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Bihar Agricultural University (BAU), Sabour’s Kisan Choupal (assembly of farmers) is set to be a model for success in agro-revolution in the country.

Indian center of agricultural research (ICAR) has all set to implement Kisan Choupal all over the country. Planning commission of India has also asked BAU to furnish all details of Kisan Choupal so that it could be incorporated with agricultural projects in the country.

State’ s agricultural minister, Prem Kumar has announced that the government would help for conducting such Kisan Choupals at every Panchyats in Bihar.

Indian villages are having unique tradition and heritage besides being self-sufficient in fulfilling the basic needs of villagers and solving problems since times immemorial. The Kisan Choupal is also a traditional heritage of the past which villagers sit down and discuss their problems, celebrate their happiness, share pains of an individual, family or a particular group and sort out their disputes.

Around 2011, the then vice chancellor, BAU, Mewa Lal Choudhary initiated for such Kisan Choupals through Krish Vighyan Kendras (KVKs) mainly for extending the modern techniques in farming and other agricultural related issues among the farmers and the villagers of any particular areas. “Since than on every Saturday evening the varsity has been arranging Kisan Choupals at 25 places spread across 21 districts in Bihar which also falling under the jurisdiction of BAU, Sabour,” said R K Sohane, director, extension, BAU, Sabour.

According to him during such Kisan Choupal, scientists and other concerned persons from the varsity carefully observe the conversations among the farmers and the villagers and suggests measures  for the problems mainly farming and agriculture related problems. “There are immense opportunity for the farmers and villagers to learn many thing at such Choupals. Even the varsity experts motivate them for adopting modern scientific techniques. On the other hand the varsity very easily get the feed backs from such Choupals which is very helpful for us to prepare strategies in many things,” Sohane elaborated further.

Ajoy Kumar Singh, vice chancellor, BAU, Sabour said that the initiative once taken by the varsity proved very trustworthy for the villagers. “In every Krisi Choupals, we are trying to give many imputes for the farmers with KVK’s support. The villagers and farmers could learn many things from the videos besides the discussion during the Choupla. Similarly, we also came to know about their problems and it gives us opportunity to take immediate steps for solving the problems related farming and agricultural,” he told.

“Earlier in case of  emergency villagers gathered at the village Choupal but with the initiative taken by BAU, Sabour, now we could solve any agricultural related problems in the Kisan Choupal,” said Bateswar Mandal of Ramjanipur village here.

Prem Kumar said that the state government already included the Kisan Choupal in the agriculture road map. “It has been targeted for organizing the Kisan Choupal in 1976 places in the state in 5 years and Rs 4 crores already sanctioned for it so that people associated with all types of farming and agricultural related works could be made more benefited,” he told media persons recently.

Ram Dutt , assistant professor in extension department in the varsity said the transformation of old traditional concept of ancient villages with modern scientific concepts virtually creates miracles not only among the farmers in the region but higher institutions like ICAR and planning commission also interested with it. He said that the planning commission recently asked the varsity to give details about such Kisan Choupal so that the concept could be implemented throughout the country for the betterment of agricultural aspects. Besides, large number of farmers have started availing the facilities to interact with varsity’s scientists and easy discussion on their agriculture related problems at their doorsteps instead of going to the varsity at Sabour in Bhagalpur.