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SRISTI Sanman 2000 Awardees |
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During the annual meeting of Honey Bee Network on February 20, 2000, the following fifteen contemporary innovators and traditional knowledge experts were awarded with SRISTI Sanman. They have achieved the distinction in their chosen fields without the help or support of any outside institution. Just imagine, how much more could be accomplished if they were provided with some more recognition and support-financial and/or moral ! A brief citation of each awardee is outlined here:
Shrimati Gothawari, a herbal healer of human and animal diseases belongs to Kanakkankuppam village in Gingee taluka of Villupuram district. People from neighbouring villages visit her for treatment especially migraine, back pain, teeth pain, vomiting and poisonous bite etc. She is adroit in treating animals suffering from diarrhoea and constipation. On her 0.30 acres of land she is practicing organic farming and has conserved some medicinal plants as well.
Shri K Sellamuthu is a skilled labourer engaged in spraying herbal pesticide. Earlier he used to spray chemical pesticides which lead to deterioration of his health. By reading Num Vali Velanmai - Tamil version of Honey Bee - he has developed a herbal pesticide. The ingredients of his herbal pesticide are: Leaves of ‘nochi’ (Vitex negundo), Leaves of ‘peenarichangu’ (Clerodendrum inerme), Leaf sheath of ‘hothukathalai’ (Aloe vera), Seeds of Neem (Azadirachta indica). He has purchased a motorised wet grinder in order to meet demand and his income has risen manifold. He has also standardised the recipe of ‘Panchagavya’, a liquid manure useful for garden plants. He has developed a new model of eco-preneurship.
Shri K Nagarajan is a twenty nine year old farmer from Koralampatti village in Dindigul district involved in preparing and distributing a herbal recipe against pests and diseases of crops. He has developed this recipe after reading Tamil version of Honey Bee and later experimenting on his own in farmers field. The ingredients are : Neem seeds (500 g); Tobacco waste (100 g), Acorus calamus (100 g); Sapindus emarginatus seeds (50 g); and Asafoetida (250 g). He has so far sold more than 1000 litre of this herbal pesticide.
Shri Ambaji Telanga belongs to Gorta village in Bidar district of Karnataka. He is an agricultural labourer practising herbal veterinary medicine in dry regions of Bidar. He is a dedicated member of Honey Bee Network. Among his unique and effective practices, local medicines against yolk injuries, debilitating condition and for external parasites are very popular in about ten villages in the region.
Shri Basavaraji Santheshivara belongs to Hasan district of Karnataka. He is a prolific writer and has contributed many articles for Hitalagida - Kannada version of Honey Bee. Some of his significant innovations comprise controlling insect pests such as brown plant hopper, red spider mite and rhinoceros beetle in coconut plantation. He has also developed an unique method of making organic manure out of coir pith. He has demonstrated a paddy yield of 30 quintals (3000 kg) per acre through organic farming. In addition he has also conserved several indigenous varieties of cereals and minor millets.
Shri Narayana Reddiar belongs to Siddireddipathi village of Madurai district. People of this village organised themselves and have grown neem (Azadirachta indica) plantation on about 250 hectare. Over the years, the villagers have developed social institutions for managing and protecting their trees and crops. Farmers derive income from sale of neem seeds and timber. Villagers' total income has increased manifold. The rules evolved in the management of neem plantation are worth replicating in other villages. He received the Sanman as a representative of Siddireddipathi village.
Shri Naranbhai Gadhvi is a poet at heart and a farmer by profession from Mundra Taluka of Gujarat. He has spawned many innovations through his exceptional intelligence. One amongst these deals with pollination of ‘kharek’ (Phoenix dactylifera) trees. Government of Israel has reportedly invited him to share his innovative technique of pollinating ‘kharek’ which increases yield by around 12-15 times. He has also developed a machine by which dates can be processed into ‘kharek’ within twenty four hours.
