STICK TO ORGANIC MANURE

 I observed that all the vegetation on our farm land was given adequate green manure, cow dung or compost, neem cake or groundnut cake and ash on a regular basis. This made their yield very good. The earthworms, Mannira, and various beetles and other micro-organisms that are found in the soil consume the manure and a fertile organic soil is returned which is ready for absorption by the plants.

It was again the Grama Sevak who advised my parents to use chemical fertilizers lavishly to get better yield. Urea, Super phosphate, Ammonium phosphate, and Muriate of Potash were some of the fertilizers commonly used in the paddy fields and plantations. When green manure was neglected the yield began to decrease. The numbers of earthworms, beettles and other micro-organisms in the soil were also found scarce. I have observed that the minute organisms and other tiny animals help in converting the dead fauna and flora into humus or organic soil fit for consumption by the plants. Due to the regular use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers there were negative effects on the soil and the land such as land degradation and desertification and make the land unfit for cultivation. One should, therefore, resort to the old method of organic cultivation for getting a reasonable yield. This also makes the fruits and the grains much tastier. 

          I have started using a few products like Panchagavyam and Aminoplus developed jointly by the Krishi Vigyan Kerala and the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute at Ernakulam. Panchagavyam is prepared by a mix of cowdung, urine, milk, curd, butter, which are obtained from a cow reared in naturally, and also adding Palayamkotan fruit, jaggery and tender coconut water.  One ml. of this mix diluted in one litre of water is be sprayed on the leaves once in ten days; it will improve not only their growing but also flowering and fruiting.  Aminoplus is another fermented product made of Indian Sardine fish and jaggery. Spraying of this mix will improve the growth of the plant. Both these products give resistance to attack by insects.

I have experienced that a mix of neem cake and groundnut cake fermented for a week is poured into the bed of guava tree and other fruit trees it will start flowering and give you lots of fruits. Krishi Vigyan has developed lots of other products helpful for the growth of plants as well as protection from insects and other micro-organisms.                    

Web:www.kvkernakulam.org.in).

Excerpts from

 NEED OF THE HOUR

by

Joseph J. Thayamkeril

josephjthayamkeril@gmail.com

SPRAYING OF POISON UNDER THE GARB OF MEDICINE

          The Agriculture Assistant, Grama Sevak, was a frequent visitor at our house. He appreciated our vegetable garden. One day when he came, ‘Ammachi’ complained about the pests which were a menace in our vegetable garden. He advised her to spray medicine on the leaves to get rid of them. He supplied her with two packets of a particular powder and directed her to mix it in water and spray it on our vegetation.

When ‘Ammachi’ opened the packet I gazed at the dull yellow powder had a strong and unpleasant whiff. Her reflex was to cover her nose with a towel. She mixed the powder in water and sprayed it on our vegetable gardens. Miraculously, the pests had all disappeared in a day. This medicine namely D.D.T. was given a warm welcome in many such vegetable gardens which were infested with pests. After a few years this too became ineffective because the pests became immune to it. I have seen ants consuming D.D.T. with no side effects or repercussions. Subsequently   B.H.C was introduced into the market as a pesticide.  The result proved to be the same.  Years later the media revealed that the Government fraudulently used the agricultural department and its officers to promote D.D.T. as a medicine although this pesticide was banned in the United States of America much earlier. By doing so, the Government was jeopardizing the health of the population and was causing serious damage to the environment as well. It was an unpardonable mistake.

  

Another banned item, Aluminium phosphate in round tablet form, was used in ware houses to control pests which badly affect the health of the people.

After all these calamities it is shameful to note that the Central Government is again trying to promote  the spraying of  yet another banned poison, “Endosulphan” on cashew, tea, coffee and other plantations. The spraying of endosulphan in certain    cashew plantations caused mental abnormalities to innumerable persons living in the adjacent three villages of Kasargod Taluk, in the State of Kerala. It is a grave mistake.

Neem oil and cake are natural pesticides to control pests. A few ground hot Chillies, Kanthari, and little Neem oil mixed in a litre of water can be sprayed to ward off the attack of pests in a vegetable garden. Cow dung can be used as a pesticide as well as fungicide. Similarly Bordeaux mixture which is a quick combination of Copper sulphate and Calcium hydroxide is a good fungicide. The use of such medicines will not cause any damage to the crops and the environment.

. I have noticed that the presence of large number of the big red ants (‘Muyiru’ or ‘Mussar’) protects the mangoes from the attack of beetles and other pests by feeding on them.

