VK Saxena Nation First: Fighting out the drought in Maharashtra

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.