Racing towards utopia: Decoding the Agri Minister endorsement of 'yogic farming' to enhance seeds' potency

If utterances of certain BJP ministers are to be believed, the Sangh Parivar seems to be wildly oscillating between the antediluvian and the post-modern. Look at the manner in which union agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh is advocating enhancing agriculture productivity by infusing spiritual power. “With the help of Rajayoga, a farmer’s confidence level should be increased so that he is able to face today’s challenges like global warming and climate changes,” Singh was quoted as having said in the Indian Express. [caption id=“attachment_2436078” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  PIB image[/caption] That Singh, who claims he is a farmer from Motihari in Bihar, aspires to transcend modernity becomes Poclear if you read his further explanation. “The idea behind yogic farming is to empower the seeds with the help of positive thinking. We should enhance the potency of seeds by rays of Parmatma Shakti,” he said. The agriculture minister is convinced that India will regain the would status of “vishwa guru” (world’s guru) by following this path. And where was he saying this? At a conference of agricultural scientists! Apparently Singh is not alone in articulating these rather weird thoughts which at times are not out of tune with the Sangh Parivar’s philosophy. Recently, Union Minister of State for Culture, Mahesh Sharma, emphasized the centrality of Ramayana in national life and commented, “Quran and bible are not central to India’s soul.” Sharma, a doctor by profession, is determined the cleanse the cultural impurities that have crept in because of an embracing the value systems of the West. How would he do it? Like Radha Mohan Singh, Sharma has no roadmap. In fact the RSS , which is the fountainhead of the Sangh Parivar’s philosophy, has always insisted on reclaiming India’s “glorious past”. In the process, various Sangh constituents like VHP, Bajrang Dal and a section of hardliners have come up with quirky thoughts. For instance, minister of state for MSME Giriraj Singh rants about the possibility of Indian Mulsims outpacing Hindus in population sooner than later. Singh’s arguments may not have scientific basis yet they find resonance with a strong section of the Sangh Parivar. Sarsanghchalak (RSS chief) Mohan Bhagwat has recently said that we should reject religious practices that fly in the face of modern scientific thought. In essence, he pointed out that the interpretation of religion must be guided by sound logic and reasoning. But that is easier said than done with the Sangh Parivar. This was evident in the manner in which the RSS and its adjuncts opposed the Setu Samundaram project in Tamil Nadu not on the issue of environment but on the basis of the religious belief that the bridge across Lanka was built by Lord Ram. BJP ministers’ quirky utterances that often fly in face of logic, history and science are not an aberration but form a pattern that suggests an impatient advance towards the Sangh Parivar’s idea of utopia. That is the precise reason that despite these outrageous propositions by political executives and certain fringe elements, they are hardly taken to task for their indiscretion.