. Kumari Arivial Peravai
Young scientist programme 2012 – 2013
J.S.Anandhu Krishna,
Leader, Maroon team
Report on the educational tour
organized by Kumari Arivial Peravai to Erode and Satyamangalam
that took place during 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th of February, 2013.
“There are no old roads to new directions”
With the mindset of having found a new road to success, I began to dream of my days in Erode
and Satyamangalam along with KAP . . . .
My attention in school on Friday was completely drawn away by the curiosity and the joyous
sensation that the educational tour was supposed to offer me. As the bell rang, I had my bag on
the shoulder and traversed as fast as I could reach my home. I got ready and started to the
Moderator Njanadasan Polytechnic College [ the place where the Young Scientists were
supposed to assemble ] with lots of dreams and radiant ideas that took my soul and psyche far
beyond the sky and much above the planets. Since it is said : “Anything well begun is half done”, I
decided to have a short time meditation in the Murugan temple located at Nagercoil so that I
could have his showered blessings upon me throughout the travel and I believed that his
blessings would help me chose the right path at any thorny circumstances.
Day – 1 :
Blue team :
We were supposed to have a short time session in the Gnanadasan Polytechnic College as to
enable the eminent doctors of the IMA, Nagercoil namely Dr.Tiraviam Mohan and Dr.Kabir to
flag off the educational tour and to wish us all the best. As planned before, the session was
organized by Annlin Steffy [ leader, Blue team ]. The introductory address was given by Velaian
sir. To be frank, I think the introductory talk which is always given by Velaian sir in the
beginning of all the programmes may be the root cause for the
ever – lasting success of KAP. His talk is just like a lucky
pendent laid on the neck of KAP. Later, Dr. Thiraviam Mohan
and Dr. Kabir told that it is actually Dr. Vijayakumar to whom
we are supposed to be grateful. I felt proud to hear it from
him because Dr. Vijayakumar sir was in reality, the doctor of
my team, Maroon. They also blessed us and wished us all
success. Immediately, I was proficient to realise that KAP is unquestionably providing a platform
for us not only to articulate our talents but also to meet such great renowned personalities.
The bus fully loaded with the Young Scientists and other officials of KAP started its journey by
about 8:00pm. After about 45 minutes we were asked to get out of the bus for having the
dinner. We had a delicate dinner which was packed in Aluminium foiled boxes which kept the
heat and aroma intact, filled our stomachs with satisfaction from the Mary Matha Church,
Kavalkinnaru. Even that place had a godly presence and it definitely did give confidence to each
of us. Thanks to IMA Nagercoil and its members for their kind heart and support.
Day -2 :
On 16.02.2012, by about 5:00am in the morning, we boarded the Arulperumjyothi lodge in Erode
and as per the schedule, we were thought to reside there that night. We were allotted 1.5 hours
for refreshment and later, we all assembled in the room no.111, a pretty large room and we had
our breakfast there. The breakfast contained dishes that belonged to the traditional culture of
Tamilians. As we were there, Balakrishnan sir informed us that Erode is one of the districts in
Tamil nadu that produces a fairly large quantity of turmeric.
Sharp by 7:00am, Velaian sir declared the commencement of a short meeting where in he read
the programme schedule and explained each of the programmes briefly. He demanded that the
sessions must be of high quality and that it must be in the form of an interactive session. He
gave a clear cut explanation as to how a session has to be organized. Without these valuable
thoughts, the later sessions would have been incomplete. After the talk, the meeting was
dispersed and we started to move towards the SKM Group of Companies.
By around 9:30am, we reached the SKM Siddha factory where the siddha medicines were being
manufactured and exported. We were made to assemble in a hall in the factory which probably
seemed to be a seminar hall. Steffy invited the gathering including the doctors of the IMA,
Erode and the officials of the factory. The man who represented the factory and the SKM
Group of Companies was Dr.K.Murugan [ Assistant manager, SKM Siddha factory ]. Among the
doctors [ IMA members ] who came there were Dr.Abul Hasan, Dr. Sukumar, Dr. Susindar, Dr.
Chinnayappan and Dr. Kanagachellakumar.
