Essays

An Indian farmer is the backbone of the society. He grows corn, vegetables and fruits for our food and cotton for our clothes. He is a hard working man.

He works from morning till evening in the scorching heat and biting cold. Early in the morning he drives his oxen to the fields. He ploughs the fields, sows seeds and waters the plants.

He looks after the crops and saves them from being spoiled by stray cattle or wild animals. He enjoys no holiday.

At noon he takes his meals under a shady tree and then takes a little rest. In the evening he returns home, tired and exhausted.

But he leads a simple life. He lives in a mud house, eats simple food and wears coarse clothes. Generally he is illiterate.

When the crop ripens/he feels happy. He reaps it, thrashes it and takes the corn to the market. In times of a bad harvest he has little money to buy seeds and manure and runs into debt.

He believes in old customs and superstitions. His cattle are his most valuable property. Often during drought crops fail and he is in trouble.                             

The farmer is fond of festivities. He spends lavishly on marriages and other social ceremonies.

Recently, the use of agricultural machinery and chemical manures and the provision of credit facilities by cooperative societies and rural banks has improved his lot and changed his outlook on life.