PRELUDE TO OPENING OF PANDORA’s BOX in the midst of INDIAN FARMERS and in their FIELDS

Rev.William Carey,(1761-1834) , Father of Modern Missions, had given an extensive picture “On the State of Agriculture, in the District of Dina’jpur”. This was published by the ASIATIC SOCIETY in 1808. (www.wmcarey.edu/carey/asiatic-researches/dinajpur/dinajpur.pdf)

Carey  is  the  founder of the Agricultural and Horticultural  Society of India. This  Society, the first of its kind in India was founded in 1820. In India, a University in Meghalaya is named after him. In addition to this there are nine other institutions in the world named after him. Lot of encomiums are heaped on  this ‘English gentleman’, at home(India)  and abroad.

Carey had meticulously described about the agricultural practices in Bengal. Which includes inter-cropping (see page 10, middle of para 3) & crop rotation,(see page 16, para 2), though later in his Address to the Agricultural and Horticultural society, he  asserts that Indian farmers never knew of crop rotation.

On two counts this  reportage from Carey, should engage our special attention.

(1) In this meticulous report, which even includes some detailed sketches towards the end, PESTS or PEST ATTACKS on Crops are NOT mentioned. It can mean that,  traditional  agricultural practices in India almost PREVENTED   the manifestation and multiplication of pests. Only after the introduction of hybrid varieties, we became aware of intensified pest attacks.

(2) The working style or the work ethic(KARMA) and worldview  of Indian farmers is looked down upon   by Carey.  He reports “At present   the poverty, prejudices, and indolence of the natives strongly operate against improvements in agriculture. Could an adequate remedy  be found for these evils, many other things might be cultivated with great advantage.” (p.21, para 2) Carey’s stinging observation about Indian farmers and their  LOW output (due to laziness) is at variance from the figures compiled from this period, which proves Carey to be wrong in his judgement.

Two work ethics mutually opposed to each other are operating here -INDIAN  vis-a –vis the PROTESTANT WORK ETHIC.  Figures published  after Carey’s death , in 1878 shows that contrasted to 31 serious famines in 120 years of British rule , there were only seventeen recorded famines in the entire previous two millennia (2000 yrs).(Source : C. Walford, “The Famines of the World: Past and Present,” Journal  of the Statistical Society 41:13 (1878) pp 434-42). Thus Indian Work Ethic was replaced by the Protestant One, which had caused/and is causing undue sufferings for all !!!!

Excessive meddling with nature and trying to control it , for satiating the wants & greed had (re-) opened the Pandora’s box, and pests are one of the evils coming out of it. The West does not know the nuances of KARMA !!!