We were really grateful to have seen and interacted with such principled dignitaries even in this
very small age. In the beginning, Steffy gave a short introduction about KAP and its activities so
as to enable the listeners know more about this voluntary organization. Dr. K. Murugan stated
that another factory that SKM Group of Companies owns
is the Egg Powder India Exports Ltd where the egg is
being converted into powder form and then it is being
exported to many of the developed countries. He said
that the Panchabootas have a major control over all the
processes taking place in the nature. In terms of
medicine, the three main Panchabootas Vayu, Agni and
Neer are termed to be the three main constituents of
Human Body namely Malam, Pitham and Kabham [ in Tamil
]. He informed us that Diseases are the main obstacles in the path towards God. He explained us
that since the eggs break during transportation, there is a lot of loss for the exporters while if
it is being transported in the powder form, then the loss would eventually amended into profit.
He mentioned the success story behind their animal feeds company. He declared that the basic
metals found in those food products are Mercury, Phosphorous, Arsenic and Cadmium and also
told that all these metals are having certain proportions and if they exceed their proportions
then it may inversely influence the vigor of the living being. He affirmed that an ordinary egg
may have anti –biotic residuals and more heavy metals. He encouraged us to promote and practice
the usage of organic and approved medicines. He then utilized the rest of his time to explain
about the industry, industrial processes and the various other machineries being used there. He
began his explanation with a question i.e. What is the difference between medicines and other
products ? We offered a lot of answers. Probably, he was surprised to see our intelligence and
accepted all our answers though he didn’t get his expected answer. He acknowledged that a
medicine doesn’t get any sort warranty as to be tested or not while most of the other products
in the market have their own warranty. He cited certain details about the GMP [ Good
Manufacturing Practices ]. He then stated the elements of GMP namely :
• Quality
• Efficacy
• Safety
He also emphasized that the components being used to make the medicines must be purchased
from GMP approved centers. He also pointed out that a good medicine manufacturing company
must have the following :
• Good Infrastructure
• Good Systems and Procedures
He then mentioned the various other technologies involved in the factory functioning and
machinery operations such as :
• SOP – Standard Operating Procedures
• SCP – Standard Cleaning Procedures
- Initiates effective and
uniform cleaning procedures
throughout the factory and over all
machineries in the factory
He also mentioned that these services are being monitored by a department namely the Quality
Assurance Department and also said that this department is recommending regular checks. He
added that the application methods that are functioning in the factories and the sequence of
the process goes like the following :
He mentioned the reason for which their chairman, Padmashree Mr. S.K.M. Mailanandem received
the great honoured Padmashree puraskar. I really became greatly admired of him when I heard
that he received the award for his social service. I came to know that he was really grateful and
kind – hearted to have completely adopted two villages namely Rajiv Nagar and Gandhi Nagar and
presently the SKM Group of Companies is offering free education, free food, free medical
treatment and much other complimentary facilities and most importantly, the educational
facilities that they are offering to the rural students has made him reach a position next to that
of God. In my opinion, he can be considered as the real avatar of God in the earth. We all come
to Earth with the message of the God to help the needy but none of us do so. It is only some who
obeys his message. Padmashree Mr.S.K.M.Mailanendham is one among those who obeys God
Almighty’s orders. Murugan sir belaboured that Siddha medicines are of two types namely:
• Internal medicines
• External medicines
Raw material is
being approved.
Production and
Procedure control
and quality.
Resultant product
ready for export .
He mentioned that the Siddha medicines usually take up their role and come to effect after
about 8 days. He also emphasized that there are about seven different types of minerals that a
human body may need. We came to know from him that the Siddha medicines were primarily
derived from the principles and the morals of the life of the Siddhars. He articulated that the
Siddha medicines were acquired by using about 30 Siddha literatures as references. He
beautifully remarked that the medicine for snake poison has been derived from its venom itself
and verbalized that the latest developments in the medical field has shown us a lot of signs for
a better future. I was able to inference that in the coming years there will be no disease without
a medicine. He concluded his talk by simply wishing us a good stay and an all the best. Later, we
were endowed with a chance to clear our doubts on Siddha medicines by having a squat point
interaction with him. He was so knowledgeable that he answered all our questions evidently and
restlessly. As a result of listening to his answers, we were able to gain a lot more information
about Siddha medicines and its applications. By means of an answer, he explained us that
“Agasthiyar is considered as the father of Siddha medicines”. We came to know that the effect
and application of these types of medicines completely depends upon its dosage and he also
listed out the differences between Siddha medicines and Ayurvedic medicines in terms of its
outline and dosage. He stated that SKM group of companies is offering a lot of free treatment
plans and has also established numerable hospitals across the state including various Inpatient
hospitals. When asked as to whether Siddha medicines can cure cancer, he countered the
question by answering that cancer can be cured only if the patient thinks he has to. Moreover,
he also acquainted that they have attained success by having treated a person with both
allopathic medicines as well as Siddha medicines. He also mentioned the names of certain Siddha
medicines. I felt flabbergasted to hear those names as it seemed to be a bit difficult to
pronounce and were in the language of the ancient Siddhars. In order to mention the widespread
usage of their medicines, he declared that the Madurai High Court is being provided with their
products/medicines. He also said that the only way to make the public aware of the dreadful
medical inconvenience that we may face in the future is to :
• Conduct awareness camps
• Demeanor training programmes
• Organize various campaigns
Etc . . . . . .
