TAMIL NADU AGRICULTURE: A Date with farming

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A software engineer gives up his job in the US to grow dates

Before starting date farming in Tamil Nadu, Anbazhagan was a software engineer in California. But he left his job to grow dates in a place that was declared unfit for the cultivation of this fruit by scientists.

''In Tamil Nadu every agricultural scientist is convinced that dates cannot be grown as there is no desired climatic condition. A family I met showed me a date tree that was grown from a seed. It had no fruits. None knew that it was a male tree. In India, dates cultivation is done in Gujarat. Naveenbhai Sodhakar, a scientist from Gujarat, agreed to help me. He came to Tamil Nadu and encouraged me. I brought date seedlings that were grown in Dubai after being created in London by tissue culture. They are six month old seedlings," Anbazhagan said.

In 2007, he opened a date farm in Mullipadi, a village five kilometre from Dindigul town. He imported 616 seedlings, each costing Rs 3,500. He spent Rs 21 lakh for the seedlings alone. Upset with the expenditure, his father asked him to do some other business. But Anbazhagan persisted.

TSI visited the 12 acre farm managed by Anbazhagan and saw that all the seedlings have grown up to ten feet height. Most of them bear fruits which are spectacularly bright yellow in colour. ''These trees will live another 65 years. They will grow till 60-70 feet height. After three years, these trees will give 25-30 kilograms each. And after five years they will give 50 kilograms. We sell dates at Rs 300 per kilogram," said a beaming Anbazhagan who sells his dates in the name of his farm: TR and Sons. From an obscure software engineer, Anbazhagan has become an innovative farmer. Also, he has become a popular farmer.

''In India, many people are anaemic. Dates are essential food item now. And they come in 2,000 varieties. Bahri is one important variety which I am growing now," he said. Now his dream is to expand this farm into 200 acre. After reading about his success story, many of his friends in the US want to take a plunge in date farming in Tamil Nadu. Anbazhagan acquired basic knowledge of date farming from the farms in America.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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KARNATAKA EDUCATION: No more dropouts

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Government to encourage students to continue education

The Karnataka government has drafted a plan to stem school dropouts. Under this visionary scheme to be implemented soon, teachers at all state government schools will be instructed to maintain individual education plans for each student they teach.

The main motive of this project is to encourage dropouts to join schools. The number of dropouts has soared in the state. Data available with the State education department shows that 59.61 per cent of students studying in 1 to 10th standard dropped out of schools during 2003-04. However, their numbers came down to 55. 67 per cent in 2004-05.

The districts located in the north eastern part of Karnataka reported the highest school dropout rates. According to 2001 census, 10.53 lakh students in the age group between 6 and 14 had dropped out of schools. The survey report of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) claimed that in the academic year 2009-10, about 1,08,542 children aged between 7 and 13 years gave up their studies. The state education department and scholars are alarmed by the high dropout rates. They want to bring this to an end and hence this scheme is being unrolled. However, some intellectuals are not happy with the way the government is tackling the whole issue.

The education expert and head of Karnataka Research and Development in primary education, Dr. S.N. Hunachagi, said: 'Dropout rate is alarmingly high. The government wants us to believe that it is decreasing, but that is not the case. The education department should unroll projects to address the issue. Till now the department has done no ground work. Most of the projects are only on papers. That is why results have been poor.'

However, some senior officials don't agree with Hunachagi. They argue that this time the government is serious in handling the issue. Teachers have also been asked to study students' socioeconomic background, including their cast, mother tongue, religion, family income and occupation, number of siblings' etc. But the full status of the project is hazy. 'Right now we are discussing the project. If anything concrete happens we will come out with details,' said K.R. Shashidhar, Commissioner for Public Instruction department.

It is yet not known whether teachers burdened with extra works like surveys and other departmental and governmental works as elections and census will be able to carry out this arduous task. Will they be able to maintain individual records of every student?

'It is not that much difficult to do as we are already maintaining records of every student. We know our students individually and sometimes we do meet their parents to discuss students' educational performances. Yes, we have to work hard and do overtime work to maintain and update each student's record. We may find it hard at the beginning but we will get used to it. If this project will help decrease the dropout rates we are ready to spend some more time on it,' says Ramaswamy, Head master, government lower primary school Chamadihalli, Karnataka.


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'I've been a target since 1992'

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Communal tensions are on the rise in Kerala. A college professor in Muvattupuzha of Ernakulam district recently had his right wrist chopped off by religious zealots for preparing a question paper that had alleged defamatory references to the Prophet. As the Bangalore blast case sword hangs over Kerala People's Democratic Party (PDP) leader Abdul Nasser Madani, he tells TSI's T Satisan that he and his wife, Sufiya Madani, are victims of a conspiracy

Do you think the stand you took after your release from Coimbatore jail in 2007 was misplaced?

