Tula Ram Upreti

Tula Ram Upreti is a farmer from Sikkim who has worked his land organically all his life. He was named for the Padma Shri in 2023, from Sikkim ^[1].

A lifetime on the farm

Upreti was born on 14 September 1926 ^[2]. After primary school he gave his energy to farming his father’s 30 acres, where he grew paddy, maize, mustard, millet, buckwheat and cardamom, among other crops, with his family’s help ^[2]. At the time of the award, at 97, he was still managing the land ^[2].

He has never used chemical fertilisers or pesticides, only manure from the cows and goats he raised himself, and so came to be known as an “organic man” ^[2]. For much of his life he did not even know chemical fertilisers existed, and he has always held that organically grown food keeps the soil fertile for the future ^[2].

Public life

Upreti has also been active in local public life ^[2]. Over 20 years in the panchayat he served twice as president of a unit panchayat, and once each as vice-president and member ^[2]. He took part in the democratic movement of 1973 in Sikkim, which led to Sikkim becoming the 22nd state of India ^[2]. He has long urged local young people to build habits of hard work ^[2].