A Travel from Kalyani to Khanakul 

Day before yesterday I got a call from Krisnemdu Dey. He is a young guy having much  working experience   among the farmers. In past I saw him organizing Krishmelas at his native place. I have much regard to this fellow for undertaking hard work in remote places. I  also found him in the terrain of Jhaldah,Purulia visiting rural people. Similarly I saw him roaming Sundarbans. It is always joy to share with him. Krishnendu requested me to make a visit to some SKUS in Tarakeswar & surroundings . I could not deny his call.

Yesterday , we started at 8.30 a.m.  We moved to the same route what I frequented. The driver was a new person to the way and I had to guide him all through.   We halted at Sultanpur. I am always fixed  and  skeptic when I cross the Sultanpur. Every time I see a dilapidated palace from the road. The grandeur structure always attracts me whenever I pass through . There are many stories I heard about the palace. Many times I heard it is a ghost-house- no body can stay here at night. Someone tried in past but became insane. A brave guy from kalyani tried to pass sometimes with his friends but left the house in midnight.. So many extended and fabricated stories I heard. All these left an inner compulsion of visiting it. However, every time  I targeted but failed. This time we were sipping cup of tea in a roadside at Sultanpur. A local fellow  joined in our conversation and said all these stories are bogus and aired for fun. “ You may visit it. See  the decaying Zamindary ...the structure has magnificent art-works..” Getting his words I asked Krisnendu to visit it. We had our friends Basab Chandra and Bishnudhyan. They were also egar to see it.It was a walking steps from the tea stall.

 It is a grand structure. It reminds the powerful Zamindar Giriza sankar Mukherjee who built it about 200 years back.  With the withdrawal of Zamindary system ,the decedents moved to Kolkata & other cities. Dilapidated arch and the finest artefacts remind the glorious days at Sultanpur. The building is about to fall with history.  On reaching there I took some photographs. I found a lady pasting cow-dung on the walls as if she is the owner of the building  . On my query she asked “ You see the part of building..it is extended backward. That portion is well maintained”.

“why?”

“ The grand mother is staying. She is eighty years old but steady. She lives alone. Her sons and relatives failed to move her from the palace”

This  is attachment and sticking to heritage. However, as we had limited time we could not meet the lady as well as the intact part of the mansion.

Then we passed through Mahanad. Bhaktas were marching on the road. There were both men and women carrying water pots on shoulders.  Mahanad is a halting spot to those devotees going to Tarakeswar.

As soon as we crossed Gurap.. the car was found  with faults. Anyway it was made to fitness by a local mechanic.  This time paddy sowing was continuing in the fields. There were also lowlands submerged with water. One thing I noticed that farmers of Dasghara and particularly in Tarakeswar adjoining areas were harvesting jute. Jute sticks are mounted on the roadside. Bunches of jute-fibres were hanging with the support of bamboo sticks and wires.  All along you will smell odors coming out from retted fibres this time.

Sooner we came to Dasghara. We went to Bengal Agri Trust.  This trust has been adopting modern technology  in farming. I saw their drip irrigation system. They have installed a number of mini deeptubles and made the surroundings greenery all out the year. They have been producing potato-seed  for the last two years. They have been keeping touch with KVKs and Scientists for technology adoption. I was surprised to see poly-sheet mulching in the field. They will grow water-melon. According to them “using this technique we could harvest fruits when the market is in high demand.” They also said “ we are using poly sheet to avoid excess water whereas others use it as a method for conserving water.” I liked their experience.

Two KMs ahead of Tarakeswar  we turned around and reached to Kararia SKUS. It was nice to share with the Manager. Bivekanada SKUS is  a giant society now. It has diversified its activities. I was happy that they are engaged in fishing, cultivation,seed production  etc with their own staff. Profit is shared by the shareholders. They are competitor to other banks on the one hand and on the other  to middlemen and farias. By way I was learnt that SKUs has been managing a good number of SHgs.

“ How are these? Is there any body who have been independent of borrowings and self independently pursuing livelihood?”-i asked

“ A few of them have built up capacity. I can cite the example of Archana who came from a poor family and now is a solvent women. She and her group engaged in flower-marketing,basket marketing initially but now is with interior decoration. Now she is famous lady here”. Both the manager and myself tried to contact but failed. She might be busy with her works!  

Finally, we came to Tantisal SKUs.  There was a huge gatherings , All of them came to participate in an agricultural program arranged by the SKUs. We had our lunch there. After lunch the officials shared with me & friends in the office. 

This is also a growing SKUs and farmers friendly society. I was happy knowing that they have incorporated two women in the team management. Further I was said that 260 women are enrolled as members.  I have not seen anywhere where such good numbers are bonafide-members to a society.  The society has recently focused its attention to groundnut promotional activities. With support of NABARD & State Government they have installed a semi-processing groundnut unit. They are purchasing groundnut from members and after grading and sorting selling in the market. Farmers are getting higher price that what they would get at the hand of middleman.

Seed is the constraint to them. They have been purchasing old cultivars and adulated one. Similarly they were asking for introducing mechanization . All we shared and gave our suggestions.

Returned home  with experience of SKUs. Hope for co-operatives !

Itachuna Rajbari- A heritage Palace in Hoogly,India

 A few steps from Kalyani across the river Ganges will take you into the heritage Hoogly district. Different races from the world came and settled here. The elegant monuments of Portugese  stood at Bandel.. a pride of Bengal. If you go a little more you would find the past memory of Dutches-- again a little further have revealing relics of French ,Greeks and so on. Apart from cosmopolitan assemblages  there are confluence of regional  races & cultures. Jains adored this place as good as we love it. Similarly, Pathans and other warriors had their historic impression in Hoogly. We can not count how many cultures mingled  in Hoogly. Now, I shall focus to a rural village with mixed inter racial culture flowing over the time.

