Rural development of a new kind: Kids ploughing farmland

Patna, (Bihar Times): First came the news and photos from the vicinity of Patna of human being yoked together as oxen to plough. Now came the shock : kids performing the same job and that too in the farmland owned by none else but the brother of Union minister for rural development, Raghuvansh Prasad Singh.

Another report say that it is not the land of minister’s brother Raghuraj Prasad Singh, but of the minister itself. The brother only supervises the farming in Shahpur village of Vaishali district.

Raghuraj’s immortal statement to a television channel speaks of a typical feudal insensitivity: “Agar tabiyat kharab hoga to ilaaj karwange, lekin kaam to bacha hi karega. Ye nahi to dusra karega, dusara nahi to tisara karega. (If they fall ill, we will get them treated, but the work in these fields will be done by children only. If not these, then there will be others to take their place. But what is the solution to all this?).

Sonu Lal Kumar, one of the kids, told a channel: “Pair, hath mein dard rahta hai. Kya karien? Karna parega. (My hands and feet ache all the time, but I cannot leave this work. I need to work for food.) His father, Ram Krishna Singh, said that kids and human beings are used as a tractor or oxen cannot be used in this field and so they use the children to plough the land.

Though the telecast of the news created storm in both the houses of Bihar assembly the Union minister, Raghubansh Prasad Singh, thinks this is all a big joke. “They are just doing some small work in the field and it is just being blown out of proportion.”

Over the 'report' of 'children ploughing field' of central minister Raguvans Pd. Singh I wish to say 'aisi patrakartita ki aisi ki taisi'. the enthusiasm shown by the new age anchors clearly depict how little they know of rural india. I don't see anything as 'feudal' if some children pull the yoke or sit on the 'chauki'. 'Chauki' as you may be knowing is a wood on which children sit to level the field. these new age ignorant journalists are in fact 'sansani ke saudagar'. they love to show a man being dragged by motorcycle not because they are very concerned for human rights, everyone know it is for trp. otherwise we could have also seen what happened afterwards. how one committee of Bihar legislatures found that 'actually policemen wanted to save the thief' who was dragged by the policemen. in the children ploughing the field why raghuvansh should be held responsible for the 'faults' of his brother? down with this brand of journalism.

The report that small kid are being used as oxen in Union Minister Professor Raghubansh Prasad Singh's farms, is highly disgusting. An impartial enquiry should be launched to ascertain the whole episode. If true, this is a highly inhuman and unpardonable act. The kids, when they should have books and toys in their hands, are being used as animals? Shameful !!

R P Raman