Neglected lake to Bird sanctuary.

Remember Piyush?
So he is back in full action (ok, a hand tied, due to an accident he had recently, but that cant stop him, we know!) and this time its my pet area too. Water body! But Piyush’s speed is different, you know.
He, during some conversation with the collector, offered to clean the periphery of a lake (50+ acres) called mookeneri lake, involving students and public. This appealed to the collector to sensitise the water body. So Piyush got some 700 people and cleaned a major area around the lake a month back, some 45 days back to be more accurate!
Then he got the collector more involved and asked him to let this evolve with public participation in to a bird sanctuary. The collector liked the idea but suspected the modus operandi. Piyush explained (am sure with lotsa pumped gas, as I know him and great picture he wud have painted with consummate ease)
And asked for written approval from him thru the PWD (which is the authority). Ofcourse who ever owned this lake (from the govt side), as usual hasn’t bothered to even desilt it for last 60 years.
That’s also the reason for no encroachment, IMHO.
So here our man gets in to mobilizing people once the PWD and govt said ok.
But that’s the difference between this small devil and others. The pace at which he will move things and get work done, even if the collector has a rethinking, a major part wud be done before he can wink and frame one sentence.
So our man goes about desilting, getting some JCB and other machines at work- full speed.
When he called me and apprised me of this and asked me to come over to have a look, I said, I shall see it next time I travel that side. And typical of him he pressed me to come over immediately if I wanted to see from scratch. And believe me from the time I spoke to him and 48 hours, so much had been accomplished there!
There were thes huge craters he digs as a part of desilting and creates the huge soil masses which will eventually become huge islands. On top of each island shall come some 200-300 bamboo tress and few huge trees (like peepal, banyan, cherry etc ) which shall attract birds.
The circumference of each island shall be 350-450 feet. Imagine some huge circular islands and some rope bridges connecting them with water alla round and kids going there to camp and educate themselves on environment/ecology.
The plan itself is not anything new, but the pace and the way he starts off without any money even and in the process goes about collecting is typical Piyush. Ofcourse there is a big team out there, a big public participation (esp now with his recent arrest, he has won so much sympathy that he has won so many more supporters!)

Wait! Here was a man who fought and singlehandedly closed a couple of mines around. So if he were to dig from lake site will the politico-corporate nexus not pounce? That was my thinking bcos the right to allow any one to desilt and btake the mud/soil lies with Directorate of Mines. That’s where there is huge chance for lethargy, apathy, no-will-or-action and corruption. So now if he were to take, I cudnt stop imagining..and he coolly says “that’s why I never allowed one tipper to enter here. We will excavate and pile up here itself. So no one can point their finger”. Very clever, me thinks. So that’s piyush. Already eco clubs of schools involved, many leading citizens involved, noted public figures vested with some responsibilities and hence a cool team set up which shall turn this ignored and neglected lake in to a big water body and more than that a special bird sanctuary.
Hats off piyush! Again!!
Keep going..let some rub on people like us and lets be inspired to achieve atleast a small percentage.
And BTW, Thanks for doing this Piyush! An eco restoration worth its salt err water.

for some fotos, bad ones from my mobile, go here.

Note: many of u asked me what happened to his case after that arrest! Strangely nothing! Absolutely nothing!! Yes, the police have no case prolly, so no charge sheet filed as of now. This clearly indicates that had nothing else other than malice and vendetta- in the form of pressure from some political cohort or lout.

