“Farmers, Do Not Take the Path of Suicide” – Appeal by Art of Living Founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Agriculture Exhibition and Fair Held with Enthusiasm at Ramtek

Nagpur/Ramtek, Sept 2025 : “Along with our daily basic needs, mental peace has also become essential today. Situations are never the same – bad days too shall pass. Therefore, farmers must remain patient and not resort to suicide. They should adopt natural farming practices as much as possible,” spiritual leader and Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar appealed while addressing an agriculture exhibition and fair at Nehru Maidan in Ramtek.

He was speaking as the chief guest at the program. Guardian Minister of Nagpur and Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Agriculture Minister Dattatray Bharane, Minister of State for Agriculture Adv. Ashish Jaiswal, Chairman of the State Agricultural Price Commission Pasha Patel, MLA Ashish Deshmukh, Additional Chief Secretary of Agriculture and PWD Vikaschandra Rastogi, Agriculture Commissioner Suraj Mandhare, District Collector Dr. Vipin Itankar, Zilla Parishad CEO Vinayak Mahamuni, senior agriculture officials, and a large number of citizens from the local area were present.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar further said, “Today the world is under mental stress – one out of four people is struggling with it. In America, 47% of people suffer from loneliness. For this, music, meditation, and knowledge must be adopted in life, which will bring enthusiasm and positivity. By protecting cows and strengthening agriculture, the nation will progress.”

Guardian Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule praised the exhibition and fair, calling it highly commendable. He noted that while road construction has advanced in recent years, rural access roads (paanand roads) had been neglected, but now serious attention is being given. He added that the government intends to launch the Chief Minister Baliraja Roads Development Scheme across the state.

Agriculture Minister Dattatray Bharane said changes must be introduced in farming. Innovative practices will benefit farmers. He cautioned that chemical fertilizers and pesticides give only temporary yield, and long-term excessive use reduces soil fertility. Therefore, natural farming is the need of the hour. Initiatives such as the Organic Farming Mission, Soil Health Cards, and water conservation projects are being implemented. He also announced the decision to introduce Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications in agriculture, which would prove beneficial to farmers.

Minister of State for Agriculture Adv. Ashish Jaiswal delivered the welcome address and explained the purpose behind organizing the event. He highlighted several pro-farmer decisions including crop insurance, compensation, smart projects, and the inclusion of Nagpur district under the Nanaji Deshmukh Agricultural Sanjeevan Yojana. He assured that while many farmers are already receiving benefits, remaining farmers will soon be covered. Various schemes and projects have been launched to bring farmer suicides to an end. He stressed that the government is working to reduce farmer suicides to zero. He also mentioned upcoming schemes for farm laborers, besides farmers.

Various MoUs Signed

Several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) were signed during the event:

• Between Art of Living and the Nagpur District Collector for providing mobile soil testing laboratories.
• Agreement on organic farming certification and procurement of farm produce.
• MoU between Ramtek Agrovision Farm Producer Company and Art of Living.
• MoU for deepening and widening 1,500 kilometers of streams and ponds between the Nagpur District Collector and Art of Living.

In addition, booklets providing information on various government agricultural schemes, organic farming, and sustainable farming were released. Several progressive farmers were also felicitated. Plans to establish a Skill Development Center in Ramtek were also announced at the event.

Messages from CM and Deputy CM

During the program, recorded video messages of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde were played. Both leaders extended greetings for the agriculture exhibition and fair, and appreciated the organization of the event.