Silvester D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (SP)
Kundapur, Jul 19: A group of teenaged students from Spain are on a visit to this part of the country as part of their tour to study Indian farming system. They came to Guilvady in the taluk through FSL India (Field Services and Inter-cultural Learning) which arranged their visit to the country. They gave enough proof of their love for agriculture by planting seedlings in the agricultural field belonging to Dasarabettu Shekhar Shetty at Gulvady recently.
Although India is an agriculture-dominant country, farming here has been heading from bad to worse. This alienation from traditional occupation is particularly evident in coastal districts of Karnataka where the younger generation, drawn by the sense of prestige and Hi-Fi lifestyle that is deemed modern and trendy, has developed a sense of aversion towards agriculture. Paddy cultivation has been witnessing a marked decline year after year, a development that should be a cause for concern for the country. Even after farming was mechanized, disinterestedness towards agriculture continues to thrive. In the backdrop of these circumstances, the way in which students from Spain came here and enthusiastically and happily planted paddy seedlings was hearty to watch.
These students were not knowing about paddy, its cultivation, and its products. These foreign students were directly introduced to the method of planting paddy seedlings with the purpose of making them aware of how paddy is grown, how it is planted, its management, harvesting, separation from hay, processing, etc. These students planted paddy seedlings in about an acre of paddy field, and the variety of paddy they planted happened to be the rare paddy species known as Gulvady Sannakki.
Facility was provided to the students to plant paddy as per traditional method. Guide of the team and local farmers explained to them the method of planting of seedlings. Although there were initial hiccups for the students, who were aged between 13 and 14 years, as time passed, they began to plant the seedlings freely. More than concentrating on speed of planting, the students found pleasure in working in slushy field. They were not worried that their clothes and bodies were getting soiled but the experience seemed to have encompassed them with a feeling of ecstasy.
This was the first time ever that these students entered paddy field and planted the seedlings. A clear difference between the same age youngsters from India and Spain was clearly visiblel in their physique. When one hears their opinion that the culture of farming in India is very nice, one feels proud about our country and its heritage.
In addition to 11 Spanish students, students from Germany, Canada and South Korea took part in this exercise. A total of 17 students were present in the field.
These high school students from Spain have come here through FSL India for a three-week study tour. This time around, 11 students will stay back for two weeks to study agricultural practices. In addition to planting of paddy, they will be visiting plantations, learn the method of planting saplings, besides spreading knowledge about waste processing and reuse. In addition to FSL India training centre at Shetrakatte near here, they will also stay overnight with different families for getting first hand experience of the local culture.
A Spanish concern, Pandora, has sent these students to India. Jeevan has been functioning as guide for the team, while Gajendra and Dinesh are team leaders. Sara, one of the students, happens to be the leader of the visiting team.
The students share their experience of planting with glee. They say that they love agriculture, and if possible, would like to adopt agriculture as a way of life. In a nutshell, the visit of foreigners to Dasarabettu Sannakki Gadde in Gulvady proved to be a special occasion.
Jeevan, guide of the team, says that every year, over 200 students from various countries get training here through FSL India which began functioning in the year 2000. "The concern has six acres of land at Shetrakatte where the training institute stands. All through the year, farmers get trained about farming methods at this centre. The 11 Spanish students who have come here are getting practical training in agriculture. Thereafter they will provide information about recycling of waste vy visiting schools," he added.
A local, Divyananda Gulvady, expressed happiness at witnessing love of farming among the foreign students. "Our people too should evince interest in farming without neglecting it, and lay emphasis on continuing with this vocation as way of livinhg. Last year too we had provided opportunity for foreign students to study in our field. It is heartening to see that foreigners have evinced interest in studying our agricultural culture," he explained.