While others of his ilk appear to be on an extended vacation on account of Durga Puja and Diwali, Nityananda Gond, the BJP legislator from Umerkote in southern Odisha, has been busy harvesting paddy. The tribal MLA has been working in the fields with his wife, who is the headmistress of a government high school.

Gond, 42, who has a bachelor’s degree in law and a post-graduate degree in history, was practising at the subdivisional court at Umerkote in Nabarangpur district, before winning the last Assembly election on a BJP ticket.

However, coming from a family of farmers, he still takes interest in his fields whenever he finds time.

Umerkote is around 598km from here.

Gond, who owns nearly 25 acres of land, says he earns between Rs 12 and Rs 15 lakh every year by cultivating paddy and corn. “I have grown up watching our fields being cultivated. My father Samaru Gond used to till the land himself. My elder brother Hiraman still tills our land. I help him to the extent I can. Becoming an MLA has changed nothing for me as far as our farming activities are concerned,” the MLA told The Telegraph.

According to Gond, farming can be a profitable business only if one works hard. “It’s tough to find labourers at the right time for harvesting. If you work in the fields yourself, others will follow you. We had a good harvest this year despite natural calamities,” he said.

Gond said the coronavirus-induced lockdown had caused a shortage of farm labour in the market.

During the Dussehra vacation when others were busy in festivities, Gond and his wife decided to work in the fields. “During Dussehra my school was closed. I decided to go back to my in-law’s house, which is only 25km from my work place. When I saw my husband working in the field, I decided to join him in paddy harvesting. As a wife, I support him. The bond between a husband and a wife gets stronger when they work together,” said Chaiti Gond, the headmistress of Chadheiguda UG High School in Nabarangpur district.

Gond said, “I am proud of my wife. She always supports me. We have inspired other people in the area who don’t hesitate anymore to work in their fields. I have engaged six people to support me in harvesting the paddy. My elder brother looks after these things when I am away and engaged in political activities.”

Both busy harvesting paddy and making bundles of the harvested crop Telegraph picture

Gond, who came into politics in 2000 after being inspired by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, wants everyone to gain experience of farming. “We can engage in farming while discharging our regular professional work. Farming connects us to our roots,” he claimed.

Gond said it was important for a farmer to be in his fields during monsoon to plough the land and to undertake paddy transplantation work.

“Similarly , one should be present when harvesting takes place. If you take care of these things, there is never any fear of losing money,” he said.

Earlier, ruling Biju Janata Dal’s Dabugaon MLA Manohar Randhari, who also hails from Nabarangpur district, had earned praise from Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu for working in his paddy fields, carrying out transplantation work amidst monsoon showers.

Naidu had tweeted, “It’s inspiring. According to him (Randhari), the youths should not feel ashamed or feel any kind of hesitation, while working in the agriculture field.”