I was born and raised in Delhi. My father was a principal at a school in the city. Every year, we visited our native village called Mahua, where our grandfather lived.
We all followed a rigorous schedule there that consisted of waking up at 5 in the morning, attending a havan pooja and going to the village school. Our evenings consisted of crooning devotional and patriotic songs. Monsoons were fun as we enjoyed ourselves by taking a dip in the pond nearby.
During my visit, I observed a few things still etched in my mind. My grandfather always cared for the village folk by inquiring about their health. Also, the farming process around me thoroughly fascinated me, and I took a keen interest in understanding the entire method that got me hooked to agriculture for years to come.
MBBS And Gandhian Philosophy
I studied to become a doctor at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute Of Medical Sciences in Sevagram. The college effortlessly integrated medical learning with community practices, as the name suggests.
The college asked all batches to adopt a village, and ours adopted a village called Dhanora situated in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district. We were responsible for three families, and for five years, we were to take care of their health and nutritional needs.
All of this was an extensive learning process for me. I got guidance from our college professors, especially Dr Sushila Nayar, the institute’s founder-director and a devout Gandhian, till the end of her days. Her experience as a medical professional and her work at the grassroots level inspired me immensely.
Although educational, these five years played an essential role in my life. I was strongly influenced by Gandhian philosophy that still influences my medical work today. Not only that, it only strengthened my resolve to do farming and make a difference for my village.
Giving Mahua An Identity
Years went by, and I had a full-fledged medical practice in Aligarh. I held medical camps for the rural population in my native village. While I did my very best to treat every ailment, I was staring at a grave problem in front of me. Excessive usage of pesticides had a detrimental effect on the villagers’ health and the overall environment.
The thought kept toying with me until one day; I had an epiphany. I was taking a walk in the field with my wife, Shilpa, when I came up with the idea of introducing organic farming techniques to the farmers. This way, they can understand the correct way to grow the crops instead of using dangerous methods that prove fatal first, the village community dismissed my idea. However, I asked for five years. In one and half years, several youngsters joined me in this endeavour. I put my own money for a while and planted around 10,000 trees.
My wife lent a helping hand as well. Along with her, we also introduced modern processes such as Wormicompost, Water harvesting, Miyawaki technique of planting, and many others. Such techniques provided lucrative employment opportunities as well to the village youth.
In a way, I have carried my grandfather’s legacy forward by taking care of my village and giving it an identity in the world. I hope to keep doing the same in the future to make Mahua self-sufficient and progressive.
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