Bangladesh is a land of villages. A majority of her population
lives in villages. Most of them are farmers. Agriculture is their main
occupation. My parents are one of them.
They work on the fields that are around the village. Bangladeshi
economy is an agricultural one. So the importance of a farmer is very great. My parents are very had working. My father
gets up early in the morning, takes his plough, and with his cattle goes to his
field even before it is full daylight. He works there all day without caring of
the hardships of weather. Winter, summer or rains, it is all the same for him.
We find him working on his field sowing, ploughing or reaping in biting cold as
well as in the host winds of summer. I also do the same with my father during
my leisure.
He works ceaselessly till noon. On my way to school I take the
mid-day meal for him. He takes it under the shade of some tree. Having eaten
his meager food he again resumes his work. Often he sings a song to break the
monotony of his hard labor.
It is only with the approach of darkens that he returns home. At
the door of his humble cottage, he is greeted by us. Then he rests a while and
smokes his hukka. This is the happiest time of the day for him. Now he is the
king of his humble cottage. After taking his meal, he goes to the village
chopal. There he chats with his fellow farmers, who like him come there for
recreation. In this way, having passed an hour or two in laughing and talking,
he returns home for his well-earned rest.
My mother also
cultivates few vegetables in the yard in front of our house. The vegetables
meet the demands of our family. And by selling the surplus vegetables in the
village market we can get extra profit.
Such is a typical day in
the life of a Bangladeshi farmer like my farmer parents. Their life is full of
difficulties. In spite of their hard labor, they live a life of extreme
poverty. He is "born in debt, lives in
debt and dies in debt". His crops are at the mercy of rains.
Famines or floods often take away the fruits of his hard labor. Still he is
contended and God fearing. When he falls ill, he finds that there are no
medical facilities for his treatment.
But this is only one side picture. But we also have brighter
side also. We enjoy fresh air and sunshine, the two great blessing of God. He
gets more wholesome food than those who live in the cities. he still enjoys
pure milk and ghee which are not to be found in cities. Moreover, the villagers
are sympathetic and extend greater co-operation to each other in times of
distress. Such fellow-felling and brotherhood are not heard in city, where even
next door neighbors do not know each other.
A number of reforms are needed to make the life of the farmer,
happier and healthier. It is a good sign that the government is giving its
utmost attention to the problem. Various programs of village uplift have been
taken in hand. Through scientific methods of agriculture, poverty is being
removed. The prosperity of the farmer means the prosperity of the nation. In
near future our condition would surely improve.
The life of a Bangladeshi
farmer twenty years hence would be quite different from today. Our life would
be healthy, happy and prosperous. Our future is definitely bright.
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