Story of an innovator’s struggle

The story of Natthubhai (099240 55012), a 39-year-old, passionate farmer pursuing his dream of developing a tractor drawn mobile cotton picking machine is a story of a decade long struggle. The work is still in progress.

He made a model earlier, which did work in the field but somehow left a few balls unplucked. He was not happy with that model. He dismantled it and started working on new designs. Leaving his mother Maghu Ben Vadher, he has devoted a lot of his time to pursue his passion.

But when he invested his savings year after year on designing this machine, and still success eluded him, his wife Pushpaben started complaining. She wanted him to think about education of his children Dharmendra and Ravina, their future and their daughter’ marriage. Natthubhai recalls, “Some times, I would start from the house saying that I am going out to grocery shop for purchasing oil. However, I would return bringing some iron parts for the machine.”

But this could not last for long. He had already invested more than ten lakh rupees and there was no guarantee that he would succeed. Tired of family’s criticism, he stopped working on this machine.

At this stage, SRISTI which had scouted him originally, reconnected with him. He was requested to resume his work. Mansukh Bhai Patel, who had developed a national award winning cotton stripper machine earlier was also requested to suggest ideas. Slowly and slowly, GIAN and NIF offered financial support and requested him to restart his struggle.

A workshop built by him in Erwada village of Dasada taluka, Surendranagar district became active once again. He has started working on a new model. Honey Bee Network is looking out for  such crusaders also who may not have succeeded in their mission yet  but have a desire to persist with their dream, have a reasonable chance of success and are willing to share their ideas with others, and take their feedback.

Nattu Bhai’s search will help a lot of farmers. Even educated unemployed landless people can be supported to buy this machine so that twin goals of improved productivity and enhanced employment are not compromised. There are some times children engaged in picking cotton which is not something that any civilised society should permit. 

There must be many more such farmer cum mechanics or artisans who we do not yet know. But they are the real assets of a society. They are real knowledge workers and deserve to be become a point of reference. Could we not have a at least one crore social innovation promotion fund in every district managed by local elites to spot, support and sustain such ideas.

We should also have mobile high precision tool labs which can be requisitioned by such innovators for a given time period so that not every innovator needs to make a fixed capital investment in workshop for developing just one prototype. The story of their struggle should be part of the curriculum so that young minds learn how an innovator struggles at personal, professional and social fronts, all at the same time. Indian journey towards a developed nation will be pursued on the shoulders of
creative people like him.