Story: Are Bengal's agricultural traditions, the plough and yoke, being lost?

The sight of a farmer walking towards the field with a plough and yoke on his shoulders before dawn was once a familiar image of rural life in Bengal. Ploughing with cows is not just a farming method; it is an integral part of the life of a rural farmer. Those days of deep affection for the traditions left by their ancestors are now just a memory. The simple traditions of Bengali life are getting lost in the stream of time.

In the agriculturally dependent areas of the country rich in flood plains, ploughing with cows was once a daily companion of farmers. Having two cows in a farmer's house was a matter of pride. Many people earned their living by ploughing other people's land as well as their own.

But with the advancement of technology, the landscape of farming has changed. The use of tractors and power tillers has increased manifold. Farmers are also turning away from ploughing with cows as it is less time-consuming and cost-effective. Now it is costly, time-consuming, and labor-intensive. As a result, this traditional agricultural method is gradually disappearing from rural Bengal.

Still, sometimes we see signs of lost time. Recently, an exceptional scene of plowing with cows was seen in the Mahendranagar area of Lalmonirhat Sadar Upazila.

Farmer Abdul Halim, while talking to the media, said, "After a long time, the two of us are plowing the land with a ladder and a plow. It feels good. Earlier, plowing without cows was unimaginable. Now, machines work quickly, but we cultivate the land with cows out of love for tradition."

In the old days, some people still kept plows and ladders in their courtyards. They are like silent testimonies of a lost time.

Once upon a time, Barabari Hat in Lalmonirhat Sadar was the heart of agricultural products. A bustling market used to be held here. Farmers used to flock to buy rural agricultural products, including ox cart wheels, plows, yokes, and ladders. Today, that market is gone, that sound is gone, that life is gone.

The impact of modern agriculture is clear in all five upazilas of Lalmonirhat. Yields have increased, and time is saved. However, that familiar scene is disappearing. The immaculate path of the farmer going to the field in the morning light with a plow and yoke on his shoulder and a cow rope in his hand is no longer visible. That innovative way of showing the way to the cow with the words 'hey' and 'het' does not ring in the ears. The voice of the shepherd does not have that familiar shepherd's tune either.

According to agriculturalists, plow farming with cows is about to disappear with the spread of modern technology. Now, due to the availability of easily available machinery, the high price of cows, and the increase in the cost of cow feed, farmers are leaning towards modern farming methods in agriculture. The use of cows is also gradually decreasing. Those who are currently raising cows mainly raise them for commercial farming purposes, not for plowing farming.

Azahar Ali, a senior farmer from Barabari area, reminisced about the past, saying, "I used to go to the field with my cow before dawn. Cows were not just animals; they were like family. Now everything is done with machines, but the pull of the soil and the heart-to-heart relationship that I had with the cow will never come back."

Dr. Md. Saikhul Arifin, Deputy Director of the Lalmonirhat Agricultural Extension Department, said, "Although plowing with cows and buffaloes is environmentally friendly, the use of modern machinery is necessary to meet the demands of the time. We have to keep pace with technology to make agriculture sustainable and profitable."

He also said, "Plowing with cows is no longer seen in Lalmonirhat like before. Even if one or two people maintain the tradition, it may one day become history with the changing times."

Although the agricultural tradition that smells of Bengal's soil has been lost, the memory of the plow and yoke still lives on in some hearts. Perhaps the use of ploughs and yokes will cease with the passage of time. However, this feeling will remain in the Bengali mind from one generation to the next. -Editor, Based on online information