Murga Bazar or cockfighting is one of the main entertainments in Bastar. It is not just a way to pass the time, but a proper gambling den. This gambling has captivated many people in Dantewada, just like Joga. Breaking free from the lure of that addiction, the way Joga is implementing the Kalpataru model on more than half an acre of land today is truly eye-catching.
Joga Midiyami is a resident of Bade Para in Binjam village. His family consists of him and his wife. He is only twenty-eight years old. Even a few months ago, he was known as a driver and a cockfighter. Considering the area, his financial condition was fairly okay. Some months brought a good income from driving, while other months were empty. He wanted to overcome that uncertain income by placing bets in the Murga Bazar.
But gambling is just gambling. In the words of Joga’s wife, “If he had kept the driving money at home instead of taking it to the market, our hands would not be completely empty.”
After this, Joga connected with the Kalpataru model. Around mid-October, about five raised beds were prepared on Joga’s land. Seeds of tomato, peas, red spinach, and radish were sown. Right at that time, Joga brought home fifty thousand rupees from the Murga Bazar. However, in the next market, there was no smile on his face. He lost not one, but two roosters that day. In a flash, thirty-nine thousand rupees and two roosters worth about fifteen thousand went out of his pocket.
Meanwhile, there was a lack of care for the five beds. The flock of chickens devoured all the spinach and radish leaves. On the other hand, Joga was stubbornly determined to invest money in the Murga Bazar again to recover his lost money with interest. After continuous requests from the Bhoomgadi workers for two days, that stubbornness was finally subdued.
From his land with five beds, enough spinach was grown for eating at home. The radishes went to the market. Gradually, the number of beds started to increase.
Surprising everyone, he spent 2000 rupees and built a shed using a thick green net. The roosters were locked inside there. He left his expensive fighting roosters with his friends. His statement was, “The flock of chickens was destroying all the plants. So I have made an arrangement for them. I still go to the market, but I don’t give it as much time as before. I don’t invest too much money either.”
The land where nothing but paddy used to grow has taken a new form today. He has made beds on more than half an acre of land and planted tomatoes, long beans, and okra. Flowers have bloomed in all the crops. Joga mentioned that there is no cost for ploughing before planting new seeds or saplings. By using straw for mulching, the harmful effects of the sun or rain are not affecting the land. Joga said that in the past years, paddy was grown only once on this land. There was no separate income. A portion of their household food came from here.
During the winter, he started cultivating vegetables on the same land. Due to various problems with the new land, the income was not very high. He said, “I have earned about five to six thousand till February. But the way the land is being prepared now, there will be a good income in the coming time. I will cultivate vegetables using this bed method in the coming years. Now I feel that compared to the income from Murga Bazar or irregular driving, the income from this farming is much more stable and certain.”
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