Farmers life in Coastal Karnataka

I come from a small village of Kundapur in Coastal Karnataka. On any day during peak monsoons every conversation will comprise of one common question, "Hoi, nim natti aiytha?"

Soon after monsoon hits the coastal belt, agricultural activities gather momentum in full swing. One can witness men and women dressed in their rainy attires rushing towards paddy fields early in the morning.

Recalling my childhood days, every house had a collection of rainy attires. These include unique rainy hood called Gorabu or Goraga for ladies and Kambali for men. Kambalis are usually woven from sheep wool whereas the Goragas are woven together with bamboo/cane and toddy leaves. They usually weigh a few kilos making them capable of withstanding heavy storm and rain.

The process of transplanting paddy saplings in an organized manner is referred to as Natti in Local Kundapur language. It always begins by offering naivedya to Lord Ganesha. He who is seeked prior to starting any new venture. Transplanting and harvesting paddy requires substantial workforce. Neighbors, relatives, bystanders, daily laborers, everybody present nearby will pitch in. Its a treat to watch the entire village come together. Using a traditional hand-held plough, fields are phoughed by water buffaloes splashing muddy puddles all over. Ladies planting the saplings sing old folklores to keep the atmosphere lively while the men hum together to their tunes.

I have grown from a kid to an adult and so has agricultural practices in the past few years. The rainy attires Gorabu and Kambalis have been replaced by plastics. Water buffaloes are not be seen in any neighborhood these days. They are replaced by giant tillers and tractors. Moreover 20-30 ladies and kids who bring the whole festive atmosphere to paddy fields are replaced by one single man operating the transplanting machine!

Although people are adapting to modern farming techniques which has made their lives easier, the rate at which the number of farmers are reducing is also alarming. Reasons being small and scattered land holdings, high input costs, fluctuating fair market prices, labour problem, increasing animal attacks from those of monkeys, wild boars, bison, deers and peacocks adding to woes of farmers. Coming from a family of farmers myself, I know how much effort and man hours goes into upbringing paddy on a large scale. There is a huge decline in the number of laborers in the nearby surroundings making people to depend on laborers from different districts or states who are not usually skilled.

Farmers are considered to be the backbone of the country. I urge anyone interested in farming should be pursuing it sometime in their life. As a farmer the sleepless nights, the amount of hard work and the selfless love exhibited towards their field is an inspiration to everyone. I recall my grandfather who was one of the great farmers would say, "A paddy field is like god, no matter how much affection you show to it, it will always offer good to you". During his time he made sure that any field is not left barren whatever it takes. And the legacy is carried forward for generations now.