In the year 1951-52 we, as trainees of CSP visited Chichawatni in the suburb of Lahore. Then it had no political taint. I never thought, not even imagined, that lessons learnt there will come before me in so varied a form and at such odd places.
Not new, but what I enjoyed was the narrow-gauge train which provided a beautiful view of the entire forest, dense lush green leaves and the rest of it. For five years, 1946 to 1951, I had been travelling in such a narrow-gauge train from my home town Varanasi to Allahabad University, less than a hundred miles, in five hours. No crowds in the train. All pleasant and leisurely journey. Besides, on the roads of Calcutta, I found trams running on roads, an example of a bogey getting lose from such a train and moving towards a different destination.
What was new and more interesting for me was the sericulture experiment, producing silk yarn, going on in another part. I got all the factual information but forgot it all. Next, I found all around on ground multi-colour multi-dimensional, varied size and shape, domestic chicken transformed into flying birds, uniform in colour, size and shape disappearing in flight. Their agility was surprising.
Part I – First encounter with Farming
My posting as Assistant Commissioner, was cancelled twice, once every month. My enquiry led me to believe that they all wanted a devil whom they knew rather than anyone else. I felt greatly satisfied because it was considered a bad station, a non-family station, a punishment station. Third time, the posting there lasted but with an unusual direction to me. On taking over charge I gradually found, like a real landlord the extent of everything under my full unwritten command and control. These were as follows:
- One hundred thousand acres of non-perennial irrigated land. My duty was to get the production of each crop assessed as it matured, create a demand of one-third as Government share to be got deposited in the nearest store.
- Ten thousand acres of land on the banks of Indus river. No sharing of crop there but fixed amount payable in cash.
- Orchards, one hundred fully grown productive mango trees, freshly planted 40 Basravi dates, 40 Halawi dates.
- A cooperative shop of essential goods, medicines etc not available in the local market.
Like a typical landlord, I was kept uninformed of my responsibilities and duties. It was only when some sanction was required or bill to be signed that papers were put before me by an all-knowing subordinate.
When for the first time I was required to sanction one thousand rupees for the purchase of antivenom for snakebite I looked around on the ground for a snake. I did not find any. I looked up at the all-knowing and asked him why should the government be not doing it. He replied that our farmers move at night guarding their water supply and many cases of snakebite take place. He also informed me the hospital has no such antivenom and when needed they get it from us.
We had a hospital and a doctor, Dr Abdur Rahman from Sialkot, if I remember correctly. He was most helpful, providing guidance and diet control, the hospital being short of medicine always. With his help, I was able to make some most needed medicines available either at our cooperative shop or from our farmers stock.
Students of the farmers families, wherever getting paid education, were reimbursed. Every year four hundred to five hundred of our farmers were sent to protect from flood, no land in my jurisdiction but in the adjoining area outside my jurisdiction. That was done under Deputy Commissioner command and control. How they were looked after, I did not know. They deserved a reward or bonus at our end too, that I realized only when I ceased to be a landlord.
There were two officers under my oversight. None my direct subordinate. One was inspector wildlife protection; the other was controller of cultivation of drug and like stuff. Knowing full well that I had no gun, that I am not at all fond of hunting, or consuming hunted stuff, he appeared in my Court before me and on my appearance, he informed me: “Sir, today is no hunting day”. My usual reply was, “I know”. But I am extremely sorry that I formed a very uncharitable opinion about him, that having got registered his loyalty to duty he would go around, permitting few shoot by others at his fixed-rate and pick up the best shoot for his kitchen appearing to the world around him as healthy wealthy and wise. The other officer was a Controller over drug cultivation. Hearing from my gardener that I intended to cultivate tobacco Mardan style, he warned me that in that case, he will tax me. I registered his honesty and devotion to duty. He never saw me again.
On taking over as Assistant Commissioner and becoming aware of my duties as a Farm in charge I selected the following three projects for improving the economic life of the farmers:
- Culturing honey bees in portable readymade boxes. I had no experience of it. There did not exist any government centre to guide or train in this sector. Besides, the land being non-perennial, it was devoid most of the time of flowers and productive foliage. Then I had seen only one method of collecting honey, by smoking the beehive on a high tree to inactivate the bees, then cut the honey storage area of the hive. Honey and wax was the yield. I did not know the use of wax. Knowledgeable pickers could by tasting fresh honey tell from what flower it has been obtained.
- Cultivation of tobacco. Mardan had made a great name by producing tobacco. I had used tobacco leaves in pesticide. I had seen its curative properties, in-home remedies
- Encouraging sericulture, production of silk yarn from seed. In that I got all the help from Punjab Sericulture Department, the same which was carrying experiment in Chichawatni. Their cooperation, help, and guidance was excellent. An inspector used to visit every month with the supplies. I admired all of it except the boiling of the cocoon to extract yarn. The Punjab Sericulture Department submitted me a bill of Rs. 100. My authority as Assistant Commissioner was limited to Rs.25. The Deputy Commissioner refused to sanction the overbilling. I thought of paying it from my own pocket. Then my all-knowing subordinate told me that “Sir, if it is for the good for the farmers, then you have uncontrolled limitless power”. It consoled me but more disappointing was the fact that when a DC having no powers disapproves an initiative none can pull it up from the ground. Further experience proved the point when good proposals for advancement were rejected only for the reason that “then we will not get farm labour”.
In a book this view is encapsulated by the remark that when a landlord was asked as to when will the condition of the poor will improve. His curt reply was “When we will not be there”.
After transfer from this post I had to deal with land in four districts, not individually but collectively, with a serious problem of salinity in soil and waterlogging. Next, as DC Bahawalpur I had plenty of land to give as a reward, compensation for rendering good service, for rising stars of the District in any national competitive field. It was a most generous and purposive disposal of land, never exceeding 12 ½ acres.
