Take a reverse: Devinder Sharma's call to policy makers

For the first time I saw Devinder Sharma on 5th of October. Thanks to the international eco-meet, ECOCASD 2013 that brought the great personality to Thiruvananthapuram. The acclaimed food policy analyst, writer and thinker was there to give valedictory address. Over five hundred delegates were eagerly waiting to hear from him on the essentials that a country like India need for saving ecosystem and continuing with sustainable development. To my fortune I got an opportunity to chat with the erudite scholar in forenoon itself.

Having a towering image in the sphere of world’s paradigms on biodiversity, agriculture and food security, Mr. Sharma would grab anybody’s heart by being down to earth. He is clear in words and firm in opinions. Following is a gist coined out of a brief, but enjoyable chat with the generous thinker and activist. 

Food security? Is it surplus food, cheep food or optimum food? All are incorrect. Food security is actually availability of food for all at all times of need. 

Needed for countries like India? It is high time to have a strong policy shift at the apex. The policy makers should take a positive deviation from the existing routes to effect better changes at the grassroots. This can alone bring in progress in the areas of agriculture and food production. 

What is the existing paradigm? Today the world is driven by the motto of economic growth and technicalities of GDP. These could never value the importance of ecosystem conservation. This conference (ECOCASD 2013) is upholding the theme of ecosystem conservation and sustainable development. I would say, the realization of sustainable development through ecosystem conservation can be made only with a paradigm shift at the top. Today is of prolific exploitation of the natural resources. Natural resources should be seen not as a commodity as is being done today. 

Salient features of ‘economic growth’ model? Conspicuous feature in India is that more rural people are prompted to drift to the urban for making a living. Industry is given priority and agriculture is discarded. This leads to the death of our age old village agricultural systems. We need a reverse of the system. People should be encouraged to remain in their villages for pursuing the farming. Gandhiji’s preaching of ‘production system by the mass and not for the mass’ was significant at this juncture. Refugee mentality of a government serving food to its people can be replaced only through adopting the path shown by Gandhiji, where people love doing agriculture and produce the food needed for them.

Then world regulations? It’s interesting. US farming bill of 2013 provides 307 billion dollars of subsidy to its farmers. Fact being this, it is ironical that the WTO pressure countries like India to cut farmer subsidy. Tomorrow (06 Oct) the chief of WTO is visiting India with an objective of the above said and many. Pressure is persistent. 

Leaders like you voice time and again. Do you see any impact over authorities? Sure. There is change. In front of such persuasive demands as we do, they cannot simply act blind. For example the chief of the UN, Ban Ki-moon has called for a rethinking over the effectiveness of existing policies. How could they not make a retrospective since the truth remains radiant that even after long span of economic growth race, majority of problems could not be solved including poverty and gap between the poor and the rich. 

While concluding the chat, with a captivating smile Mr. Sharma reminded Laxmi Presanna a leading journalist who was there, not to forget writing on the possible aftermaths of the next day’s visit of the WTO chief. 

Ethiopia’s ‘Mengi’ mesmerised at Kerala sights

[This was one among the press releases flew from the media centre of recently concluded II ECOCASD 2013 International confluence.]

Mengistu Tulu Balcha near Sri Krishna character of a Kathakali programme during a cultural evening of ECOCASD 2013 International Conference held in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. 
Thiruvananthapuram: 33-year-old Mengistu Tulu Balcha is thoroughly astonished at the sights of ‘God’s own country’. Inside a landing aircraft over airport here, Mengi felt as if down there, the blue sea was embracing a green paradise. When he knew that it was the canopy of lavishly growing coconut trees that gave such green look from above, curiosity in him only grew. 

Nowhere in Mengi’s Ethiopia could one see a coconut tree. Coconut, its husk, shell and kernel are all weird enough for this African youngster. 33-year-old Mengistu - ‘Mengi’ for his close pals and family members – came to the city for attending the ECOCASD 2013 international meet. Mengi works as a Lecturer with the English Department of Ambo University. 
He reached India three months before for joining an orientation course at the Hyderabad-based National Institute for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. Thanks to a scholarship granted by the Indian government. It was from Hyderabad that he flew to hiruvananthapuram. At the ECOCASD 2013 venue, awaiting him were several photos of his homeland at an exhibition. Photos of Ambo’s village life, Wenchi crater lake, favourite ‘Injera’ served with raw meat... all these were enough to turn Mengi nostalgic.

Photos speak: At the exhibition of Ethiopian photos, Mengi joins the organizing committee chairman of ECOCASD 2013, Prof. P. Natarajan (second right), K.P. Sivakumar whose photos are on display and Dr. Akhila S. Nair. 
Mengi is not bad in fast-paced neck-dances of Ethiopia. Still, on the starting night in Kerala, he was dumbfounded by the Duryodhana Vadham Kathakali performed by Kalamandalam Krishnaprasad and team. Captivating him was the throbbing traditional percussions of Kerala’s famed folk art. The characters of the play - smiling Krishna, strong Bhima, spiteful Dussassana and cruel Duryodhana - were all leaving Mengi breathless. Though eating raw meat is a pride custom for any Ethiopian, Mengi was taken aback at the grotesque sight of Bhima pulling out the blood smeared intestine of Dussassana. Immediately after the play, Mengi sneaked into the green room and managed many snaps with Sri Krishna.
He has also made an oral presentation on communication and small scale entrepreneurs at the ECOCASD 2013. After attending a parallel seminar on Biodiversity at Sree Ayyappa College for Women, Nagercoil, he had a visit to Kanyakumari. At the peninsular tip, Mengi who hails from a landlocked nation saw not just one, but three seas joining together. And that definitely has become a matter of lifetime amazement for him.
The ECOCASD 2013 had over 500 participants from all over the world. Among them were renowned scientists, teachers, researchers and students. Ambo University of Ethiopia, that conducted the first leg of the event in 2011 was also backing the event.

- K.P. Sivakumar