New Delhi: To get bumper yields, Goa agriculture minister Vijay Sardesai is willing to try every method in the book – including a Vedic technique requiring a farmer to meditate and channel “cosmic energy” by chanting “Om rom jum sah” for at least 20 minutes daily as part of a government scheme.

According to an Indian Express report, the project titled ‘Shiv Yog Cosmic Farming’ has been designed by Avadhoot Shivanand, a chemical engineer-turned-godman, through his Shiv Yog Foundation.

The daily reported that the minister’s wife is a follower of the foundation and is the one who convinced him to take this step. “My wife Usha is a Shiv Yogi and she is the one who has been promoting this philosophy,” Sardesai said. He admitted that he was also sceptical about it, but there “are studies backing this method.”

Launching a pilot project at a field near his residence in Fatorda on Tuesday, Sardesai said that there was no money involved in the scheme and being the agriculture minister of the state, he was willing to explore new methods to boost interest in farming.

Launched transplanting of Ratnagiri 7 RedRice at #ShivYogKrishi’s maiden #CosmicFarming rice cultivation @#Fatorda today .Not tokenism but increasing fallow uncultivated area from 40,700 ha(27600 ha Kharif & 13100 ha Rabi) under rice @Goa is the real challenge ! #FarmingChallenge pic.twitter.com/EoKcTS1h0q — Vijai Sardesai (@VijaiSardesai) July 3, 2018

“If you convince me a rock show or a beauty contest will also help get people excited about agriculture, I will pull it in the middle of the fields. We need to now look into methods to get everyone interested in farming,” Indian Express reported him as saying.

Over the past few days, farmers have been receiving “shakti” videos on WhatsApp, which have since gone viral. The videos – which are apparently filmed in the fields of Madhya Pradesh – depict farmers meditating with Shivanand, referred to as Babaji, who is describing the impact on the field.

In one video, according to the Indian Express report, Shivanand is addressing “scientists and doctors” – calling them referral points – and saying that the “third eye spiritual exercise” is a “science beyond science”.

The role of the Agriculture Department officials in this project, they claim, is quite limited. They will work towards selecting plots which allow for alternative farming methods. Officials claim there will be no forced participation in this exercise.

A free two-day workshop was also conducted for farmers where representatives of the foundation gave away curriculum on meditation, which requires chanting of “Om rom jum sah” during the seed planting stage, till the seeds take roots. The aim is to ensure that the “cosmic energies bring the positive microorganisms alive” in order to gradually reduce the dependence on fertilisers.

According to Sardesai, “The general thrust is to focus the energy into the soil, be less dependent on fertilisers.”

“If you ask me, we have 40,000 hectares of cultivable land lying fallow. If sitting and meditating and tapping cosmic sounds excites them and bring them to the fields, then that is enough for me,” the minister added.