CHANGING EATING HABITS

 Vironi Ouso Manayath was a young widow in our locality. She was an enterprising lady. In 1970s she started a bakery business. Her bread and cookies were popular in all the nearby Islands. Her second son, Thomas, was a member of the public library and was an avid reader. He helped his mother by supplying the baked goods she made to her varied customers in all the Islands. Vironi also installed a Ratt, a spinning wheel, to make coir yarn, which kept her children engaged. It helped them to eke out their living. Later her eldest son, Antony, got a job in the Cochin Port Trust.  This was a great relief as he could take care of the affairs of the family well.

It is amazing to observe the changes in the eating hsbits of the Islanders. Unlike in the earlier days, there are ten bakeries now; some of them are well furnished with clean glass cupboards. By around half past ten in the mornings, a lot of delicious snacks and varied chips fried in ghee or coconut oil, certain snacks with varied fillings, puffs and sandwiches with varied fillings, cake, halwa, other sweets, pastries with cocoa toppings, cookies and bread would be put on display. These would disappear in an hour or two. These bakeries too offer beverages and fresh juices.

“Globalization” has improved job prospects and prosperity in countries like India. The apparent improvement in the diets of people in India especially in Kerala, the domain of Malayalis, is, no doubt, a healthy trend in our economy. I have noted that health and physique especially the height and weight of the new generation are improving. The increasing demand for better nutrition and better food has to be met and the central and state governments have to focus their attention on better production in agriculture, animal husbandry, fishing, poultry and farming to avert a food crisis. Quality control is another significant factor to be looked into. We have to improve our ware-houses, transport system and distribution system to make agricultural and other products reach the ultimate consumer at affordable prices. There should be adequate supply of food grains, vegetables and other gooddies commensurate with the demand. This would   enable the government to arrest the spiraling prices. If there is shortage of an item of food, necessary quantity of such item should be imported to maintain the price in the market. With the surplus produced, if any, we should be able to help the poorer nations in the world.

Excerpts from

NEED OF THE HOUR

by

Joseph J. Thayamkeril

Lawyer, Kochi, Kerala, India.

“PRESERVE ANCIENT KNOW-HOW”

The Ernakulam Market was a hub of activity. Bullock carts bringing vegetables and fruits especially from Puthencruz, Kizhakkambalam and Muvattupuzha area were unloading their goods on the eastern side of the market. What came to my mind was how I used to try to hang behind these bullock carts on my way to church in Muttuchira.  Bullock carts were very common there. They are rough and tough and they could withstand any hard terrain. They do not require any formatted roads. Without much effort they can move over pot holes, rubbles or even cross streams, hills and valleys.

The development of industries necessitated the bringing of large quantity of raw materials to the factories and the manufactured goods were to be transported to wide markets and ports. The government invested huge amounts to build national highways, bridges and other tarred macadamized road net works to make transportation easier. The bullock carts were substituted by heavy trucks and buses to speed up the transport of goods and passengers.

However, it is significant to keep and maintain the ancient know-how which may be useful in case of a calamity. The government should take care to preserve the manual skills and the skilled for the future generations to come. The highly qualified technocrats and technicians among the Amish People of the United States of America still preserve their ancient knowledge, expertise and skill. They feel that someday they may require all of them. Beware when culture blossoms into civilization, there may be chance for a fall. 

Excerpts from

NEED OF THE HOUR

by

Joseph J. Thayamkeril

Lawyer, Kochi, Kerala, India.