Your Heart is in your Hand!

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Sathyanaraya Bhat

 

Article by Dr.  Sathyanarayana Bhat

Organic farming and such food saved Sri Shivarudra Swamy’s heart. Perhaps today people are mad on more production with chemical fertilizers. Misuses of such high chemically contaminated food leads to many ailments including Congestive Cardiac Failures. Here is an eye opening example of a farmer who is a best model both for ideal and good farming practices as well as model for keeping one’s heart perfect.

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Sathyanaraya Bhat
Sathyanaraya Bhat

Gattigunda is a small border village in South interior border tip of Karnataka. If you call loudly, the farmer of the next state Tamilnadu will answer. Kodihalli  and Kanakapura are  the nearest  so called townships to remote but serene ever green village  Gattigunda. In this hamlet, a great motivated soul in organic  farming lives. His name is Shivarudra Swamy who is also a synonym for saving the seeds of native land races of Ragi,  other wise known as the poor man’s life saver finger millet.

It happened fourteen years ago. Mr. Swamy was in his his late forties. He developed  suddenly pain over his chest. He went to Bangalore which is around one hundred twenty Kilo meters away from his home. Leading heart center of the State was his last resort. The chief cardiologist examined Swamy. After detailed investigations, he explained every thing. Swamy’s heart was under severe threat. Four vessels were blocked. Doctor opined that the surgery is the only option. Swamy got in to deep trouble after listening it. The surgery charges at State owned hospital was around two lac rupees. Swamy hardly had two thousand in his hand. The chief of the hospital understood the situation. He spent more than one hour and counseled the victim. He understood the cause of the problem. There is good saying in medical works. You keep away the cause. This is best way of treatment in short! The same thing happened in Swamy’s case. Doctor gave him s small chit of some tablets, strongly suggesting him not to expose to any type of chemically contaminated food.

Sri. Shivarudra Swamy returned to Gattigunda. He decided for a noble cause.” Let me not contaminate my own fertile land any more. It is also like my body. If my body is ailing, similarly my land must be screaming. Let me put an end to chemical fertilizers.” His decision was final. His hard work continued with little pace and  more rest. Gradually Swamy picked up to his normal routine. His clear thinking and conscious helped him to regain his heart’s health. Swamy is in his early sixties. He has stopped all his tablets and clinic visits. He is no more a heart patient. When he visited his Cardiologist last time, he interestingly explained his batch of students about Swamy’s episode. He even told that Swamy could win the death with his  love and dedication to his farming profession.

Swamy’s field work is coupled with his wife Rudramma. All field works are undertaken by the couple. They do not employ any one for any assistance.  All works like tilling, sowing, manuring, weeding and harvest is done by themselves. Rudramma os dumb and deaf by birth, but not her deeds. She is very active and highly committed to her family and farming duties. On the day of my visit was, it was late afternoon. The couple were busy in making the Ragi stud, colloquially known as Ragi Kana.  Swamy is again a model man in his village. Small land holders can not afford to make Ragi stud. They have to separate millet from the bunches with great effort. Swamy shares his stud to everybody free of cost. They just walk in with their head loads  Ragi hay and walk away with baskets full of finger millet.

Another example of Swamy’s nobleness is striking. He has only four and half acres ancestor’s land available for his farming activities. This year he had good crop of Maize in his corner land. Over half an acre standing good crop of Maize was just ruined in one night recently. The villain was an elephant herd. It did not spare even a singly hay unturned. Only ground high stumps were left over. Next morning Swamy saw this calamity. He never got panic and his heart with stood the shock of huge loss of the whole year efforts. With a deep sigh of dismay Swamy said, Lord Ganesha was hungry and took prasada from my field. He also shared us, that if anybody else would have been in this position, the fate would be just a suicide. Thus Swamy stood as an example of a man  not only with a strong heart but also compassionate to all, men and animals around him.

In the circles of good organic farming practices , Swamy is known as man of Kempu ragi which means Red finger millet. His  native seed collections  are amazing. His innovative methods of high yield is also astonishing. From bottom portion of  bunches  best yielding millet is pruned and seeds are collected. Only such seeds are preserved. Such seeds become highly virile and give rise to good crop. His mastery over such innovations needs much more recognition as well as appreciation. He is better than any Agriculture crop specialist in the college.

Swamy remembers his younger days of farming. It was the days of radio. All agriculture related programs are heard by young Swamy. All such new methods and plants were brought home instantly. He never hesitated to travel long distances for such efforts. Thus he grew ,  but  still his heart deceived him. Swamy never got disheartened. He faced the consequences courageously and stood like a wall. Today his multi crop fields are the witness of his heard work and strong heart and body. Field bean tillers are amazing. Dwarf plants of Toor dhal are with optimal yield. Ragi crops are best one always. All vegetables are cultivated in the season. Nothing brought from out side. No pesticides or fertilizer. Both , land and body of Sri Shivarudra Swamy is very strong like the name of his hamlet village Gattigunda stands for strength. Don’t  you think that he is the real strong  piller of Green India. Incidentally Swamy’s efforts are backed by one NGO called by Green Foundation working for the cause of farming community in Karnatka.

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Author can be contacted at:

Dr. Sathyanarayana Bhat MD,PhD, Consultant ,29 Second Cross, Venkatappa Colony SANJAYA NAGARA, Bangalore -560094  India . Resi: 91-80-42138185 ,Mobile:91-09448081005

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