I have started using “Firamon trap” vended by the Krishi Vigyan Kerala and the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute jointly at Ernakulam. This trap is very effective; lots of bettles were trapped and killed and we got lots of nice mangoes during this season.

Excerpts from

 NEED OF THE HOUR

by

Joseph J. Thayamkeril

josephjthayamkeril@gmail.com

UNITY IN DIVERSITY

Geographically India is a vast peninsula with a total land area of about 33 million Sq.Kms. It is the seventh largest in area and it accounts for 2.4 per cent of the total geographical area of the world. The length and breadth of the country is around 3,214 and 2,933 Kms respectively. Due to its large area it is often referred to as a sub-continent. One of its states is bigger than many countries of Europe. But the whole country is well bounded by nature. The north and north-east region is sheltered by the Himalayan Mountain Range. The Indian Ocean situates on the southern side. The eastern and western sides of our country are flanked by the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea. The mountaneous and hilly regions of the Himalayas in the north are extremely cold but the coastal areas in the south are at times extremely hot and humid.

India is the second most populous country in the world with around 1.271 billion people (2015), which is more than one sixth, (17.5%), of the world population.

India is a repository of multiplicity of cultures and it is one of the ancient civilizations in the world stretching over 5000 years. There are more than 33 languages and hundreds of dialects in India. The Constitution of India recognizes 22 major languages, written in 13 different scripts. The Indian languages belong to four language families namely Indo-Aryan, Dravidian, Austroasiatic (Austric) and Tibeto-Burman. Majority of India's population are using Indo-Aryan and Dravidian languages. The Indo-Aryan languages like Assamese, Bengali, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanscrit, Sindhi and Urdu are spoken mainly in northern and central regions. The Dravidian languages of southern India are Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada. Ethnic Santhal tribals of the Chota Nagpur Plateau in eastern India (comprising the states of Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Odisha) speak Santali belonging to Munda family, an Austric language. People in the northern Himalayan region and near the Burmese border (Assam and Manipur) speak Tibeto-Burman languages like Bodo and Manipuri (includes Meitei.)  The official Indian languages are Hindi (with approximately 420 million speakers) and English, which is a world language widely spoken among the educated class of people in India. In spite of different languages and dialects, Sanskrit, the language of Vedas, brings us all together because Sanskrit has made great influence on all these languages.

Religion has the most important place in India. We have different religions in India. Apart from Hinduism we have the followers of Budhism, Jainsm, Islam, Sikhism, Christiantity, and Zorashtrainism of Parsees. Judaism of Jews too has influenced us. These different religions and cultures have been blended together. But Hindus form the greater majority. Despite diverse languages and dialects; and different cultures; varied castes, sub-castes and creeds; different food habits, clothes, from region to region; there are a lot of other factors like religion, customs, traditions and the theory of “Dharma and Karma,” (the law and its observance; and daily service or duty) that binds us together.  Indians lay emphasis on spirituality, not on material pursuits or wealth. Hinduism has been, to a great extent, able to take all other Dravidian gods like Mahadevan, Murugan, Badrakali and a lot of other gods into their fold and that has helped in merging of their identity. Hinduism has a broader outlook and the capacity to absorb all the immigrant good ideas and cultures. Hindus firmly believe in freedom of thought and expression because such freedom enriches the culture which then becomes dynamic. The theory of rebirth, the fear of hell and heaven purification of soul, and the ultimate aim of achieving salvation, keeps them all bound together. Our philosophy of life, customs, creeds and traditions are basically, more or less, the same. The institution of marriage and most of the rituals are similar everywhere. We unitedly celebrate the festivals like Holi, Diwali, Christmas, Id, Budh Jayanti and Mahavir Jaynti. 

National unity and integrity have been maintained even though sharp economic and social inequalities have obstructed the emergence of equalitarian social relations. It is this synthesis which has made India a unique mosaic of cultures. We might be little different in patterns of living, life styles, occupational pursuits, inheritance and succession of law and practices, and different in rites related to birth, marriage and death. We might also be subject to regionalism and casteism in trifling matters but we always rise to the occasion in times of need such as foreign interference or invasion on our territory.

The idea of unity and integrity of India is inherent in all its historical and socio-cultural facts as well as in its cultural heritage. Constitution of India guarantees to its people belonging to all socio-economic strata and belonging to diverse religions, cultures and languages. 

The significant characteristic of Indian society is the religious tolerance and co-existence of different ethnic groups. India is one of the countries in the world where people belonging to different religions, castes and creeds with sharp economic and social inequalities, speaking different languages, having different cultures, different modes of living, different clothing, different food habits, worshiping different gods and deity live together in harmony and believe to be the children of “Bharath Matha,” Mother-India. We are one nation at large without a parallel in other continents. Despite these differences and foreign invasions, and Mughal and British Rule, the people of India belonging to varied castes, creeds and communities upheld its national unity in diversity.