Piyush Piyush Piyush

I met this guy who came to demonstrate a bamboo chair at our restore. That was not a simple plain chair, it had some intelligence infused. One could fold it and carry it easily, move a couple of pieces and it becomes a high chair or rearrange it and that could become a side table. Amidst our restore Bazaar commotion I quickly asked him where he was from and where he had his farm. It was to be salem luckily where I was heading the next week, then! He also mentioned his bamboo farm was organic! Reason being economics, pure sense and enviro concern. So a day was marked immediately in my mind to visit him.
I was at salem mainly for the thalaivasal farmers meet (now that will be posted here later) and other farm visits. But one of the 1st places I visited was Piyush’s office. Office? nay industry! He had a group of bamboo experts from Tripura and was doing wonders with bamboo. This bunch should be artists and geniuses to come out with such wonderful pieces. Chairs, easy chairs, side tables, dining tables, blinds (yes beautiful ecofriendly bamboo blinds in various colours and designs), cloth racks, cot, Fridge stand, stools, book readers (keep wondering till I fish out a foto for you to grasp that!), adjustable chairs and what not! even name boards!
Ok, am always biased for bamboo and so all those articles impressed me and so am screaming..u all know..but what if u found out too, like me, that all that is only a small % and there is more in this small giant.
TO HELL WITH BREVITY:
Hey look up in his reception and see a poster about an agri college and ask him what that is and he smiles and says, after he plonked in 12th since he cudnt go to college, hence he started his own. (ok, close your awed mouth! I did close immediately) what? College?? Yes – an agri college with syllabus, faculty and sponsors! So where is it now..hold on, it cant all be all a big time success. He is no government or rip-ur-pocket-bambanis rit? So some hiccups -like the students (who were and can only be rustic poor ones) had to spend close to Rs40 for a day to travel (by bus)from house to college to farm & back home..so the strength dwindled, but not his dream or wish to bring it back..its still simmering and dormant waiting to burst big, soon.
Then look left: There u see some paaku mattai plates! (areca sheath round plates). Oh those eco friendly biodegradable plates that we see now replacing the Styrofoam & plastic plates in most sensible households/parties. He was the pioneer who not only cut the manufacturing cost and also was the 1st to remove the initial major problem of areca plates- fungus formation! Hmm..took a bow..now wait and look right:-)
Speak out salem! Whats that? He is a one man army who fights against any injustice and environment screwing project and succeeds. He was singly instrumental in shutting the Bauxite mine (heard of Malco of the Vedanta group?) at kolli hills. See here. I happened to independently confirm this during my kolli trip. Where ever I asked a farmer or a small potti kadai (shop) owner he wud mention a chap called piyus from salem stopped it. Phew..what an achievement! Now did u take the hat off! No, wait..he has stopped Jindals in Kanchan malai and is now up against the stupid mining orgy attempt at Tiruvannamalai.
Peep in to another room as you walk out of his office, you see an amla seed remover. This drop out, as is typical of all maverick drop outs across the globe, freaks out. Genius oozes, silently but.
I say, my head is spinning and so ask him to come outside to the porch with me under a big cherry tree to ease myself. It was really getting too much. But then I see a small stove- rugged metallic design but connected to a hose. As I ask him where is that connected he just lights it and there is strong blue flame. So I decide that shud be some LPG and so its only prolly some stove design and nothing more. But no! what the heck. How can that be only some new stove design. It’s the methane from bio-wastes that’s feeding this. So those big drums I saw outside under that tree were all not only decomposing bins but harvesting gas for this stove. He actually makes this low cost solution in toto! from kitchen waste to gas for the kitchen. A better solution than all else (like vermi composting etc)bcos the methane which will be released in all other solutions is trapped here and burnt. Then the slurry/sludge is anyways composted and used as manure.