Part II – My prolong stay at a farm in the US
At first sight, the owner of the farm would appear to be unassuming. Twenty years earlier he had informed me that he was thinking of retiring from the medical profession. I told him that a lawyer and a doctor may retire any time but they continue working even after that, health permitting. When he met me after twenty years at his own farm he told me that he had decided to work only one week a month and to devote the remaining time to his hobbies, hobbies kept totally non-commercial for the present.
I was staying at his farm when pandemic overtook the globe. My departure from there was not only locally but globally delayed. I saw the doctor working under stress three weeks a month instead of one. None knew what to do, where to move, and when. Life in complete disarray.
In isolation not free to communicate with others freely I started watching the animals around me. It reminded me of a fresher course in International Affairs, my subject in post-graduate studies. It was devoid of human being, but the game played superbly by untrained animals. The examples follow:
- When the application for establishing a farm was notified, objection followed from every quarter in the neighbourhood. All type of objections real and imaginary, “…we don’t want strangers to be here”, “…the foul-smelling animals, the animals crying all night to disturb our sleep…” etc. were raised. In the US, small claims in property and commercial rights cases are disposed of with utmost speed. As the parties have the right to file their point of view in writing none is required to attend physically. The judge granted the permission on the ground that this land was to receive heavily subsidized water from the Colorado River for this very purpose a rare concession.
- The farmer, by design or negligently, kept about eighty egg-laying fowls of different types, on his farm but provided them no privacy, to lay their egg or to hatch them. In no time the fowls found very suitable places for all their needs in the best of neighbourhood houses. The neighbours, so blessed with two to four organic eggs every day, and their children thankful to everyone but, first to the chicken.
- The farmer had let it be known to everyone that they can throw their compostable on his property to be mixed immediately with soil, which made the land so productive that quality grass grown on it had to be exported to another county where swine farms were waiting for it.
- The elders of the neighbourhood were all informed that they can bring their children to show them all and pick up one or two fruits of their liking.
The end result of the efforts of animals was that all neighbours became embarrassingly super loyal and helpful to the farmer, prepared to guard and protect his property including the animals from all predators, forgetting all gun control laws. Neighbourhood having children developed a pet culture. I was surprised to find a girl hardly thirteen years of age managing five goats, preparing excellent cheese from goat milk. Her mother producing delicious small dates from an unpollinated date tree.
The layout of the farm was simple, enjoyable even from inside the house as well.
Block A Portion I. On one side cactus collection, all well-arranged, sometimes disturbed to suit the mood and the need.
Block A Portion II. Next, whole side front planted thickly, beautiful even from a distance, with fruit trees about fifteen in number, mostly varieties of citrus. Behind the orchard large greenhouse for pheasants and rare plants requiring shelter and protection most of the time.
Block A Portion III. It acts as a buffer between the peaceful portion and the other unpredictable semi-violent portion. It is well marked and separated by a thick and dense row of bamboos all sizes, all colours, all shape. On the peaceful side are all egg-laying birds, peacocks and ducks. Why ostrich was treated outcast I could not understand. Under the cover of the bamboos are select roses, all in a long row.
In the middle was lush green lawn fairly extensive. There were two high-intensity flashlights to illuminate the entire sector visible all the time from three bedrooms two living rooms on the residential side of the farm.
Block B. The main extensive open area, open only for those who have developed acquaintance with the animals, or are tolerated by them. Somewhat risky for others. It is a free run, no speed limit at all on any portion of it. A very small portion containing two good mulberry plants was separated and utilised as kitchen garden of taste and need.
Block C. Quite graceful and peaceful area for swans white and rare black. All requiring clean running water. Not to be disturbed anytime during the day or night. A delight to see them together.
Block D. A part of the extended lounge area opening on a spacious kitchen garden and containing good flowering plants. Inside there is a well-arranged collection of Bonsai plants, looking decorative and impressive on a bamboo structure.
In my dream, a thought came to my mind: Could human beings conduct such exercise on human beings or animals? Will the plants be not complaining to some authority someday what humans have done to them? Deprived environment of their lasting contribution.
Future Plans
The farmer has 36 acres of land 15 minutes drive from his base. It has the same benefit of subsidized irrigation water from the same river. It is proposed to plant four hundred date plants and over fifty pecan plants. Two hundred date plants have already been planted. He explained about pecan trees that they are huge and picking of fruit is undertaken only by a company having machines for that require over fifty trees.
Never too late to learn
I learnt a few lessons from my exposure to gardening, farms and animals. I could not verify the absolute correctness of all but I have not received a negative feedback on any. These are as follows:
- In Karachi, I happened to meet Provincial Incharge of Wildlife. I got a lot of information on subjects of concern to me. In passing, he informed me that if a fruit tree is not bearing fruit, pick up a sharp weapon and give a blow on its trunk to threaten it with death and it will start producing fruit.
- In the US I saw a television programme, in which a gardener was loudly shouting all types of curses and threats on plants which according to him were not behaving. I thought if he were to do this to his children he would be behind the bars on an emergency call.
- When at the farm a peacock disappeared for days I got worried and complained to everyone but none paid any attention to it. After a month, I saw the peacock entering the farm in a princely fashion with three chicks following it through all small openings in the fence and elsewhere. I was told that the peacocks never migrate in singles. When a place becomes unsuitable they decide all to leave it at one time for their selected or choice destination, not a single will be found left at their original place. This information surprised me most and still keeps me baffled how they learnt the prized lesson of Unity Faith and Discipline. We have taken centuries and have learnt not even a third of it
- About the bamboos, it is reported, that all bamboos of the same family died together worldwide.
Experiences of a Lifetime 