Excerpts from

 NEED OF THE HOUR

by

Joseph J. Thayamkeril

josephjthayamkeril@gmail.com

REVIEW THE LAW RELATING TO PROHIBITIION OF CHILD MARRIAGES IN INDIA

            A century ago, people in our country firmly followed the age old customs and traditions of getting married when still young; to be more specific, before or immediately after they attained puberty. My paternal grandparents, Oli Thressiamma and Oli Ousepachan, got married at the age of 8 and 12 respectively. Same was the case with my maternal grandparents, Elykutty and N.J. Chacko Neerakal who were 8 and 15 years old respectively when they got married. They had their first child when she was 19. All their children were healthy, good-looking and brilliant. This was the general trend in families throughout the country. Most young people, especially girls, are physically and psychologically ready to get married as soon as they attain puberty. The norm that was widely followed was, “the earlier the marriage the better.”

            As I understand it, child marriage has a number of advantages. Being young, the couple understands each other better; both of them have the benefit of growing and learning together, adapting to new surroundings and situations, making them extremely compatible with each other. This makes the transition of adjusting into the spouse’s house a much easier process. It is easier to create a family when one is young. In their close affinity, there is hardly any room for confrontation. I have never seen my grandparents fighting each other. Since they take up responsibilities at a very early age, they tend to be more serious about life and plan their future accordingly.

            This can be set against the lifestyle of single men and women, who (in most cases) are more laid back, giving them extra time on their hands to engage in past times such as smoking, drinking and taking drugs, under the pretext of “enjoying” life; following the misconstrued ruse of being “cool.”

People who oppose child marriage would say that it would adversely affect girl’s education, personal development, job prospects and personal income and childbearing goals. Some argue that she might be pulled out of school, and separated from her peers. I disagree that early marriage would keep people from studying and/or building a career. If there is a will there is a way. Young couples manage to combine studying at the university, having a family and even children. If you have the desire, determination, dedication and devotion nothing could prevent you from getting higher education. Another case that is widely argued is that child bearing at a young age leads to high rates of maternal and child mortality. However, this stand is not justified in the present scenario, where medical attention in various disciplines is available in every nook and corner of our country.

The youngsters of our country suppress their innate sexual drives. When you get married late; you won't get those years back. Little do they realize that there are many other significant things to achieve in life. The cleverer a person becomes the more difficult for him / her to find a partner in life. It is not easy to live together if two people have two completely different, even contradictory views on life. Furthermore, a woman’s chances of getting pregnant decrease as she grows older. When a woman crosses thirty, infertility issues are almost doubled.

Virginity is sexual abstinence until marriage. Historically, premarital sex was considered a moral issue which was taboo in many cultures and considered a sin by a number of religions, but since about the 1960s, it has become more widely accepted, especially in western countries. Arousal of sex is a natural hunger, a biological necessity. I have heard people say, “Morality is lack of opportunity.” In western countries, dating is very common. They enjoy sex from a very young age. Their youngsters leave their parental homes and move into dormitories when they attain puberty. In case a boy /girl doesn’t have a girl / boy friend; their parents are anxious and they would take their child to a psychologist. But modern relationships are much more complicated; people date more partners before settling down; cohabitate and procreate without getting married; and might marry later in life when they are sure that they won’t desert each other. It is astounding to note that at present a majority of the young Americans below 35 years are unmarried.

It is always advisable to take some marital counseling courses before getting engaged and married to someone. Sex education programs are now available to teach the youngsters about reproductive health, safer sex practices, sexual abstinence and birth control. It will help you to avert teenage pregnancies and other problems in life. Marriage is not a bed of roses. Couples should be ready to make adjustments and accommodations and should be prepared to share their joys and sorrows to make their life a success. It is significant to bear in mind that “life is a stage in which much has to be endured and little to be enjoyed.”

Awakening of sex, sexual intercourse and masturbation are quite natural. It’s healthy and perfectly normal. I have observed it not only in human beings but in other mammals as well, and it is unnatural to control it. We have to realize the fact that sexual relationship is not a sin at all and it is a biological necessity. There are only two unpardonable crimes in the code of sexual conduct, rape and telling of lies or breach of promise. Christianity teaches sexual relationships as abhorrence, crime or sin. They say that sexual relationship, masturbation and the child born out of a wed lock too is the result of sin. Their teachings are absurd and against the Rules of Mother Nature.

