Kerala: Left with empty granaries

Why are the thousands of granaries in Kerala lying empty? An explosive crisis has now developed in Kuttanad, one of the two major rice growing areas of Kerala (the other is Palakkad). I explained some of the reasons for this in my post, Un-ploughed lies my land.

The immediate problem is that thousands of hectares of paddy in Kuttanad cannot be harvested in time because of shortage of labor and lack of machines. The heavy summer rains have added to the predicament.

Kerala has been facing difficulty regarding rice, its staple food, for some time now. There is an acute shortage and the prices keep rising. Imports of paddy from states like Andhra Pradesh are tapering off due to various reasons.

Local farmers who valiantly try to cultivate either their own or leased land, are in a miserable situation. Reportedly, this season at least two farmers of Kuttanad have committed suicide because they had invested heavily but could not harvest the crop in time.

Why doesn’t Kerala have essential machinery for successful agriculture? The unions (these are the people who fought against mechanization of coir industry and use of computers in offices!) wouldn’t allow them claiming that they would render agricultural labor jobless. Of course, resourceful farmers could obtain permission to use tractors and harvesting machines by properly petitioning the unions!

The ‘loss of jobs’ argument must be a joke today. According to reports, unions claimed there were 15,000 agricultural workers in the area, but only 300 have so far registered in the Collector’s list of persons available for harvesting.

Now frantic efforts are on to get about 250 harvesting machines! Most Keralites would happily drive a tractor but wouldn’t like to get their feet dirtied in the slime of the paddy fields. So they look elsewhere for jobs.

In the 1950s Lambert Mascarenhas published a lovely novel about Goa – ‘Sorrowing Lies My Land’. That title seems appropriate to today’s Kerala. Tobias, the protagonist in the book, says. “Husbands and sons must roam the world over in search of work so that they can send money home to keep their families alive.”

Even as I write this, unharvested paddy is sprouting to waste in the Kuttanad fields.

Ends.

The photo (copyright reserved) of the granary (ara)in our tharavad is by me. Click on it for larger view.

Also see: Kerala architecture – ‘Ara’ in heritage homes

The romance of railways

I find this public domain picture of manpowered railway inspection trolley from Wikimedia Commons fascinating. It was taken in the North West Frontier Province circa 1903. Even today, a century later, you can see the same scene except for the Western clothes, all over India. What intrigued me was why this simple vehicle has not been mechanized even in the 21st century.

Last night at a dinner party I met an old friend who retired as General Manager of Southern Railway. He gave me the answer. They do have motorized inspection trolleys. But those are classified as ‘trains’. To use them on the tracks other scheduled trains have to be stopped and that is a complicated business. Push trolleys do not have this problem. They are light and can be taken off the tracks to allow trains to pass.

The former GM did not say this, but I think that another reason could be to retain the labor strength. The worker’s unions are not likely to agree to any manpower reduction. Lalu’s management miracle is filling the railway coffers so why cut corners?

There is a romance about trains, like ships, which is something that the airplanes lack, for whatever reason. This is particularly so in the case of the Indian Railways. So much has been written about this massive organization, its historic trains and the committed people who man them.

Given below are two links related to the subject. You are likely to find the articles interesting.
http://angloindian.wordpress.com/2007/08/28/anglo-indians-contributions-to-indian-railways-by-v-anand-gm-southern-railway-2003/
http://maddy06.blogspot.com/2007/01/those-were-days-train-rides-part-1.html

Ends.

Also see: Travel: A round trip by train

Health: Eye care, conjunctivitis

Conjunctivitis is an eye problem that usually surfaces with the onset of summer. It is also called ‘sore eye’, ‘red eye’ and ‘pink eye’. The condition is an inflammation of the tissue known as conjunctiva that lines the inside of the eyelid. The common cause is viral or bacterial infection. The offending organism travels though the air and spreads by body contact.

The usual symptoms include redness of the eye, watering from the eye, blurring of vision, discharge from the eye and increase in sensitivity to light. Some of these indications and irritation could be caused also by allergic conditions and by contact with irritants like chemicals.

Conjunctivitis normally lasts about a week. It is highly contagious and affected persons are advised to stay at home till the problem subsides. Wearing dark glasses during an attack of conjunctivitis is recommended because it would reduce the glare and make the patient feel more comfortable. However there is hardly any chance of catching the disease by looking at the eyes of a person who has conjunctivitis.

