My days in the agriculture department are full of humbling experiences with grateful farmers who went out of their way when an officer satisfied all their queries, doubts and demands. I recall one incident while I was handling additional charge of Valpoi (Sateri Zone). We used to get farmers from faraway places who visited the town for their requirements early in the morning and returned home for lunch. They used to complete all their banking, official and market works within the time available to them in between the bus departure timings.
I remember meeting a farmer from Zarme village located at the foot of the hillocks from the neighbouring Karnataka State. He had applied for a subsidy pertaining to stone wall fencing and support price for legumes as well as paddy, but till date he was not able to get it even after multiple visits. On examining his records available in the office, a duplicate paperwork was initiated by the staff and his work was done within a week’s period. The farmer during his next week visit was visibly happy as his issue was finally resolved. He invited me in person to visit his village to show the lifestyle of its inhabitants.
I landed at the village Zarme in the morning. The farmer was waiting for me. He took me around his village which was famous for the Zatra of Thieves who were buried in the soil after they were slaughtered by the villagers as per the age old tradition. The village was bestowed with nature’s gift of a peaceful environment surrounded by hillocks, natural stream, lush paddy fields and cattle rearing business to sustain their livelihood.
This farmer had a couple of jersey cows which he purchased with the government subsidy issued under the Kamdhenu Scheme. He used to deliver the milk to the nearby collection centre every morning. Apart from this, he cultivated legumes and paddy in his small field which he sold in the market and got a support price subsidy on it. In order to make his ends meet, he had rented a small portion of his house to an NGO wherein his wife worked during the odd hours as they had a big family to support. They managed to earn between Rs 35,000-40,000 per month which was sufficient to sustain them.
His family served me simple but freshly cooked food on banana leaves with fish-curry and a leafy vegetable found in the surrounding hilly terrains. It was indeed a lovely lunch sitting with the farmer’s family and would not be forgotten soon. The villagers here would catch stone crabs (Khadapacho Kullyo) and freshwater fish (Pitol) during the rainy season which are quite delicious to eat.
My farmer friend requested me to stay overnight in his humble dwelling. As the darkness falls early in such remote areas where the connectivity is down, we had an early dinner and went to sleep. This is a way of life all over in similar villages in the countryside surrounded by hills and the livelihood as observed from close quarters.
There comes learning from the villagers and farmers how to live in harmony with nature and avoid polluted food. The way the villagers shared their precious moments – be it festivals or other occasions was indeed appreciable. The village seemed content in the simple living of its people. Goa offers a slice of such peaceful village life even today, if only one travels to the hinterlands to experience the beauty of nature and the people living here. Hinterland tourism aims at offering such experiences to the people from other States and nations. A quiet day in the life of a villager can be anyone’s day and it is bound to leave lasting imprints to cherish for life.