Christianity further teaches that the blemishes or sin has to be cleansed by a sacrament (a sacred ceremony of reparation, penance, compensation, self-punishments, atonement or apology) namely baptism. The sacraments are invented and introduced during various periods to extract money from the blind believers and the church discourages their independent thinking in order to exploit them. Zoroastrianism originally invented the theory of heaven and hell as a means of income or livelihood for their hereditary priests. Mithraism too adopted it and Mithraism ultimately merged in Christianity. It is pertinent to note that there are neither intermediaries nor sacraments in Islam, another offshoot of Judaism.

            Delayed marriages and suppression of sex is a curse of the Indian society, and is a major reason for many of the problems that surface in Indian society. The innate urge of immature children to experiment with the new found changes in one’s body due to puberty, is often exploited by relatives, friends, pimps and other rich and influential people in society  including politicians, top officials in the executive and the judiciary; and affluent grand old Muslim men from abroad arriving for muta-marriages. I was astounded when the media pointed out that in some cases, the rape victim’s own parents were the ones involved in such heinous crimes. It can be concluded that half of India’s problems can be solved if children get married at the right time.

            No doubt, the best age for having your first baby is roughly when you are twenty years old. In such circumstances there would be a fourth generation in most families. The main advantage here is that in the extreme event of both parents dying prematurely or in the case of  divorce, there would always be grandparents or great-grandparents to look after the children; the children won’t become orphans; a burden on society.

A girl child attains puberty at her young age of thirteen or earlier and the boy at the age of 15 or little later. It is beyond human reasoning. There may be slight areas of dispute in the matter of child marriages, which has to be ignored. Beyond his limitations, man tries to create a new order in society and nature, thinking that he is the master. He never realizes the fact that the Acts and Rules he is making is contradictory to the Rules of Mother Nature. Like our parents and grandparents did, children should be married before they attain puberty. Otherwise there would naturally be outbreak of sex and rich and influential people in the society would exploit young children. It is not fair or proper for the Parliament to interfere with the personal freedom of individuals and it is against the Rule of Nature to fix a minimum age of 21 and 18 for marriage. Marriageable age does not come within the realm of the parliament. Let wisdom dawn on Parliament to review the prohibition of child marriage and make necessary amendments in this regard.

Excerpts from

NEED OF THE HOUR

by

Joseph J. Thayamkeril

josephjthayamkeril@gmail.com

STRAY DOG MENACE

At times, a large number of canines could be seen roaming around in my courtyard and adjacent compound, and other open spaces as well. They ate carcasses, human excreta and other wastes that were cast ashore on the banks of the Vembanad Backwaters. These dogs would disappear on a fine morning or they would die after eating poisoned wastes. Yet another pack of dogs would promptly become visible in the next day or two. Did someone picked some 6-10 stray canines from the garbage dumb and open spaces in the crowded Kochi Corporation limits and were being released in rural areas?

 Every night they huddled together and started howling and fighting each other for food or sex, which created a frustrating din among the people in the area, who find it unbearable. These dogs would become aggressive especially during mating season, monsoon, whereas bitches would become aggressive while trying to protect their younger ones. Large numbers of puppies were delivered at a time. They attained puberty between 5 to 12 months; and multiplied faster.

One day, while I was scurrying in my orchard I was surrounded by a pack of dogs. The sturdy cane deterred them from an attack. On another day my sister, Aleyamma and Augustine Mampilly, and their children Paul, Jose and Thomman came for a visit. Strangely, while they were leaving, Thomman found that one each of their shoes / chappals were missing. I thought somebody was playing a prank on them. Then I remembered the stray puppies. We searched the courtyard and the adjacent compound. They got their shoes / slipper back but a few of them were in a dismal condition.

These stray dogs chased fowls and ducks and devoured them. At times I have noted pack of dogs chasing away two and three wheelers on the main road and this contributed to traffic accidents as well. They bit people especially young school children, who got scary and run on seeing the dogs. It is difficult to discern whether a dog was rabies-infected or not. Some of these dogs might be carriers of rabies showing no symptoms, but a few manifested symptoms like madness - sticking out their tongue oozing saliva and barked unnecessarily. To avoid risk of life, the victims of dog bites were usually taken to the General Hospital at Ernakulam to arrange for anti-rabies vaccines. The villagers said that often vaccines might not be available and therefore the bit victims were taken to Co-operative Medical College at Kalamassery, on the other end of the city for 15 days consecutively to administer the painful anti-rabies injection around the naval region. In the wake of frequent incidents of dog bites on children taking place in our village, the villagers were agitated against the local authority, Kumbalam Panchayath, for their inaction to ward off the menace of street dogs.

