THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The branch manager of Thalayolaparambu Farmers’ Service Cooperative Bank P G Shajimon recently won the best organic farmer award instituted by Kanfed.
But what makes the 55-year-old officer special is his noble mission to provide pesticide-free rice and vegetables to the Cochin Cancer Society. It was Dr V P Gangadharan, who was treating Shajimon’s wife, M Preetha Kumari, for cancer, who led the banker into organic farming.
Thalayolaparambu-native Shajimon, who is due to retire in December, was taking care of his wife for the past 17 years until she passed away last October.
He grows organic rice and vegetables on five acres belonging to local landowners and the produce goes to the society of Dr Gangadharan, who provides free food to the patients there.
Over the last few days, Shajimon has been busy accepting felicitations from various local organisations for winning the best organic farmer award. On Tuesday, former agriculture minister Mullakkara Ratnakaran visited Shajimon’s farm and congratulated him for doing yeoman’s service in providing pesticide-free vegetables.
Despite having a challenging role as a bank manager, Shajimon wanted to give organic food to his wife who had suffered a lot due to the terminal illness. It was Dr Gangadharan who motivated him to delve into organic farming and since then there has been no looking back.
“Initially, I did organic farming on my 25-cent property. When Preetha was alive, she asked one of our neighbours, Kurian Kollamparambil, a landowner, whether we could do paddy farming. He readily agreed as his 2.5-acre land had been lying fallow for years. Then we approached P G Thankamma, a social worker, whose 2.5-acre plot was also idle. The most important thing is that both of them gave their land for free to do farming. There’s no agreement. This shows that humanity still prevails,” Shajimon told TNIE.
Apart from paddy cultivation, Shajimon has been harvesting tubers, including tapioca, yam, greater yam and all types of vegetables. In the recent rains, he lost scores of saplings of amaranthus.
Once he retires later this year, he has decided to rear chickens and ducks, too. Coinciding with Preetha’s first death anniversary, Shajimon has decided to conduct a free mammogram examination for 50 women in his locality.
Dr Gangadharan will also be holding a class on cancer awareness at Korickal in Thalayolaparambu on October 27 at 10:30 am under the aegis of the Cochin Cancer Society.
Shajimon’s two children, Ajan S Gopal and Ardra S Gopal, Chartered Accountancy and MBA students respectively, help their father in farming activities whenever they come for holidays.
Dr Gangadharan told TNIE that he had known Shajimon for the last 17 years and had huge regard for him.
“Many a time, Shajimon was on the verge of quitting being an organic farmer due to incessant rains. But I kept on motivating him to provide pesticide-free rice and veggies. Words will not be enough to say about having organic food which helps you to stay healthy”, said Dr Gangadharan.