How the shift from agriculture to industry has harmed our health, environment and social fabric
The ideas I am using in this article, such as mass consumption and false consciousness, are taken from critical or Marxist thinkers. In my town or state, there has been a shift from an agricultural society to an industrial society. In agricultural society, people were involved in agricultural activities, which had many benefits. People used to leave early in the morning, farm all day, and then come back in the evening. Everyone was involved in agricultural activities, and there was not a wide gap between the rich and the poor.
People in a village mostly belonged to the same status, with little superiority or inferiority. Both men and women worked on agricultural lands. What they ate was produced by themselves, including corn, rice, wheat, oil, and pulses. The food was pure and beneficial for one’s health, with no added toxic chemicals, so there was no need for medicines. Everyone was living a healthy life. People bought what they needed and did not store excess. Marriages were simple, and society did not have big expectations for boys and girls. It was a society where a man was not expected to have a job in a jobless situation. Everything was affordable. In the barter system, people also exchanged goods. There was minimal interference from the state in individuals’ lives and no censorship. Local issues were resolved locally by the village headman or body. Yes, it was a society with some stereotypes and stigmas, but in terms of the economy, the majority belonged to the same status. There was collectivization, and people helped each other in agricultural activities and other matters. The environment was clean, with people inhaling clean air, drinking clean water, and eating pure food. Ecological balance was maintained due to minimal anthropogenic activities. People lived longer and healthier lives.
But after the shift to an industrial society, things have changed. Industrial society created a wider gap between rich and poor, between men and women. This led to prejudice against traditional work; for example, a man working in an industry was praised, while a man working in agriculture or as an artist was looked down upon. This created an industrial masculinity where a man is expected to work in big companies and industries and earn more, like a money-making machine. This capitalist or industrial society created a false narrative of mass consumption.
Earlier, people produced for themselves and by themselves; now, everything depends on companies. Companies are not worried about people’s health, only profit, and they will use any means to earn it. Whether it is fruit, vegetables, milk, or spices, we are all dependent on industries and companies. Companies spray chemicals on edible items for longer shelf life, which has serious health consequences. More people are suffering from diseases like lung cancer, stomach cancer, respiratory diseases, etc. Young people are dying due to this. Cancer is increasing rapidly in Kashmir. In a household of five members, all are dependent on medicines. What people earn is spent on medicines. Industrial society has created false consciousness. Earlier, people bought clothes as needed and used them; now, our wardrobes are filled with clothes, yet we still buy new things. We are buying more items that are beyond our needs, leading to false consciousness or false needs. In marriages, people buy 10-20 outfits but hardly wear 2 or 3, and the rest stay in the wardrobe. Educated youths are now unemployed. Suicide and depression are common among youth. Many industries and private firms hire females at minimum wages, with all the profit going to the owners. This further adds to the problems of males.
As Chimamanda Adichie said, masculinity is hard to carry. A male is now expected to work in big industries and earn more, leading to higher suicide rates. Earlier, people had houses with 3 or 4 rooms and lived happily. Now, false consciousness has made people construct big houses with 10 rooms for 4 or 5 members, using only 4 rooms while the rest are locked, only to be unlocked during celebrations. We are being fooled by the ideal of development. What kind of development is this when our health is at risk, our environment is polluted, people are dying, and what we earn is spent on medicines? We need to think and take revolutionary steps to escape this crisis and find alternatives.
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