Eradicating stray dogs appeared to be a vexing problem for the local authorities and governments. It had become a hot topic of discussion in Kerala after animal rights activist and union minister Smt. Maneka Gandhi sought an explanation from the Muvattupuzha Municipality for killing a stray dog.

The stray dog menace persisted in every city, town and village in India. There were news reports of children getting brutally injured with dog bites on their shoulder, scalp, leg, hand and face. The situation is alarming. The animal lovers shall not be mute witnesses to these distressing episodes. The silence of the protectors of dogs and other animals is disgusting. The golden rule is that there is no golden rule. The executive and the parliament should not hesitate to withdraw or annul or reverse or even amend the law, if the change of circumstances warrants it.

In a writ petition filed before the High Court of Kerala, the petitioner therein pointed out that the local authorities are bound to take action in accordance with the Kerala Municipalities Act or Panchayath Act to abate the menace of dogs. Section 438 of the Act empowered the Corporation to seize stray dogs in the area. The provision of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960 has also provided for tackling the menace. Section 11(3) (b) of the Act enabled the civic body to take steps for killing of stray dogs. The petitioner also pointed out that “the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution contemplated living a dignified life without the fear of stray dog biting.” When placed against the animal rights, “the human’s right will prevail over animal rights,” the petitioner said. It was also pointed out that a Division Bench had ruled in 2006 that “the right to live was fundamental right and it shall take precedence over dog rules.” However, SPCA (Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) points out the dogs are an important part of the ecosystem and they control the pest and rodent population.

It is pertinent to note that while passing the impugned provisions of the PCA Act, the parliament and the executive did not consider the Rule of Mother Nature, “the survival of the fittest.”

The High Court held in 2006 that for the sake of human safety, dangerous stray dogs could be killed. However, the Supreme Court of India had on January 23, 2009 stayed Bombay High Court judgement which had allowed municipal authorities in Maharashtra to kill stray dogs causing “nuisance.”

SOLUTION: Those who rear pet dogs should be directed to take a licence from the local authority and to insist that their dogs be vaccinated against rabies and be provided with a tag and should not be allowed to stray on the street. 

Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) - Jaipur model sterilization and vaccination of stray dogs, both males and females, make them less aggressive and, therefore, the number of dog-bite incidents comes down. To deal with the increasing incidents of dog bites, skilled dog-catchers be engaged for culling, and increase stray dog sterilization capacity. Therefore, the government has to provide additional infrastructural development and appoint more veterinary doctors. Each vaccinated dog should be given an identification mark and proper statistics should be maintained.

The general hospitals should be provided with sufficient quantities of anti-rabies vaccines for treatment of dog-bite cases free of cost. I understand that every day around 50 dog bite victims approach the General Hospital at Ernakulam.

Maintaining clean surroundings in all the commercial as well as residential areas is significant and proper arrangement is needed for garbage disposal. The municipal corporations and other local bodies should be directed to give strict instructions to officials of private hospitals, and owners of hotels, restaurants, poultry farms, and butcher shops to stop dumping waste material and garbage in public places especially roadsides, to avoid gathering of stray dogs.

    The public should encourage dog lovers like Smt. Prasanna, a senior sales manager in P&B MetLife Insurance India Limited at Palarivattom, a colleague of Sally, my wife. She used to cull out aged, sick, maimed and abandoned stray dogs, and rehabilitated and neatly maintained them in two special houses one at Panampilly Nagar and the other at Kaloor in Kochi City; a highly appreciable humanitarian service and a sacrifice indeed.

The central government should not hesitate to withdraw or annul or reverse or even amend the law protecting the life of dogs, since the change of circumstances warrants it.

UPDATE 5/11/2015: The High Court of Kerala, while disposing a number of writ petitions by a judgment on November 4, 2015, stressed the need to control the stray dog menace in the state and permitted the local authorities to silence the critically ill, fatally injured and rabid dogs as per the Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules 2001. The court observed that the dogs roaming in public have to be captured for vaccination and sterilization which is the obligation of the local bodies with the aid of the Animal Welfare Board. The court made it clear that all stray dogs are not required to be killed and that killing has to be undertaken by the local authorities only in accordance with the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 and the provisions of the Rules 2001.

