Agriculture backbone of economy, farmers its soul, says Shivraj

Agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy, and farmers are its soul, Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said in Bhopal

Agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy, and farmers are its soul, Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on June 16 in Bhopal.

“Agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy and farmers are its soul. The farmer is the annadata [one who gives food], and in a way god itself. The service of agriculture and farmers is the worship of god, in itself,” said Mr. Chouhan, former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister. He has returned to his home State for the first time after joining Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Cabinet in Delhi. 

He said Mr. Modi had entrusted five other MPs from the State with Ministerial responsibility at the Centre. “We have only one resolution: to work hard day and night.”

Apart from Mr. Chouhan, the other Union Ministers from Madhya Pradesh, Cabinet Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, and Ministers of State Savitri Thakur, and Durga Das Uikey have also arrived in Bhopal. 

The M.P. unit of the BJP organised a welcome event for all six Ministers from the State at the party headquarters here, including Cabinet Minister Virendra Kumar and MoS L. Murugan, who hails from Tamil Nadu but is a Rajya Sabha member from Madhya Pradesh.

The formal event was, however, cancelled after the death of former Union Minister and BJP parliamentary board member Satyanarayan Jatiya’s wife. Mr. Kumar and Mr. Murugan did not come for the event.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Chouhan also held a roadshow in Bhopal with his supporters greeting him at various locations, an indication that he remains relevant in State politics.