The village is none other than Itachuna. In older times it was called Bargi Danga. After the downfall of Mughal era,after the death of Aurangageb, Marathas became powerful. Many times they used to attack Bengal,Bihar & Orissa. The erect watch-towers  from Singur to  Arra, Purulia witness the threat of Maratha warriors locally called Bargis centuries back.  Bargis used to come ,loot and collect taxes. However, many of them never left the Bengal and began to settle here embracing local culture. A sect entitled "Kundaan" settled in the remote village of Hoogly now known as Itachuna. They amassed  huge wealth and property by their wit and strength. Subsequently they became Powerful Zamidars/Rajas of the locality. Over times they lost their identity of origin-Kunduans turned to Bengali title Kundu.. They harvested Bengali culture, Bengali cuisines,Bengali language and local deities.They became friend,guide and protector of local people here. They were pious and liberal. Their behavior towards subjects became a folklore even heard at the nook and corners of Itachuna.
A great place was built in the Bargiland. The palace was made by ita (bricks) and lime (chun) and hence it was called Itachuna Rajbari. The majestic,splendid architecture and structure is intact  although it is about 250 years old. Currently, a part of it is being used as heritage-stay.
The Bishnu temple within the palace is  another attraction of the palace. Still now the deity is worshiped.  Janaki da the old fellow memorize the golden days he saw in his early life.
The old fellow was guiding me to the artifacts kept for visitors. I could not count the number of rooms. The palace is a self-contained entity.  There are rooms for royal families. There are space for amusement and dances etc etc. The visiting room has a magnificent outlook . The  broom shaped Jharlanteen  is still hanging with a mute smile. Old rhythms and songs are heard at midnight  as said by the loyal caretaker.
A night stay here will  certainly refresh your mind.
 A stay here will  recall the Bengali proverb " Bargi aseche deshe..khajna debo kise"--" bargis have come.. Sir how could we repay our taes''.
 Janaki rightly said "Yea Bargis were there but they are  now with our culture..  we are in the same family we are not afraid of them.they are as like as ".  - 

Saragsuti (Cluster Bean) of Purulia: A time -tested crop of Dry lands

Last year during September I was  wandering through drought affected parts of Paschimanchal..   finally  I reached at Sindurpur, Purulia.  There people were passing through bad times, it was almost drought- there were no rains for about two months- fields were parched, instead  golden corns I found dislodged straws everywhere. Cattles were grazing on the paddy fields.. ponds,tanks & wells were dry in Dumurdi. However, after sharing their misery I was about to return Purulia. In the mean time I was searching for a restaurant to eat something. Luckily , I saw a small hotel on the road. I entered & ordered for chapatis.  The manager cum bearer brought chapatis with fried vegetables. 
Small  fried pieces were alike beans . How could beans reached to this shanty? Who are consuming high-priced vegetable here? I asked the manager..
" Is it bean?"
" no..it's Saragsuti"?
"What? "
" Oh you  know it as Gua-suti..many call it Kolkatta sim"
-" Gua Sim I have heared..but Kolkata suti?"
-" this vegetable  go to Kolkata  daily from here and it is now locally called Kolkatta Suti.. This is the only crop you can see under drought situation. Nothing is available other than Sagarsuti this time"

Can you show me some fresh vegetables?
"Oh..yes". He brought some samples. These were fresh,glossy and slender and replica of beans.
It was nice to taste it. I heard about Gua Sim which is called cluster bean  in my in-laws house at Purulia-ii.

I was interested on two aspects .. first about its name as Sagar suti & secondly is it a viable crop in Purulia.

I began to review some literature on it. I  was stuck that India is the leader of Gua-sim or cluster bean. Rajasthan produces 80% of the total bean produced in India. Further, during 2012 export earning from Cluster bean/Gua Gum exceeded the figure of Basmatirice.  Tremendous export potential of cluster bean  recorded. I got my answers to the first point.  Purulia district was the hub of jains. There are a number of Saraks who are originally Jains. Many of them were from Rajasthan .It might be Saraks brought it from Rajasthan or they were first eaters of this plant grown wildly here. As Sarkas are accustomed to this crop,its name became Saragsuti here. It is the part of historian to verify my hypothesis.

A few days back I went to Dumurdihi again. I raised the question of Saragsuti. My hands were hold back by a stout young guy..he is Jiban Mahata.
" come with me ..see my farm..it is a walking distance".
I came with him to his farm. It is by default a natural organic farm. The boundary was made of date-palm trees..There were heaps of cow dung collected from elsewhere.. there is no source of water.. land is too high..red lateritic. outside is barren.. no green is being seen. Surprisingly, I looked into the farm.. Green is everywhere..lust green crops were heading... i was pointed to the sagarsuti0shrubs.. these are one month old.. by this time there are pods on the branches of the crop..
" Sir see it.. last week I sold 2 kgs, in the market and got 50 rupees.. Gradually its price will decline but would never fall below Rs.15.00.  "
" What are uses apart from selling or consuming green pod"?
" Sir these are excellent cattle food. I use  it as pulses during off-season. Last year it saved me. It was drought but my sagarsuti grew".
  I did not talk about its export potential but shared the views that it could withstand drought and temperature. It is not an alien crop to them. With minimum efforts and costs it thrives well in the worst land. It has wide domestic market.
We are talking about drought in Purulia. It would be incomplete without  out Guar baean.a seasoned crop in Paschimanchal.