Excerpts from

NEED OF THE HOUR

by

Joseph J. Thayamkeril

Lawyer, Kochi, Kerala, India.

josephjthayamkeril.blogspot.com 

josephjthayamkeril@gmail.com

PROHIBITION OF LIQUOR: TODDY (‘KALLU’) VINEGAR

I remember Paily, the old sacristan of St. Mary’s church, a jolly person. He used to say that a bottle of ‘Elaya Kallu’, toddy which is absolutely fresh right from its source, is brisk and fine. A couple of glasses of this elixir make a man merry and a merry heart lives long! The natural palm wine, no doubt, is a healthy drink. This is very refreshing and puts you in a creative mood. He who drained bottles of ‘Mootha Kallu’, fermented toddy, which was kept for some time, would take him to an exhilarating height just like hard liquor. The toddy could be distilled into arrack, a more intoxicating drink. If too much of fermented toddy or arrack is consumed it makes you totally intoxicated.  Beware, if you have unlimited quantity of toddy or arrack one would get addicted and intoxicated. Due to the ‘Delirium tremens’ one might tend to babble and to stagger from side to side, a reason for wordy altercation or even a melee might  ensue which may lead further to a serious felony. For a labourer who toils hard all day, toddy definitely stimulates his energy. The spurious toddy on the other hand might steal the consumer’s health and in extreme cases his life as well.

I have seen the toddy tappers who venture out in the morning and evening to perform their task of tapping and collecting toddy. Their attire is unique. A short loin cloth is used to cover their privies as they have to climb the coconut trees with ease. A wooden pad which provides a sheath for their sharp ‘Chethu Kathi’, tapping knife, is fastened over this cloth around the waist. A black coconut shell, with an opening at the top, filled with mire too is carried with him on the waist band. He holds on to a braided ‘Churakka’pot (a large and oval shaped fruit’s cover used as a pot, which is braided with coir rope) to collect the toddy from tree top. These tappers have a different way of climbing up the coconut trees. They place their steps on pieces of coconut husk firmly tied on to the tree trunk and climb up and down as if he is climbing on a ladder. On reaching the top, he climbs on top of the tree-crown with the support of a sturdy and strong palm leaf and settles down comfortably to start his work. These tappers get a panoramic view of their neighbourhood and the activities therein. It is interesting to watch the toddy extraction procedure. The palm wine which had oozed the previous night into the pot atop the tree is collected and brought down. He then cuts a little bit of the ripe coconut bud end and ties the bud with a coir yarn, beat it from top to bottom with a bone and rubs a little mire or mud at the cut end. It is believed to produce more yields. Then he moves on to other trees he is tapping. If the tapper is in a fine mood he might give a few bottles of toddy to those who ask him for it in exchange for money. This entire process is repeated in the evenings as well. “The watering of the palm trees during summer improves the yield,” says Kunjappan Vazhavelil, a veteran tapper. True he says from his practical experience.

Normally, the contractor of the toddy shop earmarks a few high yielding coconut palms which are fifteen to forty years old to tap toddy. The rent of the tree used to be hundred and fifty rupees per tree which was paid by the licencee or contractor who auctioned the toddy shop. This fetched the farmers a sizeable income.  Tapping was a livelihood for a lot of Ezhava men on the Island. I knew Raman Vazhavelil, his son Kunjappan, Kandu Kunnunkal and my neighbor Kumaran Kalappura and his son Babu were experienced tappers of this locality.

‘Appachan’, occasionally bought a few bottles of fresh toddy to make vinegar. It was kept for a few days after which it was strained and stored in large bottles. The sediments and precipitates were cleaned every thirty days. After six months the final product obtained was unadulterated concentrate vinegar. This was used in for making various pickles and salads. Vinegar was also made by adding sugar to coconut water and fermenting it in the same way. By boiling the toddy one can obtain ‘Chakkara’ a medicinal jaggery

I knew Sanku Vazhavelil, Kelu Puzhangathara, and Velayudhan Karikkanthara eked out their living by making vinegar. They used to sell this to hoteliers and other customers in town. Gone are those days as now this authentic brew is hard to find. 

The thought of total prohibition of liquor is insincere, immature and absurd. The State of Tamilnadu and Kerala tried it once. Those governments found it difficult to rehabilitate the traditional employees engaged in the trade. They too miserably failed to curb the trade in spurious liquor and drugs that flowed from within and out of the state, which is more injurious to health. Therefore, they were forced to withdraw the same. I suggest an alternative method of imposing heavy penalty on those habitual drunkards who misbehave in public places.

 

I wonder why the government is promoting and monopolizing the trade in the coloured spurious arrack branded as foreign liquor. Consumption of this is injurious to health. The great Chanakya, in “Arthasastra,” an authority on statecraft, suggested revenue, by sale of liquor or by deal in prostitution or by consecrating a deity atop a hill and giving propaganda of miracles done to attract the crowd, only on the occurrence of a rarest of rare event, where a government has no other source to raise funds to manage their affairs. It is not advisable for a government to embark on such a trade or business. It is against great ideals. At the same time it is difficult to enforce total prohibition. I would suggest liberal licensing to coconut growers to tap toddy, which would help the agriculturists to obtain a reasonable income and the common man would get a healthy drink.

