Debabrata Haldar: Embracing Cooperative Business to Liberate from Economic Bondage and Exploitation

Greetings to everyone on the eve of Independence Day. I extend my respect to all the senior members of Mukti. Mukti not only seeks the liberation of people but also the freedom of all living beings and the environment. Man’s journey in agriculture sector began shortly just after independence, during a time when we were fighting for food and grappling with famine after famine. People were desperate to solve the food crisis. In the 1960s and 70s, we embraced Green Revolution, striving to produce vast amount of crops to meet the growing demand for food. To achieve this, we used a large quantity of chemical fertilizers in the soil, contaminated water with toxic substances, and planted high-yield seeds in our fields. Today, in 2024, we find ourselves facing the consequences of these actions, having rendered our soil infertile and polluted.

Mukti has initiated its organic farming project to revive the soil. In many villages of Sundarban, we have numerous farmer friends who are listening to this event today. I would like to tell them that they are not only practicing organic farming for their livelihood, but they are also participating in a significant revolution with Mukti. They are setting an example for future generations, where people will have access to poison-free food, the soil and water will be protected, and no chemical sprays will pollute the air. This effort will be our true liberation.

One-third of the population today is affected by cancer. Numerous cancer treatment hospitals have sprung up along the Kolkata Bypass, and major hospitals in Kolkata have established cancer treatment centres. Why is cancer so rampant? This is the result of our actions when we indiscriminately applied chemical fertilizers to the soil in an attempt to increase crop production and meet the demand for food.

Our farmer friends, who are now associated with Mukti in organic farming, ask how they will achieve true liberation. After toiling all year to produce crops, they hand them over to multinational corporations and remain hungry themselves. Today, many farmers are committing suicide because the path they have taken in agriculture has led them astray, depriving them of the taste of true freedom. We consider our farmers as the kitchen of society. If the kitchen contaminates the food with poison, none of us will survive.

Therefore, I request all Mukti farmer families and my colleagues not to forget that to taste true freedom, we must build a poison-free society. We should never compromise on the quality and nutritional value of our food. In this way, we will experience true independence and provide people with poison-free food.

Mukti Fresh is a community business that involves creating businesses with and for the people. Some of you may wonder why a voluntary organization like Mukti has ventured into business. From this platform, I would like to clarify their doubts. Mukti will never engage in business for profit. Mukti will only engage in business that benefits people, especially those who are being exploited in various sectors of society. If we analyze the community business initiatives Mukti has taken, we will see that they are aimed at solving some societal problems. The ownership of Mukti’s businesses belongs to the community, not to any particular individual.

The current rise in unemployment is also due to the issue of monopoly ownership and the prevailing business model. In our country, 20% of the people control 80-90% of the wealth, while the remaining 80% have only 10-20% of the wealth. The solution to this problem lies in discovering new ways to create livelihoods for people in society.

In the name of education, the removal of the pass-fail system has taken education in a direction that could be disastrous for future generations. These students are neither adequately qualified for jobs, nor are they able to engage in farming in the villages. They are the most vulnerable in the present time. Mukti’s community business initiatives are aimed at helping these individuals. Mukti is working to train them and bring them back into the workforce, making them economically independent.

At Mukti, we believe that instead of giving a person fish, it is better to teach them how to catch a fish. That will be true freedom for them. We look forward to the days when people of Sundarban will no longer need Mukti’s help, and they become self-reliant and meet their needs on their own.

In conclusion, I would like to thank our farmer friends who, by practicing organic farming, have brought Mukti’s agricultural department to the forefront in West Bengal. The Mukti Green project was established to market handcrafted products, nursery plants, and food produced by rural women so that they receive their rightful value. Mukti has created Mukti Kitchen to deliver food to the homes of the sick. If any profit is generated from these community-based business models, it is returned to the community itself. This is the framework of Mukti’s community business.

Mukti follows some core principles in its business ventures: 1) Producers will never be exploited, 2) People will never be deceived, 3) This business will not employ automation methods that lead to joblessness, and 4) Profits will be shared among all.

I urge everyone to join hands and commit to following the principles I have shared today.