Not at all. I was never an extremist. I founded the Islamic Sevak Sangh (ISS) as a reaction to things that were happening in the country ' the Babri Masjid dispute, problems faced by Muslims and provocative speeches made by leaders like Uma Bharati. Naturally my speeches were hard-hitting. But I never amassed arms or explosives. Long incarceration gave me time for introspection. I came to the conclusion that Kerala has a particular atmosphere. During my imprisonment, Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer, Gro Vasu and Mukundan C. Menon came to my aid much earlier than Muslim leaders. Democratic methods are always more desirable. This is the conclusion I came to. I still believe in everything I told TSI in 2007.

Do you intend to propagate the philosophy that you formulated in jail?

I recently organised a Rashtra Suraksha Sandesh Yatra from Kasargod to Thiruvananthapuram. I addressed more than 120 public meetings. I propagated the message of the Quran. I put forward my own ideas too. I said not a single Muslim youth should become an extremist because the Quran does not permit it. If you study the Quran and Islam, you can never be an extremist, you can never blaspheme another religion.

What about the disclosures of Nazeer about the Bangalore blasts?

Nazeer had come to see me after my release. He discussed his extremist line with me. I insisted his line was wrong. I shouted at him and sent him back. He has however stated I had nothing to do with his extremist activities. If the police are still after me, it is because of somebody's hidden agenda.

You are also accused of involvement in the Kalamassery bus burning...

I was in a Tamil Nadu jail and the vehicle belonged to Tamil Nadu. Naturally Tamil newspapers gave wide coverage to the incident. Neither me nor Sufiya is involved in it.

Do you think that the 'Ponnani policy' during the last Lok Sabha elections was wrong?

Not at all. It was the right stand under those circumstances. The Left stance against imperialism, the nuclear deal, Israel's atrocities in Gaza, the Union government's pro-Israel policy, IB's politically motivated game plans, etc. drew us to the Left Front. I still believe it was a right decision. But, at the same time, it unified our opponents. The Left Front lost Ponnani not because the PDP link. Congress, Muslim League and BJP joined hands there.

CPM's politburo has stated that the PDP connection was wrong.

That's a wrong conclusion. PDP was not with them when they fought by-elections for three Assembly seats and several wards of the local bodies. They lost. It is the Left that owes us an explanation. It was routed in the 2009 LS Sabha elections. They got more votes in Ponnani due to us. They are going to fight the 2011 assembly elections sans an alliance with us. Let us see how they fare.

So you have no relations with the Left Front after the Lok Sabha polls?

A: That's right.

Why are you always targeted?

I have been a target since 1992. Conspiracies have been afoot against me. There was an attempt on my life. I lost my leg in a bomb blast. It was masterminded by local RSS men. I think they were tools in somebody's hands. I was made an accused in the Coimbatore blast case. I spent 10 years in jail. I was released when my innocence was established. The Hyderabad Mecca Masjid blast, Malegaon blasts and Samjhauta Express blast took place around that time. Abhinav Bharat and other Hindu outfits were accused. Then the conspirators thought that some cases should come up against Muslims by way of a balancing act. But Nazeer was a lightweight. So I was made a scapegoat in the Bangalore case. The same thing had happened in the Coimbatore case. First Me, without a leg, jailed for 10 years. When I was jailed I weighed 110 kg. When I was released I was 48 kg. Did you approach the court for compensation?

Many people gave me that advice. But I did not heed it. Things will be different in the future. After Bangalore it could be Kashmir. I will go to court for compensation if this happens again.

Your workers are not protesting as aggressively as they once used to?

I do not want them to give in to sentimental outbursts. Some others may even misuse the situation. Therefore, we do not go in for strong protests. But last week Kollam town witnessed the 'Madani Neethi Nishedha Vedi' (Forum to address the denial of justice to Madani) rally. More than 19 Muslim organisations participated in it. BSP representatives also were there. Former Human Rights Commission chairman Dr Balaram addressed the rally too. A similar rally will take place in Kochi soon. And, lot of people are taking turns to fast in protest. The mother of a young PDP worker advised him not to return home if 'Ustad' (followers address Madani as 'Ustad') is arrested. Another worker's child is in an ICU. He says, he won't go back home even if his child dies. All fasting workers are Hindus. July 21 onwards road marches will take place throughout Kerala.

Are the human rights activists still active as they used to be?

Justice. V.R. Krishna Iyer issued a statement against the denial of justice in my case. B.R.P. Bhaskar and Bhasurendra Babu are also there. Gro Vasu and Dr. M.S. Jayaprakash fasted here. But the media did not highlight it much.

How will you face the Bangalore case?

Legally. I will not challenge the court as Thackeray did. There will not be any 'human wall'.

In 2007, you had envisaged a movement with Muslims and Dalits. But now you talk only about Muslims.

I am a Muslim and my activities create an impact among Muslims. But my welfare schemes benefit all. My ambulance service is free for all Dalits. But Muslims have to pay for the fuel.

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