Excerpts from

NEED OF THE HOUR

by

Joseph J. Thayamkeril

Lawyer, Kochi, Kerala, India.

Posted by JOSEPH J. THAYAMKERIL at 09:51  

MY DREAM

India is one of the ancient civilizations in the world. It is the seventh largest in area and it accounts for 2.4 per cent of the total geographical area of the world. It is the second most populous country in the world with around 1.271 billion people (2015), which is more than one sixth, (17.5%), of the world population. India is a leading supplier of human resources to the world. India is the largest secular democracy in the world. It has made versatile socio-economic progress after independence; commendable achievements have been made in the field of agriculture, animal husbandry, industry and technology. India is one of the top producers of milk in the world. India is second in wheat and rice production. India is the second largest producer of fruits and vegetables and it contributes 32% of the total fruit production in the world. It is one of the twelve mega biodiversity countries of the world and is rich in varied wildlife species. Moreover, it is also home to a number of brilliant scientists who are capable of producing ingenious inventions economically. India is first in remote sensing satellites.  Following the successful demonstration flights of Bhaskara 1 and Bhaskara II launched in 1979 and 1981, respectively, India began development of an indigenous IRS (Indian Remote Sensing Satellite) program to support the national economy in the areas of "agriculture, water resources, forestry, and ecology, geology, water sheds, marine fisheries and coastal management." The Indian Remote Sensing Satellites are the main-stay of National Natural Resources Management System (NNRMS), for which Department of Space (DOS) is the nodal agency, providing operational remote sensing data services. Data from the IRS satellites is received and disseminated by several countries all over the world. With the advent of high resolution satellites, new applications in the areas of urban sprawl, infrastructure planning and other large scale applications for mapping have been initiated. India is the fourth largest military power in the world. India is a force to be reckoned with. It is, therefore, significant to give weight to India’s voice. It is high time that India is given a permanent seat in the Security Council of the United Nations. India, no doubt, can contribute immensely to the peace, progress and prosperity of all countries.

I always cherished a world under one flag without any borders or barriers; a common currency; a right to move freely anywhere in the world without any restriction or hindrance and to carry on any occupation or profession of one’s choice. Freedom of speech and expression is vital. Justice, Equality, Liberty and Fraternity, the great pillars of a secular democratic republic, assuring the dignity of the individual, subject to reasonable restrictions by the State, are significant. Bonded labour and other exploitation of human beings should cease. Every human being has the freedom to profess, practice and propagate any religion of his choice. But the individuals with troubled, turbulent mind and blind faith should not be subjected to exploitation by religious priests. There should not be any oppression or persecution of the minorities. These principles are enshrined in Chapter III of the Constitution of India and fundamental documents of other secular democracies in the world, and these basic principles shall be a reality for all people in the world. It is the sovereignty of the people that is paramount and which in a democratic State can only be asserted through a vote in Parliament or a directly elected body of the people. Presently a big portion of the world happens to be under democratic system of Government. Theoretically, this system stands out to be the best up to now. But corruption, nepotism, terrorism, communalism, regionalism and problems relating to languages are the weaknesses found in a democratic system, which divided human society. The welfare of the people is often neglected. Moreover, the ethical and moral degradation is being observed constantly in public life.

No religion could hold people or nations together; and therefore, they should not interfere in politics. Nation/s should not directly or indirectly sponsor or support terrorism. Rebels and fanatics should resort to dialogues to sort out issues, and the concerned nation/s should heed to their reasonable demands. We should put an end to war and persistent terrorism that are threatening international peace, security and progress. All the “-isms” such as patriotism, communalism, nationalism, regionalism, fascism, capitalism, communism and religious imperialism that divide mankind should vanish. I always dream of an idyllic and just world of peace, non-violence, prosperity, happiness and wellbeing without any arms, ammunitions and unhealthy competitions. Mutual respect and non-interference in other’s affairs is vital. The gulf that exists between the rich and the poor should be minimized as much as possible and that should become a reality for all. Every being should be assured of   means for a decent living. I would like to advocate the message of love and self-sacrifice to all beings, a common philosophy of life to bind the people and the nations as one, overcoming the pettiness of race, boundaries and religion. 