Hygiene is very important in preventing the spread of conjunctivitis. A person with conjunctivitis should avoid touching his eyes and always keep his hands clean. Do not shake hands. Avoid body contacts. Do not share towels, soap, dresses, cosmetics etc.

If a person contacts conjunctivitis, other members of the family should use preventive eye drops suggested by a competent doctor to protect themselves from the infection.

And most important – (1) do not try self medication or wait out seven days for conjunctivitis to run its course, (2) do not depend on medication suggested by the local chemist, and, (3) always consult a doctor and follow his instruction.

Please understand that this is only a layman’s understanding of conjunctivitis. It is posted as a reminder that the season for conjunctivitis is on so that you would be alert to the problem.

Ends.
Also see: Health: Slipped Disc (Prolapsed Disc)

Kerala Architechture: Thekkanattu Parayil Heritage Home

Two more pictures of a Kerala Heritage Home.

Photos: TP (Copyright reserved).

Click on images for enlarged view.

Also see:
Interiors

Easter

Christians all over the world celebrate Easter with great festivities. When is Easter? I think it is the only Christian festival that is based on the stars. It falls on the Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox. This can happen on any date from March 22 to April 25

Aren’t these Easter eggs beautiful? I think that historically these delicacies were not part of Malabar (Kerala) Christian culture. We had never heard of Easter eggs during my childhood. But slowly they made the scene and today Easter celebrations are not complete without them. Well, if Valentine’s Day can be marketed in India, why not Easter eggs.
Easter signifies the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. It was the fulfillment of His mission to earth. “I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die.”
What is the significance of Easter eggs? It seems that in many ancient communities egg was a symbol of new life and immortality. So it became an icon of the eternal life offered through resurrection.
I don’t think the Easter bunny has any religious significance.
Happy Easter.

Also see: Memories: Passion Week, half a century back

Public Domain images from Wikimedia Commons

Memories: Passion Week, half a century back

Try to get up as late as possible to face the Good Friday of stringent fasting. Everyone who has received First Holy Communion has to observe it, till the age of 60. Just one meal, lunch, on the day. No meat or fish for the whole of Lent.

One saving factor was the INRI Appam from the previous night. Now, this Appam is made from a special recipe, only on Maundy Thursday, for the solemn dinner. The head of the house would cut the Appam after prayers and hand over a piece to each member of the family, symbolic of the Last Supper.

The INRI Appam is light brown bread made from roasted rice flour and urad dal and served with a sweet sauce made from coconut milk and jagerry, thick and brown. In Western Christianity Holy Cross Buns are used in its place.

Several of these Appams would be made. Those to be served on the table, distributed to the nearby Christian families, and given to the church would have crosses on them. These were made with strips from the coconut leaves blessed and distributed on Palm Sunday. (Incidentally, every adult male member of the Parayil Family was given a full tender coconut frond, almost similar to the one for the priest, while the others had to be satisfied with one or two individual leaves.)

On Good Friday morning one was permitted to have ‘limited’ quantities of Appam and sauce. The limit was flexible, but nowhere near full breakfast. Strangely, one invariably felt hungrier on Good Friday than on other mornings. The leftover Appams were cut into thin square pieces, crisp fried and stored. That was a favorite and the containers emptied fast.

No mass on Good Fridays. Long sessions of Bible reading, till lunch. There used to be one curry everyone looked forward to. The main ingredient was tender cashew kernels. The servants were experts at removing the kernels unbroken from the soft green nuts. The recipe also included drumsticks and other vegetables. Delicious!

Then came the most tedious part of the day – the long church service in the afternoon. The ritual included swallowing ‘bitter juice’, a concoction made from some leaves. Nothing could be more bitter. That is symbolic of what the soldiers gave Jesus to quench His thirst. But then nothing lasts forever. Back home, an early dinner of ‘limited’ quantity of Appam and sauce, and off to bed.

Holy Saturday was normally quiet, uneventful, except for us, in 1959. Appan. died that evening. The priests wore colorful vestments instead of the traditional black for the funeral, because it was held on Easter Sunday.

Ends.

Coconut photos: From sprouts to saplings to yielding trees

The plant on the left seems to be of ball nut tree.

Click on photos for enlarged view.

Photo credits
1, 2 & 5 by AK Kepler, from the Polynesian Islands.
Believed to be in the Public Domain.
3 & 4 by Karthiki, taken at Olavipe. Copyright reserved.

Also see:

Kerala: More on coconuts

Kerala: Of monkeys and nuts

Tender coconuts: For class distinction to fighting hangovers

World Coconut Day: Photo of piggyback coconut sapling