back here after another trip..

I know, it has been quite sometime since me scribbled something here..I will not give that busy story yet again..sort of, still..
Had some domestic issues keeping me busy plus some old unfinished agendas and many domestic visits..
talking of visit, one such was to one of our relative's place in sort-of-mid east (shall I say- for the madras trained eyes even places like thiruvarur wud be way south!) TN.
It was a small village called ettukudi (called yettivanam or karunjchirumkaadu till 14th century!) the closest neighbour to the village of the present CM of TN called Thirukuvalai.Though it satisfied all my interests of a typical village that I wanted to visit and spend some time, it’s a sad thing that the CM and a long standing politico of our nation has done hardly anything to his own birth place! So many things to do for himself right? Forget that diversion.
That village ettukudi was very interesting place with the people there being very warm and friendly- typical of Indian villages and their innocent nosy behaviour (which is never irritating but funny at best!) The whole route was eye refreshing green allover..what a variety of green all along..the beauty really can’t be expressed in words easily..esp at this time of the year, that too after excessive rains, green stretches for kilometers with the odd big attractive trees catching ur eyes..the green stretch right from the edge of the road till ur eye's horizon end was a treat..at times I felt this one beat the sight one used to get in swiss in spring (ofcourse minus the spread of colorful flowers). So a great experience incl the drive..
When I spoke to some of the agrarians (small time farmers, big land lords, medium ones too) I got a good insight of the present agri scenario..its pathetic..one of them said he wud be happy if the CM (to live up to his poll promise of free land for all folks below poverty line) bought his land for a good price to use up for that free schme. He wud be too happy to part with his land but did not know what to do next! All of them cried of severe rains and said it wud be terrible loss for them..it was visible for us as the paddy grains were all blackened due to the untime severe rains..some serious talks with specific figures gave me startling truth about the pathetic situation of agri dependent citizens. What wud happen if many were forced to move out of agri, with 40% people employed by agri and 25% revenue still coming from agri!
I think it can have serious fall out..crime rates can soar..and here every other day we citi fellas are pumped with unsolicited sms/call/mails about interest free loan for high end cars or personal loans..I shudder to think further..
for those of u interested in the rough economics:
1 acre (44000 sq ft) can fetch close to 20-30 gunny bags of paddy and so can fetch 9k(at 300 per gb) to the farmer. This is in a good yield and when sold at good rate. And all those efforts are for this meager results..it then changes 5 hands before it comes to u and me when the price is bloated and in effect profiting many hands other than the farmer!
A person(labor) is given 110-130Rs a day..i was happy to note that..(last I knew some 15 years back was 30-40 RS!)..still looking from the farmer’s angle an unviable business proposition..

So it was a mixed feeling after that trip, still an enjoyable drive..