We should stop manufacturing weapons and ammunitions with devastating powers. United Nations is making significant contributions for disarmament, which is inevitable to avert the threat to international peace and security. Nations should voluntarily reduce the stockpile of weapons of mass destruction in their arsenal to reduce tension in the world. The amounts spent on weapons, war and conflicts could create hatred and bloodshed. This could instead be utilized productively, for feeding, clothing, sheltering and educating the socially, culturally, educationally backward people around the world.

The developments in science and technology especially the modern methods of communication has made the world smaller and smaller, and has destroyed natural frontiers and helped in the development and growth of trade and commerce. The economic and political compulsions have started to bind the nations together. I staunchly believe that “Globalization” is the first milestone to attain this goal. I would like to appreciate the earnest efforts of the United Nations for the common good of its members like drawing up the international air routes and the navigation routes. The Universal Postal Union introducing postal pin codes and the uniform international   terms for conducting international postal duties are all commendable. United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which seeks to create gender equality in law and in social situations, such as democratic activities and securing equal pay for equal work is praiseworthy. Streamlining uniform educational and health standards and child welfare are also to be recognized as this would help greatly in the formation of a world government.

There should be a strong and stable central government with minimum powers; with a common set of minimum laws and a common penal code. The right to patents, copy rights and trademarks and branding should not be a tool to exploit the masses; these should be limited to a maximum of ten years only and the advancement in science and the latest technology should be made available to all who would yearn for it and they should be given the advantage of the cheaper price.

Preserve all the cultural heritages, and promote cultural cooperation for better understanding and friendship among people and nations. Promote people-to-people exchange involving, among others, parliamentarians, youth, artists, sportspersons and representatives from business, industry, media, academic and think-tank institutions.

Inter-racial and inter-religious marriages should also be encouraged to reduce tension and racism. The theory of both superiority and inferiority complex is based on aversion to strangers and is used as propaganda to promote conquest and domination of other people. Inter-racial marriages would help in producing better breed and class of human beings. We need to help one another and grow together; we should create a world free from resentments, anger and frustrations.  In this state we would achieve our goal of universal love, peace, happiness and prosperity.

Socialism is the only alternative to the Capitalist system, in which production will be for use, not profit; people will have free access to wealth in accordance with their self-determined needs, not in accordance with their ability to pay; members of society will administer their affairs democratically and humanely, not according to the dictates of profits and power. The Socialist Party in the whole world stands solely for the abolition of Capitalism and the establishment of Socialism, where the means of wealth production and distribution are commonly owned and democratically controlled by all the people.

The wages system only exists as long as labour power is a commodity. When commodity production for sale with a view to profit is replaced with the production of useful goods and services for human need, prices, including wages, will no longer be necessary.

 Socialism will be a world-wide society in which the means of wealth production and distribution are commonly owned and democratically controlled by all the people, without distinction of race or sex. Production and distribution will be democratically planned, with the sole purpose of providing comfort and happiness for the inhabitants of the earth. Some of the mechanisms for world planning are already in existence, such as the United Nations Food and Health Organization which compiles statistics about resources, and the various scientific research bodies which are presently aware of the solutions to many economic problems; but these cannot be implemented under Capitalism. The talents and aspirations of men and women will be fully utilized in a socialist society, and much of the unpleasant or boring work will be done by machines.

Socialism will combine productive efficiency with social pleasure. The relationship between work and leisure will disappear. Instead of being alienated from real power, people will have reason to cooperate harmoniously. No longer a worker, relying on a wage in order to live; no longer one of those cogs in a machine, spending a lifetime in drudgery and useless toil. You, with a creative ability that is distinctive to human beings, will be in a position to use your potential and hitherto hidden and frustrated talents for your own benefit and that of the whole of humanity: no longer living in a nightmare world of inflation, unemployment, war and other problems. Instead, society's ingenuity will be harnessed for a common purpose. You will play your part; you will accept the responsibilities of working and co-operating with others to ensure a full and happy life. There will be problems to solve; but Socialism will have harmonious foundations from which we will go forth. Let your imagination play for a moment or two on the boundless possibilities that will open up.

It is neither fanciful nor idealistic to envisage a society without war, poverty, starvation, unemployment and wage labour. Only such a society can put an end to the rat-race in which the working class can never hope for security. With the strength of understanding of the world around us, the motivation of desire for a new social order, and the united efforts of millions of class-conscious men and women, there is no force which can stand in the way of the establishment of Socialism.

Excerpts from

MEMOIRS

An autobiography

by

Joseph J. Thayamkeril

Lawyer, Kochi, Kerala, India.

josephjthayamkeril.blogspot.com

josephjthayamkeril@google.com