K.N. Shaji, writer, ‘alternative’ journalist and votary of the organic way of life, talks about the dual concepts of samskaram (culture or tradition) and parishkaram (fad/fashion) in the context of the Malayali’s ‘modern’ way of life. He speaks of how perceived ‘modernity’ has replaced the traditional, of how a way of life has been lost in the bargain.
“The Malayali has become enamoured of ‘offers’. Where there is a buy one get one free offer, he will make sure he buys whether he needs it or not.” We are at Turning Point, his organic store on P.J. Anthony Road, Palarivattam. Over herbal tea sweetened with honey, made more delicious by rain, he talks about the alternative choice that has always drawn him – be it his career and every other choice.
Shaji has been editor of two Malayalam little magazines – ‘Sankramanam’ and ‘Niyogam’; besides editing books on the late auteur John Abraham, Sree Narayana Guru and short story writer T.R. In his younger days he led a nomadic existence, travelling where his fancy took him, living in the Himalayas without a care especially about his health.
A personal ‘turning point’ in the form of a health scare, at 41, led him to a search for a healthy lifestyle. Doctors recommended a bypass surgery, “I was referred to a hospital in Chennai; a date was ‘allotted’ for surgery six months later. A doctor in a city hospital recommended Dean Ornish’s alternative system – a combination of medicines, yoga combined with a healthy diet. If I could ‘manage’ the condition for six months with a change in lifestyle then I figured I didn’t need the surgery,” Shaji says.
One choice led to another and one path led him to agriculture, natural farming in particular. Kannada Dalit writer, and friend, Devanuru Mahadeva invited Shaji to Mysore. Mahadeva had quit his job as a college lecturer to farm 12 acres of land; he wanted Shaji to see what he was doing. Through Mahadeva, Shaji met journalist-turned agriculturist R. Swami Anand, a practitioner of natural farming. Shaji attended a five-day camp which opened his eyes to Subhash Palekar’s zero-budget natural farming which doesn’t use pesticides. He hopes to farm at some point in the future, “Farming is a dream. I hope I am able to but the costs are prohibitive.”
This ‘research’ presented him with another alternative and helped him when he opened Turning Point in April this year. Spices, oils, grain, pulses, soaps and snacks are all available here. The suppliers are brands from different parts of the country.
The vegetables are sourced from Hosur, rice from Palakkad, certain products from Kerala-based suppliers. Out-of-the State ‘brands’ cost more, for instance there is huge difference in the price of pepper the kind that would make the Malayali who has pepper in his backyard frown. He solved the conundrum by locally sourcing it.
At some point Shaji hopes to source everything from within the State, especially vegetables. “Small farmers across the State are engaged in organic farming and I plan to source from them. But I cannot solely depend on them as certain kinds of vegetables, like cabbage or tomatoes (not the naadan variety), are not available here.” The plus is that locally sourced produce would be easily available rather than depend on the erratic time that outstation vegetables take to arrive. It also reduces the massive transportation costs.
That is the other accusation that comes the way of organic produce – that they are prohibitively expensive. Shaji points to a packet of turmeric, “you just need half a teaspoon of this as opposed to two teaspoons of the regular variety.” It is his answer to the suggestion that organic products tend to cost more. “And keep in mind that nothing is more valuable than one’s health,” he reminds.
His pressing concern is “procuring from a reliable source. I am committed to the customer and therefore am selective about where I source from. I think of myself as having a personal relationship with my customer.”
The store is not a commercial venture; his agenda is propagation of a healthy alternative. At some point he wants to make the store a meeting point for like-minded individuals. He advocates the formation of organic farmers collective supported by society and in turn making organic farming viable. It would enable the reach of more organic produce to the market, thereby facilitating the healthy alternative, which he champions.
It has been a few months since he opened the shop and the going is a bit tough but Shaji is bent upon making it work even if it means swimming against the tide for a bit longer. For more details contact: 9447397768
