2016 has come down heavily on the farming communities
of Maharashtra. The state experienced drought to abominably serious
levels as the months rolled out this year. By March, the
sacred Ramkund pond in Nasik Dist, where thousands bath in pilgrimage,
went dry - an act that had never happened in the past 130 years. By
April, over 30,000 farmers were on the street pleading for loan waiver and
compensation for crop failure. By May, the number of distressed farmer
suicides in the Nasik division alone had gone beyond 60. As we
watched, the life support system was crumbling and the rural
sustainability was being destroyed by the planetary elements on which we have
neither control nor an absolute understanding.
Drought relief is not in any way a part of the functional domain
of Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC). Neither do we have a
mandate for it nor the resources, wherewithals and instruments for drought
relief. However, since the welfare of rural communities is our shared
moral responsibility, we in KVIC swung into action wherever we possible
and in whatever humble ways we could.
We realised that when farming has failed, rains have
deserted and resources have become a mirage, we should try and bring in
enablement of another kind to people. We put together a novel
training programme to empower the farming community in trades that would not so
much depend on water and nature's waning mercy. KVIC on 15th April
2016 launched a special training program for farmers of draught affected
families at KVIC Nasik and Dhanu Training centres.
Special training programs duration are
ranging from 15 day to 30 days.
From April 15th till 10th june,
we trained 452 farmers at Nasik and 750 farmers at Dhanu
training centres in vocations such as Agarbatti making, baking,
soap and detergent making, Pickle making,Stitching
etc., thus giving them another opportunity to dare the famine and survive
with skills. In coordinating this novel programme, both KVIC and the
famine stricken ill fated community realised how important is the
vision of 'Skill India' articulated by Prime Minister Modi. It is also a
collective learning as well as a valued demonstration that life skills
could help people to survive nature's disfavour and no matter what the official
mandate of your organisation is, you could still contribute to
community development and human empowerment at times of distress and human
insecurity. We also dug 3 bore wells in the Nasik campus
and opened the water resource for public sharing in a gesture of goodwill
and brotherhood. Down the line in two months, we are seeing the
fruits of these efforts and the smile on the face of those who had nearly
resigned to an unkind fate.
At KVIC, we continue to raise to the occasion and stretch our
limits of mandate in serving the nation and our distressed communities.
We realise that establishing sustainability is like building a mountain that
needs coordinated efforts of different organisations. And whether it is
our direct purpose or a moral responsibility, we look for opportunities of
community empowerment and community enablement in ever newer ways.
KVIC is more of a mission than an organisation it is.
V.K.Saxena
Chairman
Khadi & Village
Industries Commission
New Delhi
Phone no- 011-23724690
Fax No-011-23724693
Email ID- chairmankvic2015@gmail.com
