Worldwide e-Human Society

Mr. Golam Rahman, an agriculturalist, a self-developed researcher, an innovator of alternative farming, an author-cum-educator for the less fortunate farmers, and a dreamer of agricultural revolution in India, was born in a poor farmer family in Dandirhat village of Basirhat sub-division, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, in 1942. Due to poverty in his early life, Shri Rahman, locally known as Golam Chacha or Metho Bigyani (Field Scientist) could not pursue his study beyond matriculation and joined hands of his father in farming and cultivation. Since his childhood, Shri Rahman used to help his father in the paddy field, which fueled his love towards agriculture. Later, he was trained by many prominent agricultural organizations locally and in India that sharpened his skills and ignited his innovative mind.

In early years of independence, lack of irrigation and fertilizers made the farmers of West Bengal solely dependent on nature’s blessings for good harvest. But then, incidents of losing crops because of various deceases of the plants, and frequent occurrence of floods kept shattering the hopes and dreams of earning minimum livelihood from seasonal harvest. So, he felt the importance of nurturing the crops in a proper and scientific way and began self-study research in his own way on cultivation and farming in his own farmland.

During 1970s, when his farmland and paddy field was washed away by excessive rains and flood water couple of time, this little educated farmer started thinking out of box to safeguard his crops from flood by cultivating special species of paddy. He had also experimented growing better-quality fruits in his garden. Soon, his practical knowledge, experience and wisdom paid off. He was overjoyed to see the results over a period of time and started sharing his success stories to his fellow farmer friends as he believed sharing was caring. He became a hero among the local farmer community for his pioneering cultivation methods, and gradually became a familiar name as ‘Golam Chacha’ in and out of Basirhat sub-division. Simultaneously, he organized the farmers of the locality and began to teach them how to grow more profitable and the alternative crops and fruits.

His major research outcomes included species of mango trees named GR-5, GR-6, GR-7, GR-9, GR-11 and has achieved the rare credit of growing 17 types of mangoes in the same tree.

As a result of his success, many agricultural scientists regularly visited him and invited him in several discussion forum for sharing his knowledge and wisdom. From 1974-1982, he was appointed ‘project co-ordinator’ for a project titled ‘Indo-German Fertilizer Education Project’ run by Hindustan Fertilizer Corporation Ltd. At that time, he had also built a crop museum in his village to stimulate the cultivators.

From 1995-2000, Mr. Golam Rahman was elected the member of ‘Program Advisory Committee (PAC)’ of agriculture of All India Radio (AIR) and was honored by the state minister of WB Govt., Mr. Shailen Sarkar and Mr. Krishnendu Narayan Choudhury.

In 2012 and 2016, he has attended and delivered speeches in international forum ‘International conference in Quality Seed & Food Quality’ under changing climate organized by Bangladesh Agricultural University.

Since 1972, he has tirelessly worked for the welfare of the marginal farmers in West Bengal. In 1972, he established ‘Dandirhat Krishi Kalyan Charcha Mandal’ with the objectives to exchange thoughts and ideas of cultivators to grow more crops, vegetables and fruits in different seasons and at different adverse climatic conditions using minimum pesticides and maximum organic fertilizer. In 1995, he established ‘Dandirhat Samabay Unnayan Samiti’, and in 2004, he established ‘Progressive vegetable Grower Association’ in which he is now vice president, for the welfare of the farmers. He has also started a non-profit society, ‘Bengal Nursery’ which is well known in West Bengal.

Mr. Golam Rahman has never let down his academic spirit by his educational qualification but instead enriched the agricultural and farmers’ society of Bengal in particular and India in general with his meaningful publication in journals, newspaper and books sharing his experience, advise and wisdom. To popularize the cultivation of profitable fruits and flowers, and to grow & preserve them scientifically, he has published his works in his books like ‘Paschimbanger Pan Chash’, ‘Swasther Jonye Shak’, ‘Paschimbanger Fal Chash’, ‘Fashaler Rog Protikar’ etc. He is also a regular writer in a Bengali daily newspaper ‘Kalam’. It is worth mentioning that all his books written and published by him were not for sale but for distributing freely to the needy farmers and the farmers’ organizations across the state.

As hundreds and thousands of Bengali farmers have been benefitted from Mr. Golam Rahman’s specialized works, he has been recognized by several organizations in India. Mr. Ahmed Hasan, Ex- standing committee member of ‘Social Justice & empowerment’, appreciated his work with certificate in 2017. His exceptional work on agriculture and farming was also recognized by Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswa-Vidyalaya in 2018. Humanitarian organization like Basirhat e-Human Society has felicitated him for making Basirhat in the global map by his pioneering work on alternative farming.

At this age of 72, the Septuagenarian loves to travel all over Bengal, shares his wisdom with the marginal and poor farmers, advises to solve their agricultural and farming issues free of cost. In his latest venture for the mankind and humanity, he spends most time in his own farmland nurturing the medicinal plants that are on the verge of extinction.

Mr. Golam Rahman, who has been serving the farmers selflessly for decades, believes that real religion is to stand up and serve the humanity. There are couple of books written by him ‘Muslim Manishi o Manisha’, ‘Sachitra Makka Mandir’ reflect his ideology. His humble family background and uncopiable simple living style is seen as a model for the locals who respect their ‘Golam Chacha’ no less than a real scientist in their society and so fondly call him as ‘metho bigyani’. India, our great nation, would love to see many more metho bigyani like Mr. Goalm Rahman to fulfil the dream of PM’s mission of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

-Article Written by Hiran Kanti Mukherjee & Surajit Haldar

Photo Courtesy: Tapas Mukherjee, Anjan Mitra & Golam Rahman

—///—///—///—