So now slowly Iam disinterested and start waiting for something (hu)manly or simply normal. So take my eye off anything new or different. and wait for him to sound something goofy to bring me back to conversation.
So here he was falling a prey to my designs..he prolly counted a few yaaaawns and slowly admitted. This little creature confessed. Hey, he doesn’t know to make tea. He apologises he cant give me tea bcos theres no one at home then and he cant make it. Ha ha you loser..(ok I made that up) But seriously he didn’t give me tea, promise.
Where the hell does he get time for all these? What motivates him? Or what does he smoke??? He wasn’t going to tell me all that..sigh sigh..
Then it comes to the topic of that cherry tree and plants, farm etc..as we meander on such topics we reach his terrace! There so many pots & bamboo baskets full of aloe vera and many other plants. Many not in good condition. Why? W & me smirk;-) and he says that’s bcos he doesn’t have time now to tend to these terrace garden but…come on, but what? We try to be nosy.. he now slowly comes out with another venture of his..supplying health food (twice a day?) to a regular set of clients! What is that btw? Wheat grass juice, aloevera juice & such like, some sprouts, salads etc. He was forced to stop it bcos he did not get enough clients to sustain it and justify the time he had to put in. But those regulars are cribbing, but he cant help right?
There he suddenly shows us a huge tree full of yellow flowers (the big ones we see on road sides right. Poor me, dunno the name. some one out there hilfe) and his eyes bloom with pride. That’s bcos that tree fell off a few months back right on to his house’s backyard only to be supported by the back wall. The root portion is almost out and what this fella did was to cover that root with as much soil as possible and water it. The fallen tree which had shed all its leaves & flowers is in to full bloom now at that 20 degrees slant, just about held by the rear compound wall. The tree is living with just that 25% of the root now underneath! So this fella fights nature too! Doesn’t give up, eh?
Then we stroll to his back yard to inspect that sleeping tree in full and suddenly watch a few plastic bags and lays packets. W stares at those but didn’t ask him anything about lays but he confessed. That he has 2 kids and they are normals:-) they eat chips like all their classmates, unlike father..ha haa..yeah, I hate all those alu coated, glossy painted plastic packs of chips and all those unhealthy advt backed spoilers. but ,but when I see its in Piyush’s back yard I know he has some ‘home work’ to do. But we are talking Piyush here folks.. he did that home work, unlike in his school days. Every packet that is emptied by his kids, they need to fill their inhouse compost and prepare saplings ( with seeds of the fruits, veggies consumed at home or of the trees in the neighbourhood) GENIUS! Every plastic bag that one wud see, small to big, multinational to local, consumed by them or anyone in the vicinity, with some sapling or the other. These are then planted across salem or surrounds. Hats off to his kids..That was the stealer for me. numero uno in this big list of his achievements. W is yet to come out of this!
Now, am tired- of typing and remembering all his deeds.
But I shud mention here that he did take me (suddenly one of the days that week I was in salem he called and asked me where I was and said ‘wait there, I shall pick you in 5 minutes’) to his farm. That’s adjoining some dense reserve forest near dharmapuri and what a place it was! That I was totally unprepared for such a trip, was starving for water, was hungry as hours passed by, walked in fantastic moon light with no signs of civilization as far as we could see, talked so many things, has to wait for another day. Oh! As we prepared to leave and started his jeep, a sudden cloud of smoke engulfed the bonnet and we opened to see flames around the battery. (some short circuit). How we corrected it and how we managed to leave that forest in that late night also has to wait for another day.
But it was Piyush all the way. Such guys are hopes. Such guys are motivation that come my way. Such guys are real! NOT FICTION!
Thanks Piyush- for everything! For working tirelessly for this society and for achieving so much. Do more..we will all wait to follow or atleast applaud. (yes, ladies & gmen, put your hands here not to clap but comment here- that’s a way to appreciate him!)

