NE NEWS SERVICE
JAIPUR, JUNE 4
Rajasthan became the second Indian state to sign MoU to save soil by halting and reversing desertification of fertile lands in the state. The Agriculture Minister and Sadhguru in a public event in Jaipur exchanged the signed MoUs committing to save the state’s soils by formulating farmer and soil-friendly agricultural policies. Sadhguru later met Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and handed him the Soil Revitalisation Handbook.
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The CM tweeted support for the movement and said, “Soil is our Mother. We have always treated soil with love and respect. It pains me to hear about the degradation of soil but it is heartening that @SadhguruJV ji has launched this movement to #SaveSoil which all of us should be a part of. My best wishes for its success.”
Soil is our Mother. We have always treated soil with love and respect. It pains me to hear about the degradation of soil but it is heartening that @SadhguruJV ji has launched this movement to #SaveSoil which all of us should be a part of. My best wishes for its success. pic.twitter.com/EJHi4Uxo67
— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) June 3, 2022
Responding to his tweet, Sadhguru expressed his gratitude to the CM and said, “Namaskaram Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri. Ashok Gehlot ji. Deeply grateful for your support to #SaveSoil. May Rajasthan, under your leadership, become the frontrunner in instituting soil-friendly policies to make this beautiful Land food & water-sufficient-Sg @ashokgehlot51 @RajCMO”
Namaskaram Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri. Ashok Gehlot ji. Deeply grateful for your support to #SaveSoil. May Rajasthan, under your leadership, become the frontrunner in instituting soil-friendly policies to make this beautiful Land food & water-sufficient-Sg @ashokgehlot51 @RajCMO https://t.co/i8VGAtLJ1c pic.twitter.com/bq54NdNBAI
— Sadhguru (@SadhguruJV) June 4, 2022
At a public Save Soil event in Jaipur, attended by Shri. Rajesh Chand Meena, Panchayati Raj & Rural Development Minister and Shri. LalchandKatariya, Agriculture Minister, Sadhguru, Founder-Isha Foundation, called for urgent policy-driven action to protect the state’s and country’s agricultural lands from becoming barren.
“Everything we see in Nature, comes from soil and will go back to soil,” the Panchayati Raj & Rural Development Minister said in his address. “This Movement is not Sadhguru’s personal Movement, it’s is for the benefit of common man,” he added urging the audience, especially the youth to commit to environmentally sustainable actions to regenerate the soil.
Expressing his support for the global Movement to Save Soil, Lalchand Katariya, the state Agriculture Minister, said that long before the advances in science and technology, people lived in harmony with nature and lived long and healthy lives. The minister was also presented the Soil Policy Handbook – a guideline document designed to enable policy formulation – by Sadhguru in the event.
“In the last 25 years, 10% of the planet’s geography has turned into a desert,” said Sadhguru referring to the rapid global degradation of soil. Terming the topsoil “the cream of the planet” Sadhguru said that in this culture soil has always been revered as “our mother because this is the mother of all our mothers.” Stressing that green litter and animal waste are the only sources of organic content in soil, Sadhguru said that in a country with over 60% of the population in agriculture, bovine animals and plant life must be a part of the landscape. “In the next 10-15 years, if these animals disappear, you are closing the chapter of Bharat in many ways,” he added.
Sadhguru urged the audience to express their concern for future generations to enable governments to focus on long-term wellbeing of the state and the country. “Where is the people’s mandate?” he asked. “People should raise their voice and give that comfort to the government that if you do long-term things, we are with you.”
Thousands of people thronged the Jaipur Exhibition and Convention Center (JECC) for a trademark celebratory event with music and dance performances by celebrated folk artists Ila Arun, Kutle Khan and Isha’s homegrown troupes, Sounds of Isha and Isha Samskriti.
Sadhguru, who was on a 100-day, 30,000 km lone motorcycle journey across Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East to build global consensus to address soil health, reached Indian shores on 29th May when he arrived in the west coast port city of Jamnagar in Gujarat. Gujarat became the first Indian state to sign an MoU to Save Soil in the state.
In India, the average organic content in agricultural soils is estimated to be 0.68% placing the country at high risk for desertification and soil extinction. Nearly 30% of fertile soils in the country have already become barren and are incapable of yield.
