Life
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Thiruvananthapuram
HAM too can help farming
|
``HAM doesn't stand for Herty Ampere and Marconi, which is the normal expansion, but also Help All Mankind.''
|
As a farm expert and environmentalist, he believes that an effective communication is important for boosting the agriculture output and enhancing environment protection.
Not only the regular mode of communications such as mass media and the press used for agriculture extension activities, but also the amateur radio, normally a hobby, can be put to effective use in agriculture, disaster management and environment protection, says V. Palaniappan, honorary secretary of the Centre for Ecology and Research, a Thanjavur-based voluntary organisation.
He has proved that HAM radio can be an effective tool in agriculture production and forecasting weather. He takes time off to share his experience in agriculture and communications with G. Srinivasan.
HE WAS a government servant for 36 years. But the tedious monotony of his job did not deter him from being innovative. In fact, his work gave him ample chances to prove his mettle. What set him aside from other government employees was that Mr. Palaniappan found time to hit upon innovative ideas, even while carrying out orders issued from above. They were put through a severe test, and found worthy of implementation by the Government.
Mr. Palaniappan, son of a Tamil scholar, Vadivel Cholagar, of Thanjavur, graduated from the Annamalai University, and entered the government service as an agriculture officer in 1965, a year of crisis for Indian agriculture.
``In the words of the President, Abdul Kalam, Indian agriculture passed through a critical phase in 1965, 1977 and 1987. In 1965, it was ``ship to mouth'' — food grains were imported to feed the masses. C. Subramanyam, then Food Minister, brought about the Green Revolution. A new hybrid variety, ADT 27, was released by the Tamil Nadu Rice Research Institute (TRRI) at Aduthurai in Thanjavur district. I was given the job of arranging for seed farm multiplication and extension of area. This I considered a rare privilege, as I was a junior employee then. We were able to raise the strain on 2.5 lakh acres'' says Mr. Palaniappan.
Another critical year for Tamil Nadu was 1977. Water was not released into the Grand Anaicut canal area, owing to scarcity. The cropping pattern changed in the delta area. 1987 was another critical year, when an innovative method of ``direct sowing'' was introduced to tide over the water scarcity. Seeds would be sown and allowed to grow in rain without transplantation to help reduce water requirement. ``Direct sowing was made a success through effective communication,'' says Palaniappan, who was the Radio Officer then.
Unravelling the myth that Thanjavur farmers were conservative in their approach to farming, and would not buy new ideas, he says: ``Our experience in 1965, 1977 and 1987 proved that they will always adopt new and right technology.''
But what made him different from other agriculture officers was his interest in the HAM radio and making it an effective tool in agriculture. ``HAM doesn't stand for Herty Ampere and Marconi, which is the normal expansion, but also Help All Mankind.''
How he became a HAM? ``I heard the voice of the former Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, over HAM radio at Nagapattinam once. Fascinated, I took to the hobby and got the licence. In 1992, the administration gave me an opportunity to serve the public during the Mahamagam festival. We put up a HAM radio network at Kumbakonam. Unfortunately, a stampede occurred and many died. The HAM radio proved useful in managing the situation and rendering help to the affected people,'' Palaniappan says with a lot of satisfaction.
In the same year, the ringing of the Vatican City church bell and the message of Pope John Paul were broadcast through the HAM radio, to the delight of international pilgrims gathered at Velankanni in Nagapattinam district for the festival of the Lady of Health. The HAM radio's use as an effective second line of communication was proved in 1993, when there was cyclone and floods in Nagapattinam, which was cut off from the State.
The only means of communication was the HAM radio. It established contact with Nagapattinam and Thanjavur, and also with the Relief Commissioner office in Chennai and All India Radio, Tiruchi.
Mr. Palaniappan was instrumental in establishing the HAM network at that time. Realising the important role played by the HAM during the disaster, the Government included HAM radio operations in the disaster management plan and trained officials, with the help of volunteers of the Centre for Ecology and Research.
His proposal to include the HAM radio operations in the inter-active learning for farmers was accepted by the International Rice Research Institute, Phillipines, and was introduced in Thanjavur district.
Though a winner of many awards from international organisations, Mr. Palaniappan considers receiving the Rajiv Gandhi Award for Amateur Radio, instituted by the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation from the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, in 1996 and again in 1998, as the proud moment of his life.
M.S.Swaminathan aptly said: ``Palaniappan is one of those agriculture experts who tried their best to convert the laboratory know-how into the field-level do-how.''
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Life
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Thiruvananthapuram
|
