A wee drama: Nitin Gadkari's ‘number one’ aid for farmers is out-of-the-box
The union minister has a fertile idea that is a little more than just soo-soo.
By ET Bureau | Updated:
BCCL
We once had a prime minister whose preferred tipple he himself naturally produced, giving new meaning to the term ‘a wee dram’. Now another mantriji is metaphorically saying ‘Cheers!’ to farmers using the same bodily product.
Union minister Nitin Gadkari has suggested that the country could save valuable foreign exchange by substituting imported urea, used by agriculturists, with what in common parlance is referred to as ‘Number One’.
The minister, who is known for his ‘out-of-the box’ ideas, made what might be called this ‘out-of-the-pot’ observation in Nagpur while addressing a group of young innovators. The minister said that facilities should be provided at airports for the storage of urine that could then be used as urea by farmers.
The idea — which has already been endorsed by a former chancellor of Nagpur University who is a chemical engineer — is likely to find enthusiastic acceptance, not least among that section of the populace, largely male, which, minding its pees and cues, seems to take pride in openly flouting the ‘Do Not Commit Nuisance’ signs that adorn public buildings by doing precisely what is proscribed.
Indeed, the entire enterprise could be given a patriotic twist by paraphrasing JFK’s famous mantra: ask not what your country can do for urine; ask what urine can do for your country.
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