Have been listening to different talks of Dr. Khader Valli.
Recently after listening to a talk [link] of Dr. Khader Valli, in my imagination did a shashtanga namaskaram to Khader. Immediatly felt like what my friend (Rajashekhar) is doing is very critical work. I wanted to know what I can do along with him. Called him and asked what he was doing? He told that he has applied for enablers in the work he was doing. One of them was Hubli Sandbox. When I googled it, found http://www.deshpandefoundationindia.org
In it found Navodyami Program to be too good work. When I was looking for what all different companies/organizations they have been enabling, came accross Sahaja Samruddha [https://www.deshpandefoundationindia.org/images/partner/pdfs/deshpande_foundation_book_a4_sahaja.pdf]. I know this organization. I bought Siridhanyalu seeds from Sahaja Seeds recently. I went to Sahaja Seeds website. http://www.sahajasamrudha.org
Stumbled upon their publications [@ http://www.sahajasamrudha.org/Publication.htm]. I liked the millets calender. I asked the guy who send me seeds about how to get the millets calender. Later in the publication section came accross this book.
'Abhivruddhi Rathada Chakradai Sikki Biddavaru' - a transcription of Dr. Devendra Sharma's talk. Transcripted by Nagesh Hegde, Senior Journalist.
Ok, who is Devendra Sharma? What does he do? When I searched I came to see a marketing person, seems he has done SEO very well. Then searched with agriculture word. Later watched some of the talks of Devendra Sharma.
Came to understand how the economic policies, the subsidies, the WTO, the World bank, the governments have been working to make the farmers quit farming. A simple example is govenment has priced the cotton price to be 20% less than the actual value to support the textile industry. On the other hand the fertilizer and pesticide companies have been doing their own marketing and making money at the cost of making the land and water resources unusable.
In the name of economic growth, agriculture is being systematically killed all over the country. Not just in India all over the world.
You can read his blog @ http://devinder-sharma.blogspot.com
In Devinder Sharma's talk he spoke about many people, in them few interesting poeple are
Anupam Mishra: He exposes us to the rural India’s traditional rainwater harvesting techniques. These are innovative ways to keep the life sustainable even in the indian deserts. You can check his talk @ https://www.ted.com/talks/anupam_mishra_the_ancient_ingenuity_of_water_harvesting
Dr. Surender Dalal: He has made the farmers in Nidana village capable of growing their cotton crop without using pesticides. It's called "Nidana model of Biological control of Pests". This model is being used by many farmers in Punjab as well. More about Surender's work is here http://rohinibarla.postach.io/post/dr-surender-dalal-a-glimpse-on-his-life
Devdutt Pattanaik: He is another interesting person.
After schooling we look up at western people for technologies and solutions to all problems. Their media skills are also good at making their technologies/solutions being projected as great work, reaching all people accross globe. How these technologies can be useful accross the globe. We tend to suck it all, since they have the soft power by conditioning us in our schools.
There was a power cut in US and all people are in streets. After that incident I came to know that 24-hours power is available in US. I thought how about providing power 24-hours to in India as a service. It will help the farmers to run their motors. And many other useful things with 24-hours power. Here I was trying to fit the problems we have here in the box of this solution. Technology innovations leads to great solutions is what I have believed. Lately I now believe that we need to start with a problem to solve. Not with solutions in hand looking to fit the problems in that solutions.
People dig lot of bores, to provide water for fields, every year they dig new bores for water. This is a problem. But what is the solution to this. If we look closely in the history we find solutions for our problems, which we discard by defalt, because we are taught so. Our solutions are not scientific. Since we are not capable of understanding the technology and rational behind the solutions we had earlier, we must try to build our capability and understand them better. Rather than just being blind.
Now what is the right thing to do. Grow the crop which suits the context in which you are cultivating. Have the ponds, water harvesting techniques used by our earlier generations. Those will save us from water problems that the laying out pipelines in the city and the municipality suplying the water. When the ground level waters are heigh, everything is self sustained, where is the need to supply water.
Coming back to where I started, Siridhanyalu cultivation need very less water. 300 liters per KG of Siridhanyalu. To produce 1 KG of rice you need 28,000 liters of water. Grow them in dry lands and eat them and be healthy. More details at https://www.deccanchronicle.com/lifestyle/health-and-wellbeing/140816/sunday-story-positive-grains-of-truth-for-a-negative-age.html