Wrong To Term Local Knowledge As Unscientific: RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Monday laid importance on organic and ancient methods of farming and said it would be wrong to reject such knowledge as unscientific without examining them.

He was speaking at the annual 'Convocation-cum-Scientific Convention' jointly organised by National Academy of Veterinary Sciences (India), New Delhi and Maharashtra Animal and Fishery Sciences University, Nagpur.

Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Parshottam Rupala, who was the guest of honour, was bestowed honorary fellowship along with Mohan Bhagwat and state minister Sunil Kedar at the event.

India's farming and animal husbandry methods are the oldest, Mohan Bhagwat said, adding that modern science has side effects but ancient knowledge and methods do not have side effects.

"Focus must be on flexibility in research and use of local knowledge. It is wrong to reject local knowledge by terming it unscientific. You can reject it after examining it, you are free to reject it if it is not right," he said at the event.

"Secondly, mechanized farming would not last long. Even today, 65 per cent farmers cultivate on small land holdings and mechanized farming is not very beneficial for them. Because of fertilizers, the farmer falls into debt and then commits suicide. He should be taught sustainable agriculture which he can understand," the RSS chief said.

He stressed on the "Bharat-centric" method of farming and said that the country was the number one economy in the world till 1700 AD.

"We had agrarian economy at that time, and industry and commerce were also related to agriculture. We need to have a Bharat-centric approach to increase our Gross Domestic Product (GDP)," he said.

The RSS chief said there was need for public partnerships for sustainability as the government was not rich enough to provide funds for all departments.

He also spoke on the "language block" being faced by farmers, stating that most information on animal husbandry was in English.

"The new education policy has included the use of local language in technical subjects. We need to spread this knowledge in local languages," he said.

Parshottam Rupala spoke on how to become self-dependent through cooperative sector as well as on various methods to save the soil.

"We will have to come back to our old method of repairing soil through the dung of indigenous cows. I feel good days of the cow and the animal husbandry department will return in the future, and these will play important roles in our economy and growth," he said.

Commending the presence of the RSS chief at the event, Parshottam Rupala said being a "swayamsevak" -- RSS member--was a certificate towards the person's commitment, dedication and service.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)