizing his activity; people should take the message that someday they must grow the paddy in flower pots for decorating houses if the fertility of the land is used for growing houses and buildings. Planting paddy in the flower pot was an inauguration ceremony of the big day and it was not a compulsory act to visit the field. Above all, he already knows the consequences of visiting the fields.

Visiting a paddy field has been like going to a movie theater for the purpose of enjoyment. You see more people of non–agricultural field rather than the actual farmers. Going to the field with security and disturbing the work of the peasants does not make any sense. He is a minister and may have a lot to do and splashing in mud may not make any sense for him.

Minister Hari Bhol Gajurel was nowhere in media when farmers received subsidies on agricultural products and low-interest loan in the new budget. Our media lacks the enthusiasm to encourage good works done by the people and are keen to promote negative news to gain cheap popularity.