Mohsin Ahmad
The plight of horticulture graduates is not a hidden tragedy now, the catastrophe which destroyed a generation of horticultural graduates with enough scars on the next. The term “All in Vain” fits well the horticultural graduates as the energy, money, time and resources spent for reshaping a person remains unused. The analogy of blacksmithing of an axe fits well for horticulture graduates.
The story of axe goes as; selecting high quality iron material fit for an axe with good tensile strength and less brittleness likewise an examination to choose the fit and best, previously by BOPEE (J&K Board of professional entrance examination) and now by UET (University Entrance Test) with earmarked seats for ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research) examination. The selected iron material is heated to red hot then moulded and pressed into the solid piece by hammering, finds an equivalence to semesters in which the horticulture graduates undergo like theory, experiential learning practicals of subjects ranging from Horticulture (Fruit Science, Vegetable Science, Floriculture, Post Harvest Technology etc.), Soil Science, Economics, Pathology, Entomology to Precision Horticulture and final pressing by the midterms, quizzes, endterms and practical examinations. This process of shaping, reforming under stress continues up to six academic semesters consisting of some 250-300 exams, that means a exam after every third day of no use in practice (in the end).
The reshaped, reformed, renewed and improved technocrat now ready to accept responsibility takes the resemblance of the final shaping of an axe under two steps; first being the sharpening its blade which reminds you of the EL (Experiential Learning), a six month course to impart almost everything learnt during the six rigorous semesters with all the zeal and zest. Cultivating veggies, fruits, flowers, producing mushroom, forming juices, pickles, trying to tame insects of importance (Honey Bees), managing insect pests, diseases and disorders, grading and marketing of the produce seems to make the professional complete during these months. Followed by the second called Hafting (handle attaching): Hafting wherein the ultimate bond of love is fastened between the farmers and professionals with the hope of serving the society together in the near future (unfortunately the professional graduates haven’t been in close proximity to that future in past 14 years). RHWE (Rural Horticulture Work Experience, a six month on field experience programme) validates the expertise of horticultural graduates exploring certain questions like what farmers feel, what they need, how they can be helped, how actually a horticultural technocrat delivered his duties, the crop economics, the un explored fields of knowledge, motivational work and finally a report of all these with cross examination by the scientists in charge.
Finally the axe (analogous horticulture graduates), which can shape things to do wonders, is made. The next life for the horti graduates is disheartening and discouraging for the people concerned, the axes thus made with such a hard work and throbbing, with tremendous energy used are now placed in the blacksmiths cupboard for selling purpose, with every passing day the new axes are made exponentially and after a gap of 14 years and counting, the axes are in such a mess due to the huge number, that not even the black smith cares now for their arrangements, with the selling number still remaining as zero. The distress engulfs the axes, passed all the bearings of heat, hammering etc., to such an extent that it revolts against the black smiths, the buyers and least against materials to be shaped. The pain of being idle as were before the process of reshaping is also evident among the horticulture graduates who consider the Horticulture Department as “Prasaad” (The ritual food) shared by everyone but not the horticulture graduates.
The total dryness of recruitment for horticultural graduates for about a decade and half had caused an ultimate pain to the professionals, evident from their dozen days of strike to get heard, more importantly to speak, knowing that nobody bothers about them. The placards, speak volumes about the injustices done to the unused professionals, the few read as “Horticulture Degrees have rendered us as beggars”, “Imagine you completed a professional degree at 21 and couldn’t sit in a single examination of your department until overage”, “Save your children from fake Horticultural State/UT”, “Justice for Horticultural Graduates”, “save us from suicides”, “14 years and How much more?” and so on.
The long term famine of recruitment incites the bombardment of questions like; How does the vibrant sector actually work without the new professionals?, With so many missions and visions on papers of the directorates of horticulture how come one will accept these in reality with all the relevant professionals in doldrums?, Is it like that I/C system was specially produced for Horticulture Department so that no big policies and decisions can be made? Isn’t the non-recruitment of professionals a big reason for gap in the technology dissemination? Will there someone answer these questions or these will die like the aspirations of horticulture graduates?
Very high work load with least accountability of the working staff from different disciplines working in the department and ultimately total bearing on the orchardists. Official data reveals the involvement 33 lakh persons in the sector but in practice every soul of this UT is depend (directly/indirectly) on it. If reformation of Horticulture Department, giving due respect to the professionals, is not followed the near disaster is an evident truth to this sector.
(The author is Research Scholar Horticulture)
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