AGAINST SIKH TEACHINGS, BELIEVES TARN TARAN VILLAGE

TARN TARAN: No farmer at Burj Deva Singh village, 35 km from here, has burnt stubble for six years.

Drawing inspiration from Gurbani, the farmers of the village believe that burning stubble is against the teachings of the Sikh Gurus.

Gurbachan Singh Burj, a progressive farmer who owns 40 acres, has been leading the initiative from 2013. “The Gurbani says that polluting the environment is against the teachings of our Gurus. I have pledged to not only stop burning hay in my fields but also to encourage other farmers to end this practice,” he says.

He made appeals in gurdwaras and during religious functions to strike a chord with other farmers. “Burning stubble is not only dangerous for the field but also for public health. Now that we are not setting our fields on fire, we are getting a better yield,” he says.

Chief agriculture officer, Tarn Taran, Harwinderjit Singh, says, “We have been citing the example of this village to encourage farmers from other villages who burn hay.”

Rajesh Rana, principal scientist from Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, who had visited the village on Friday says, “This is encouraging. I have asked the farmers of this village to take part in PAU camps to motivate other farmers.”

Most farmers here use the Happy Seeder machine to sow wheat without taking out the chopped stubble.

Nearly 100 farmers of the village are engaged in organic farming. “Now we don’t need any pesticide or manure,” says Gurbachan.