Why Do Uttarakhandi Plow Standing Millet Crops? A Garhwali-Kumaoni Folk Tale

Garhwali Folk Tales, Fables, Traditional Stories, Community Narratives -52

  Compiled and Edited by: Bhishma Kukreti (Management Training Expert)

                    In hills of Uttarakhand, when the barnyard millets and finger millets plants get height of six or seven inch after sowing the farmers  plough millet field. This is very peculiar agro-custom.

                 However, there is a folk saying for plough the standing millet crops when the shoots are six seven inches in height.

              It is said that before rule of Nepal on Kumaon and Garhwal, the standing millet crops was not ploughed.  Gorakha soldiers of Nepal were very cruel. They used to find ways and means to suppress the citizens. Their mean of controlling the citizens was to create fear among citizens of Garhwal and Kumaon. Gorakha soldiers used to burn the standing crops to create fear among citizens. They used to beat or punish people without any reason. They used to burn forests too.

              Once, a few Gorakha soldiers thought to create fear by destroying standing crops of barnyard millets and finger millets. The pants of both millets are grown in rainy season. The sowing time between barnyard millets and finger millets is fifteen days to one month. The shoots of both millets were grown from six to eight inches height in that village. Gorkha soldiers first plowed the plough in barnyard Millet fields and then went the area where finger millets were grown. Those soldiers plowed the plough on standing finger millet crops.

            After plowing the plough on standing millet crops the Gorakha soldiers returned to their Chauki. The farmers were in shock that now the barnyard and finger millets crops are destroyed completely. Citizens were afraid of feminine after rainy season.

 However, that year rain rained normally. Farmers were shocked to find that the millet plants in those fields which were plowed by Nepal soldiers flourished more than the normal. That year the crop production was also more from those fields where standing millet crops were plowed by Gorakha soldiers.

  From that time, farmers started plowing (though not fine but on wider line) plowing the standing barnyard and finger millet crops when the shoots are half feet high.

Copyright @ Bhishma Kukreti 9/1/2014 for review and interpretation

Garhwali Folk Tales, Fables, Traditional stories, Community Narratives for Effective Managers, Effective executives, Effective Boss, Effective Supervisors or Stories for Effective management, management Lesson from Garhwali Folk Literature from Garhwal, to be continued …in next chapter

                                 References

1-Bhishma Kukreti, 1984, Garhwal Ki Lok Kathayen, Binsar Prakashan, Lodhi Colony, Delhi 110003, 

2- Bhishma Kukreti 2003, Salan Biten Garhwali Lok Kathayen, Rant Raibar, Dehradun

3- Bhishma Kukreti, Garhwali Lok Kathaon ma Prabandh Vigyan ka Tantu , Chitthi Patri’s Lok Kathayen Visheshank  , Dehradun

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Why Do Uttarakhandi Plow Standing Millet Crops?  Garhwali-Kumaoni Folk Tale from Udham Singh Nagar Kumaon; Garhwali-Kumaoni Folk Tale from Nainital Kumaon; Garhwali-Kumaoni Folk Tale from Almora Kumaon; Garhwali-Kumaoni Folk Tale from Pithoragarh Kumaon; Garhwali-Kumaoni Folk Tale from Champawat Kumaon; Garhwali-Kumaoni Folk Tale from Bageshwar Kumaon; Why Do Uttarakhandi Plow Standing Millet Crops? Garhwali-Kumaoni Folk Tale from Haridwar Garhwal; Why Do Uttarakhandi Plow Standing Millet Crops?  Garhwali-Kumaoni Folk Tale from Dehradun Garhwal; Why Do Uttarakhandi Plow Standing Millet Crops?  Garhwali-Kumaoni Folk Tale from Uttarkashi Garhwal; Why Do Uttarakhandi Plow Standing Millet Crops?  Garhwali-Kumaoni Folk Tale from Tehri Garhwal; Why Do Uttarakhandi Plow Standing Millet Crops?  Garhwali-Kumaoni Folk Tale from Rudraprayag Garhwal; Why Do Uttarakhandi Plow Standing Millet Crops?  Garhwali-Kumaoni Folk Tale from Chamoli Garhwal; Why Do Uttarakhandi Plow Standing Millet Crops?  Garhwali-Kumaoni Folk Tale from Pauri Garhwal;