Piyush Arrested!

remember Piyush?
He is arrested for sedition!!!!
for trying to go on a peaceful cycle rally from salem to chennai via sivagangai.

This was to highlight the pathetic condition of the tribals who are being hunted by the govts (state & central) in the name of operation Green hunt.
whats their interest you ask?
The Tatas, vedantas, Jindals etc need the mineral rich forests which is the tribals' home! so this special hunt on the tribals..Govt needs to help these rich become richer right? development you see!
Piyush who visited Chattisgarh recently was witness to so many afflicted tribals (due to displacement, rape and happy-trigger-hunters).

Piyush felt bad that most of us in TamilNadu were not aware of all this and so wanted to spread the message about the atrocities committed on the tribals up there- in a peaceful manner..
But it was stopped even before he started and has been charged with sedition, a non- bailable law.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

1. Write polite letters to the Commissioner of Police, Salem, after you have had a chance to read the contents of the pamphlet, expressing your outrage at considering pamphleteering a seditious act, and inviting him to restore your confidence that Tamilnadu still operates within the democratic framework set out by the Constitution.

2. Get people (including known names) from your city to sign a statement defending free speech, and have it faxed to the Commissioner of Police.

3. Get people who can write to write in blogs, opinion pieces in media.

Letters may be sent to:
Commissioner of Police
Salem City
Phone/Fax: +91 (0)427 2410217
mail to :spsalem@dataone.in,spsalem@yahoo.co.in

Model Message: "We are alarmed at the charge of sedition framed against Piyush Sethia for distributing pamphlets announcing the launch of a peaceful, non-violent public opinion mobilisation via a cycle rally to highlight and protest against the Government's atrocities against Adivasis in Chattisgarh. We are concerned about your office's clampdown on constitutionally guaranteed rights to free speech and expression on a day when the Republic is being celebrated. Kindly withdraw the charges, and honourably discharge Mr. Sethia."

124A. 1[ Sedition.-- Whoever by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise, brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards, 2[ the Government established by law in 3[ India], a 4[ shall be punished with 5[ imprisonment for life], to which fine may be added, or with imprisonment which may extend to three years, to which fine may be added, or with fine. Explanation 1.- The expression" disaffection" includes disloyalty and all feelings of enmity. Explanation 2.- Comments expressing disapprobation of the measures of the Government with a view to obtain their alteration by lawful means, without exciting or attempting to excite hatred, contempt or disaffection, do not constitute an offence under this section. Explanation 3.- Comments expressing disapprobation of the administrative or other action of the Government without exciting or attempting to excite hatred, contempt or disaffection, do not constitute an offence under this section.]

What a shame..

Sedition..for distributing nay, for trying to distribute pamphlets about the state of tribals in chattisgarh..so my dear friend Piyush is still in prison..
Still, I mean well over 3 weeks:-(
Among many things (like I have chronicled about him many times) he is an organic farmer, a sincere well wisher of the society, a fantastic activist, well meaning human being, a good trainer, inimitable father and what not..i have seen all these roles very closely..
And he is being marked as anti-national and booked under sedition..
Its only a shame to the police and the Govt..
But the fact is his family and all his friends are under severe distress..

to what extent all these govt. machineries and the political cohorts can go to harass a good fella is unimaginable…
May be, just may be, they may achieve what they strive for- to dissuade more of us to come out and do what folks like Piyush does..
Can we belie that and stand by such struggles and most importantly with people like Piyush?

Shame on TN govt! ofcourse home ministry needn’t be mentioned here, it esp under this minister is known for only one way..

at last he is out!

ya, Piyush is out and personally, thats a cause of joy for me and many more..
But am shocked and irritated that it took so long!

That speaks of our rotting system..but the plus side is he got an unconditional bail..
see here, already am rejoicing the fact than brooding about the malaise of the system. It took more than 3 weeks and for nothing he was booked under sedition!
Get what iam indicating..
The whole idea of the corporate cohorts (its immaterial which politico was behind) was to frustrate him and to break his back..if it was most of us, they wud have achieved, but not in Piyush's case. They will have the favours returned soon:-) i wish its in multiples..am game to stand up and support. But the whole thing stinks..
He is booked for sedition! Anti national –
for what? Trying to distribute pamphlets!
On what ? The displacement of tribals in Chattisgarh in the name of development!
ok. a pamphlet about some serious cause in a far state! Ok, if its a crime, but firstly did u see the catch word?
'try to distribute..'
oh! so he didnt actually distribute??
so then whats the crime here?
And so what he or his lawyer now will defend..
phew..thats all above logic or sense..but we shud learn to live with all this nonsense..bcos we are run by such efficient lots!
I know, am digressing...but what can a small fry like me do except to crib here in the virtual world. I seriously felt so helpless during this whole episode and still feel..
back to this case:
The lower court didnt give the bail. So much for the judicial system esp at the lower rungs.. u seriously think that small court magistrates can deliver a fair judgement and lead a safe life out there locally?
So it had to be taken up at the higher court. So high court, Madras. Again the system. dog ate the 1st page, pigeon didnt deliver the second page, etc..So u waste a few more days.
Any way The judge out here had given a lengthy order (or what do they call that?) including the arguments of his counsel the indomitable Dr.Suresh (of PUCL) and also had apparently highlighted about the freedom of expression as in the constitution.
If these guys- the corporate cohorts and their dance babies called police has any shame (or soranai or its equivalent) they shud go get a new life. (Or even better end this life, thooo)
I wish these fellas should be booked for dereliction of duty, misuse and what not..grt grt..

