Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday offered a rare glimpse into his post-retirement plans, revealing that he has decided to dedicate the rest of his life to studying the Vedas and Upanishads and promoting natural farming.
“I have decided that whenever I retire, I will dedicate the rest of my life to the Vedas, Upanishads, and natural farming,” Shah said while addressing the ‘Sahkar Samvad’ programme in Ahmedabad.
The event was organised as part of the International Year of Cooperatives 2025 and brought together women associated with the cooperative sectors from Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan.
Describing natural farming as a science-backed practice, Shah said it offers significant benefits for both human health and the environment. “Natural farming improves soil health and human health. It also increases crop production,” he said.
He explained that unlike chemical farming, which has been linked to several lifestyle and life-threatening diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, thyroid disorders, and cancer, natural farming helps prevent such health issues. “Wheat grown with chemical fertilisers leads to several health issues such as high blood pressure, diabetes, thyroid disorders, and even life-threatening diseases like cancer,” he noted.
Sharing his personal experience, Shah said that crop yields on his own farm have increased by 1.5 times since adopting natural methods. “Earthworms return to the soil, moisture levels improve, and the need for pesticides is eliminated,” he added.
In addition to his personal remarks, Home Minister announced key cooperative initiatives aimed at empowering rural communities. He said the Ministry of Cooperation is working to strengthen the dairy sector through effective cow dung management, improved nutrition and health services for livestock, and better integration of rural dairy farmers into cooperative systems.
He also shared plans to roll out veterinary, vaccination, and dung management services to cooperative dairies across 500 villages within the next six months.
