BJP to deploy volunteers to teach farmers ‘spiritual and religious’ side to agriculture

The government and the party are attempting to win over farmers following recent instances of unrest over falling income

The Bharatiya Janata Party will launch an outreach programme for farmers, sending out nearly 50,000 workers to proclaim “spiritual and religious” benefits to agriculture and to spread the word on the “achievements” of the government, sources in the party said.

The decision to launch the programme comes after Union agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh told BJP officials that volunteers from within the party can help in crucial outreach. (HT file photo)

The programme is part of the government’s attempts to win over farmers after rising unrest in recent months. Officials fear government schemes are not translating into benefits, and may imperil Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s promise to double farm incomes by 2022.

“The training programme has five modules,” a BJP leader who is part of the exercise told HT. This include the spiritual and religious side of agriculture, history of agriculture, current situation of the farm sector, achievements of the governments at the centre and the state and suggestions for welfare.

The programme is expected to begin after Diwali and will be divided according to assembly constituencies.

“We don’t have to depend on officials,” agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh told BJP’s farm wing leaders at a meeting on Thursday. “Party leaders should be trained enough to ensure maximum enrolment in welfare schemes.”

Agriculture and allied sectors account for more than 50% of India’s workforce and is a major contributor to India’s GDP.

Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan are among regions where a large part of the population is in agriculture.

A promise to waive off farm loans is considered among key factors behind BJP’s historic two-thirds majority in Uttar Pradesh this year, but the Yogi Adityanath government has drawn flak for distributing paltry amounts, as low as less than a rupee, to the beneficiaries.

Leaders in the BJP fear such messaging could be counterproductive in future elections and it needs to address problems in the sector well ahead of the next general election.