1800 Kms on the road

In all this melee (anti GM campaigns, Piyush affairs,etc) I forgot to chronicle my long tour. 1800Kms on my scorpio to various places..different farms and meeting interesting farmers..It was fun..
It all started with a visit to Point return enroute to auroville..that nights stay at Sadhana Forest! An out of the world project in auroville where volunteers from all over the world come and volunteer in that extraordinary mission of Aviram & Jorit. That day (wednesday) was a talents night out there and to see so many talented youth from across the globe and showcase them casually in that off-grid campus was a great experience. Then we joined the volunteers of sadhana for one session the next morning and set off to trichy.
There was the agri exhibition out there organized by dinamalar (a tamil daily) and so an opportunity to see many farmer, farm equipments. It was fun bcos I happened to spend time with Ashok, rajasekar and Amit palekar (yes, the legendary, zero Budget fame subhash palekar’s son). So met some farmers in their network. Though my expectations weren’t met by this exhib, it had some purpose.

Then we set out to Kallakurichi, to visit an organic (oh no! zero budget) farm. Those farmers who follow palekar school treat ‘organic’ as a bad word. They will be driven by high conviction and wudnt deviate from their natural farming methods. They wudnt even tolerate a hybrid cow (to a nattu/desi cow)..so its always interesting bcos most of them see agriculture as a way of life..more like a spiritual practice than a livelihood.
So it was not new(s) when I met Chandrabose in the village called Neelamangalam 4km before kallakurichi. Nor was I surprised when I came to know there is no other farmer practicing organic farming in the surrounding. This man also hasn’t sold his produce in the market but only given to his relatives & friends alone and most of them have seen vast improvement in taste and health. Good example is his sister who always had acidity and other stomach problems which hasn’t surfaced from the time she has started taking his rice and grains.
It was a shock when I was talking to some farmer in that area when he said that one can’t extract jaggery on their own without ‘license’. Police can raid it seems! I see that as a sugar lobby’s ploy to stop small farmers from extracting their own jaggery but to sell the sugar factories- at the cost they determine! Hmm, ways of democracy!

Then we proceed to a village some 25kms from Attur (before Salem). We had to take a deviation towards koolamedu right at a foothill. The route was so scenic and this farm surrounded by hills on all side was a treat..so a walk around his farm towards the evening was so delightful.
This farmer was some 70+ agile man with loads of knowledge and energy. There were some very interesting products they had too..the steal was their castor oil..traditionally the castor seeds are milled with turmeric we were told and so the fragrance was fantastic..any amount of sniffing by my friends couldn’t lead to correct answer! It was so different. Among other things they had good amount of traditional paddy varities.

From there to Salem and Dharmapuri. As we were leaving the last of our farm visits (& the eco restoration project of Piyush) near pennagaram, we just saw a sign board saying Hogenekkal 18Kms.. we were scheduled to catch Dharmapuri road and head to Bangalore..
But the lure of fun..so we took left and went to hogenekkal had a good massage and a bath and were about to leave..
And here again suddenly we see a sign board saying denkanikota and Hosur..This is a single carriage way and thru the forests..so lured again we go..rest is history..
As my friend SL who was driving asks me to check the sound in the front bumper, I set out to check that and in the process of all those bending and mending, prolly dropped my mobile..bcos after a few Kms I realise my mobile isn’t there and we hit back searching and rest is history, as all of u know..I was without a hand for a few days- good days though, still the feeling of having lost in such crazy situation lets u thinking of butterfly effect and tracing back to so many unexpected turns that u took and how they affected in a totally diff area, unexpectedly..
Such is life- filled with surprises and losses ;-)

expect some tardy performance..

lots to post here..
but lotsa travel happening..which means very less net access as well as no time to blog.
was in Hyderabad on ASHA (Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture) matters..
from there to Salem..remember piyush? going to that farm for next 2 days..
once back in madras have loads to do..

so no promises on when more stories come..but there are many for sure..

Hyderabad was hot! and the food out there even hot...phew, my stomach had to really fight heavy to cope up with the spicy (tasty though) food out there..
Chennai was too when I left..In all Bangalore still is better inspite of the traffic woes..