The Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister, Shri Radha Mohan Singh inaugurated the four day Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Krishi Unnati Mela – 2016, in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh.
About Deen Dhayal Upadhyay
Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay was an Indian philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and political scientist. He was one of the most important leaders of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the forerunner of the present day Bharatiya Janata Party.
- Upadhyaya conceived the political philosophy Integral Humanism – the guiding philosophy of the Bharatiya Janata Party. The philosophy of Integral Humanism advocates the simultaneous and integrated program of the body, mind and intellect and soul of each human being.
- His philosophy of Integral Humanism, which is a synthesis of the material and the spiritual, the individual and the collective, bears eloquent testimony to this. In the field of politics and economics, he was pragmatic and down to earth. He visualised for India a decentralised polity and self-reliant economy with the village as the base.
- Deendayal Upadhyay was convinced that India as an independent nation cannot rely upon Western concepts like individualism, democracy, socialism, communism or capitalism and was of the view that the Indian polity after Independence has been raised upon these superficial Western foundations and not rooted in what Upadhyay considered to be timeless traditions of India’s ancient culture.
- He was of the view that the Indian intellect was getting suffocated by Western theories, which left a “roadblock” to the growth and expansion of original Bharatiya (Sanskrit: “of Bharat” [India]) thought. Upadhyay was compelled to answer what he felt was the urgent need in India for a “fresh breeze”.
About Krishi Unnati Mela :
Union agriculture minister addressed that during last two years, there was drought like situation in the country but in spite of it food grains production was more than 250 million ton during 2015-16. During these years the production of milk was also record high at 160 million ton in the country.
- It is noted that horticulture, particularly in fruit and vegetables, is getting continuous enhancement and it has crossed the figure of 280 million ton.
- Due to good monsoon in 2016-17 sowing area of main crops is around 1060 lakh hectare, while last year it was 1023 lakh hectare.
- The Government of India has made several plans for the development of agriculture and cooperation and farmers are getting benefits from this.
- The Agriculture Minister laid foundation stone of first Gokul Gram Project in Mathura. On this occasion he said that government has prepared a plan to establish 14 Gokul Gram in the country under Gokul Mission. The first Gokul Gram is going to be established in Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay’s birth place, Mathura.
Krishi Puraskar Awards :
The National Award for the year 2016 has been won by Smt. Krishna Yadav, an enterprising lady farmer from, Dinpur, Najafgarh for her outstanding achievements in the processing and value addition of food especially fruits and vegetables.
- She is a successful food processing entrepreneur based in Najafgarh, New Delhi. Her extraordinary entrepreneurial journey from ‘selling vegetables’ on road to ‘opening factory’ is an exemplary example of women empowerment.
- She manufactures approximately 1500 quintals of fruits and vegetables processed product and also provides employment to others. She has also made substantial progress in terms of technology adoption, diversification, technology development, technology modification and technology diffusion.
- Government of India has instituted Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Antyodaya Krishi Puruskar (National & Zonal) from this year (2016). The awards include one award at national level comprising Rs. One lakh and 11 zonal awards comprising of Rs. 50 thousand each along with a citation and certificate.
- This award has been instituted for recognizing the contributions of marginal, small and landless farmers for developing integrated and sustainable models of agricultural farming.
- All the award winners will be felicitated in award functions being organized in various zones in the presence of political leadership, various state functionaries, scientists and farmers of the region.