Shri Manaram Choudhary is an innovative farmer from Ladkhani village in Sikar district of Rajasthan. He has developed a new variety of onion which takes less time to mature. This variety of onion is sown around October and harvested in early March. He developed this variety after experimenting for more than ten years. Yield of around 400 quintals per hectare can be obtained through this variety. Seed rates of this variety hovers around Rs. 1000 per kg while sometime rising as high as Rs 3000 per kg. This variety is intensely cultivated around Sikar district of Rajasthan.
Shri Jagdish Prasad Parikh is a fifty three year old farmer who left his government job to start farming. He has developed a variety of cauliflower which weighs as much as fifteen (15) kilogram. He presented many such cauliflowers to senior government officials and Chief Minister of the State. This particular variety of cauliflower can be sown in all the three seasons. He has been distributing seed of this variety free to his fellow farmers. His innovative skills has been praised and in the process he received numerous prizes and citations. Efforts for deposition of seeds of his and Shri Choudhary's varieties in National Gene Bank are on.
Shri Mansukhbhai Patel is a self trained electrical engineer and is known for his innovative solutions among his colleagues and friends. He was born in a farmer’s family of Trent village in Viramgam taluka of Gujarat. He has designed a cotton stripper after sustained efforts over the years. The quality of cotton stripped by using his machine is better and fetches higher price. The machine costs about rupees two lakh and eighty thousand and runs on a four hp, single phase electric motor. The capacity of the machine is eight tons per day which is equivalent to 400 man-days of labour.
Shri Dhanjibhai Laljibhai Kerai is physically challenged person from Karaghodha village of Kutch District. He is the youngest of the five brothers. Even at the present age of 28 years he measures only two and a half feet in height. Realising there is no job in and around his village, he left studies. He started as an apprentice in clock and radio repairing. By and by, he also learned repairing engine, tractor and electrical appliances. He has developed an attachment to the scooter by which he can drive it once installed in the seat.
Jamnaben Somabhai Damor is considered to be a specialist when it comes to treating animals in and around Timla village, district Panchmahal of Gujarat. She had learnt the secrets of all the healing herbs by watching her mother and grandmother at work. She had in her an innate urge to unravel the secret potential of medicinal plants. She has not only tried the proven traditional remedies, but has also experimented with some modifications thus learning the practical applications of each of them.
Mansukhbhai Ambabhai Jagani belongs to Amreli district of Gujarat. Labour scarcity made him think to innovate a device to overcome the problem. He has designed a bullet motorcycle (4.5 hp, diesel-driven Santi) which can be easily dismantled and refitted. This Santi is a multi-purpose contraption which can be used for ploughing, weeding, sowing of seeds and it results in drastically reducing the cost of these operations.
Motibhai B Nayak is from Saradoi village in Sabarkantha district. He was born in year 1948 and became a primary school teacher in year 1967. He belongs to Bhavaiya / Bhoiak family, the carriers of Bhavaiya-a Gujarati folk art. He decided to make use of this skill. He learnt many folk languages and traditional folk musical instruments and related all of them to education. He used this skill to impart quality education, train youth of the village in cultural activities. He had won the taluka best teacher award in 1975, district best teacher award 1978 and the President’s award in 1988.
Kunwarben Rajput belongs to Sukel village of Surendranagar District. This district faces severe shortage of water and salinity. Few years ago salinity led to epidemic in the village in which she lost one of her family member. With the grant provided for making underground tank, she preferred to use stone slabs. The logic was that the stones could be used for other purpose after fifteen to twenty years when tank may outlive its utility. Such is the concern for sustainability. She raised a tank with the help of SEWA for harnessing rain water. In the process she also learnt masonry work. She uses lime to purify the water in the tank. At present some 100 women have joined them in their movement to make the village self-reliant as far as water is concerned. |
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| Volume No. |
Honey Bee: 11(1) 4-5, 2000 |
