Sunday, 24 March 2019

Urban weekend farmers ...

24 March 2016 at 12:08 ·
There was a post where it was suggested that urbans go and sweat and help farmers.
Would an urban expect a farmer to come and help in coding software ? Does the urban not realize that plowing, sowing, transplanting, deweeding are deeply skilled practices, even more than coding.
Perceptions are so deeply biased, even when we set out to 'do good'!

(From that thread)
Narayana Sarma Good Idea. Farmer's toil is a lot under priced, mailnly because most townsfolk do not know what it actually is like to work on a farm. Sowing, weeding, plucking, cleaning- all such farm activities require unimaginable amounts of physical strength, knack and expertise which most townsfolk - unfortunately- do not possess. But there is no way an urbanite would understand this- unless he/she actually undertakes to do it in all earnest. Aparna Krishnan ?

Aparna Krishnan Not so sure. Rich city kids on a holiday with poor children who have no other way. Need the poor kids be subjected to this. Its complex. Also the city folks will be little use to the farmer given their ineptness. At best, it is a learning exposure for the urban. Maybe best done on separate plots from where the real workers work. Yes, the urban needs education, certianly.

Aparna Krishnan I was just thinking of my village. No way I would have bunch of city school kids descend on Annasamy's land as he works sweatingly and hard.

Narayana Sarma Aparna Krishnan True. Agreed.

    Suraj Kumar It is a good intentioned but nevertheless a flawed world view. The kind of urbans you speak of -- the kind who wants to volunteer their labour -- are to be appreciated and not ridiculed.

    The kind I end up dealing with are those who build drones and a
    ll kinds of funky gadgets to "help" the farmer. Surely, we can say even this is "good intentioned" and that it might even be needed in the coming days.

    But it is all deeply seated in ignorance of a very basic spiritual philosophy of material life on earth. We can't even begin to talk about it. It is to be experienced.
    Aparna Krishnan They need hunility to learn. Not the implicit arrogance to think they have solutions. Then they may actually see that they are the problem ... and that that is the first solution they need to find the answer to.
    Andhuvan Dhanesh Urbanites first they will try on the field and feel its hard. Then they say - don't worry you don't need to work hard. We are all gonna develop codes, robots and AI for you to sow, grow, reep seeds and grains. You can sit idle. Then they invent one, apply them on fields and when they reep they yell at you for being idle and unproductive. Finally they will prove that their intelligence is what feeding people.

    Physical exercises to keep body fit is superior to them than physical work to produce food. They are all intelligents, know to make money, does not use their body to do simple/complex works. Soon they are all gonna stop eating food and become immortals renunciating their bodies.
    Sanjay Maharishi One can work if one approaches the work with humility and a desire to learn.
    Aparna Krishnan Yes, and not think they are going anything great 
    Rommel Shunmugam There are hundreds of ladies who claim to be gardeners and even win prizes at shows. The irony is that they have never even touched the soil, they have mali's do do the "dirty" work! Biggest irony of our times!

    Suraj Kumar I just sold a gardening thingy to such a lady. I'm atleast glad that someone at my village got an income in making that which i sold to the kind of award winning elite gardening urban woman that you so despise. What to do...
    Chidambaran Subramanian If you have the intent and an open mind, skills can be acquired.
    Mark Johnston Are those who come to 'help' more of a burden than a benefit? If people come as enthusiastic but are unskilled, clumsy and poor listeners they can greatly add to the workload of the locals whilst reducing productivity where there is nothing to spare. Add in people demanding high levels of comfort when they come to 'help' like electricity, internet, expensive foods, wasteful amounts of water and lots of precious time from the locals and you begin to realise that instead of expecting the hosts to be grateful for the contribution we should be humbled by the significant sacrifices they make for well intentioned visitors.

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