ZERO BUDGET FARMING About Subhash Palekar http://www.palekarzerobudgetspiritualfarming.org/aboutme.aspx

Mr. Subhash Palekar

Subhash Palekar was born in 1949 in a small village Belora of in the region of in . He was graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Agriculture at . During his College Education he was working with tribals on their problems in the Satpuda Tribal region. In 1972 he joined his ancient agriculture with his father. His father was a natural farmer. But after learning chemical farming in the college, he started chemical farming in his farm.

While practising from 1972-1990, he was also writing articles in the media. He was attracted to the philosophy (Indian ancient thinking) of the Vedas, , and all ancient Granthas. His Spiritual background was inspired by Saint Dhnyaneshwar, Saint Tukaram & Saint Kabir. He was searching for the absolute truth. Meanwhile, he studied Gandhi & Karl Marx and did a comparative study of them. Then, he found that Karl Marx's thinking is not so near to the truth as Gandhiji’s.

He found that Gandhiji's philosophy is so much nearer to the truth i.e. nature. Marx has denied the nature's ownership law. [?] When, he heard that, in Russia during the Communist movement, thousands of farmers were killed that confirmed for him that there was no alternative to Gandhiji’s philosophy, which was based on the truth and nonviolence. Great Indian personalities like Gandhiji, Shivaji, Jyotiba Phule, Vivekananda and Tagore had built up his thinking infrastructure towards absolute natural truth and nonviolence (Satya & Ahinsa).

Between 1972 and 1985, while practising chemical farming, his agricultural production was continuously increasing. But, after 1985, it started declining. He was surprised that if he was following the technology of chemical farming, i.e. Green Revolution, totally then why was the production decreasing? After searching the causes for three years, he came to the conclusion that Agriculture science was based on a false philosophy. Some thing was wrong with Green Revolution. He then started searching for an alternate technology to chemical farming.

ZERO BUDGET FARMING About Subhash Palekar

New Beginning

During college life, when he was working in tribal areas, he studied their life style and social structure. He had studied the nature system in the forests. He was surprised that, in the forest, there was no human existence and assistance. Likewise, there were enormous fruits on the big trees like those of , Ber, , Jamulum, Custard apple, Neem, Moha every year even during famine. Hence, he started his research on the natural growth of those forest trees.

During 1986-88 he studied the forest vegetation. He found that there was a self- developing, self-nourishing and totally self-reliant natural system in the forest, by which all the vegetation and ecosystem existed without any human existence and assistance. He studied that natural system and verified those natural processes of the forest on his farm for six years from 1989 to1995. There were about 154 research projects during the six years of research work.

After six years of verified research work, he got the Zero Budget Natural Farming technique package which he is giving to farmers throughout India by means of continuous workshops, seminars, his books in Marathi, Hindi, English, Kannad, Telgu, Tamil languages and also by means of thousands of model farms established throughout India.

From 1996-98, he was involved in an editorial team in ‘Bali raja’, a renowned Marathi Agricultural Magazine in Pune, Maharashtra. But, to enhance the speed of the movement, he resigned in 1998.He wrote 20 books in Marathi, 4 books in English, and 3 books in Hindi. All the books in Marathi are to be translated in all Indian languages. Now, his movement has attracted the attention of media, politicians and thinkers towards the real problems of the farmers and rural economy.

Now they believe that there is no alternative to stopping the suicides of the farmers except Zero Budget Natural Farming. And they also believe that to make available poison-less food to the human being, the only way is Zero Budget of Natural Farming. More than 30 Lack farmers throughout India are practising Zero Budget Natural Farming in Maharashtra, , , Tamilnadu, Kerla, Punjab, Hariana, , , Chattisgarh, , Bengal, , etc. ZERO BUDGET FARMING About Subhash Palekar Basava Shri Award: In 2005, Sri Murugha Math, Chitradurga of Karnataka state had honored him with a prestigious award “Basava Shri” given in the name of a revolutionary saint Basava with Rs 1 Lack & Citation. Before him this award was given to Hon. Dalai Lama, Anna Hazare, Vandana Shiva, Medha Patkar, Gaddar, and Shabana Aazami. In 2006, Karnataka Rajya Rayat Sangha, a Farmers Union in Karnataka had honored him by Bharat Krushak Ratna Award. Gopal Gaurav Award: In 2007, Sri Ramachandrapuramath a, Shimoga of Karnataka, facilitated him Gopal Gaurav Award at the World Conference on Indian Cattle Breeds.

Subhash Palekar discussing with well known Japanese Natural Farming expert, Late Masanobu Fukuoka.

ZERO BUDGET FARMING About Subhash Palekar Subhash Palekar with well known environmentalist, Mr. Sundarlal Bahuguna, at a press conference at Amritsar, Punjab.

Subhash Palekar addressing farmers during a workshop on Zero Budget Natural Farming.

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