It was at this time that the most awaited moment of the day arrived. We had the doctor
members from IMA, Erode in the hall. As soon as Steffy gave them a warm welcome, the team
leaders were called to propose their theme talks. First of all, I was supposed to give the theme
talk from my team on the topic :”Food production and Consumption”. I demanded that India is a
land of agriculture and also said that almost 75% of the Indian population is dependent on
agriculture one way or the other. I stated that to feed the million of our poor, we have to move a
lot and also mentioned certain organizations that have come forward to face the future
agricultural crisis like :
• Cooperative credit societies
• Rural banks
• Governmental and Non – governmental organizations
And many other agricultural organizations . . . .
I mentioned a tip as to take agricultural courses into consideration just like the other
professional courses and also consider agriculture/farming as a white collar job. I insisted them
to change themselves to ensure a better and secure future and also quoted that “Change by
heart is really better than Change by compulsion”. I concluded by raising a question as to “Will a
man who carries his son on his shoulders wherever he goes easily change? ” [ means that we are
ready to carry our problems along with us at all situations rather than finding a solution about it
].
The next theme talk was given by Fathima of Yellow team on their topic : “Food processing and
Human ”. She mentioned that food processing is simply the transfer of raw materials to cooked
products or just changing the form of food products from one state to some other form. She
informed us about the parameters, hygiene and time with respect to the food processing
concepts. She concluded by telling that the future of food and agriculture is in the hands of the
young generation of India.
Thirdly the theme talk was given by Sooraj for the Green team on the topic : “food System
and Health ”. He demanded that junk food consumption may have tremendous impact in the life
of a person and the problems caused due to this junk food consumption have really become
general around the world. I felt it to be true and decided that once the Young Scientist
Programme for our batch completes most of us would really withdraw the habit of consuming
fast foods and junk foods. He stated that in the United Kingdom the schools have taken
initiative to grant lunch for the school pupil so that they could ensure that the children are
getting the right amount of nutrients from their lunch. He too concluded by telling that various
Governmental and Non – governmental organizations have come forward to face the future food
crisis and insisted us to be the next to take up the responsibility to find an alternative to this
crisis.
After that, the theme talk was given by Dharan of Red team on the topic :” Future of food and
agriculture ”. He mentioned the two main problems that the farmers are facing as to :
• Land availability
• Water availability
He mentioned the basic factors that may affect the growth of the crops like the climatic
features, land spread etc . . . . . He said that the future agricultural practices may limit the
emission of Green house gases. He finally concluded by with a striking quote : “Save agriculture,
Save yourself, Save your future”.
As soon as, we, Young Scientists got our tasks completed, the doctors decided to propose their
special addresses. First of all, Dr.Susindar began the session with an appreciation to the Young
Scientists for our extra – ordinary talks. He then praised the land of Kanyakumari as blessed
with the adoption of Swami Vivekananda. He also told that even Swami Vivekananda was a one
among the family of Siddhars who came to Tamil Nadu. He insisted us to transform all the forth
coming sessions into effectual interactive sessions. In my opinion, I felt that it was a right tip
for all the Young Scientists. I felt proud to hear from him that Erode is blessed to have the
presence of the Young Scientists on its land. He concluded by once again offering a pleasant stay
to us.
After that, we had a short address by Dr.Sukumar. I jumped to my feet when I heard from
Steffy that he has donated his blood for more than 145 times. There are only few who are
ready to donate their blood to the needy and they are of course the great ones in this land. One
such person is Sukumar sir. He expressed his feelings in terms of words as to when one donates
his blood, his mind feels satisfied. I felt that these words should be considered as golden words
and also thought that these words should be inscribed in our mind’s book so that it could never
be forgotten. He said that when one commits himself to do something good, he becomes fruitful.
My heart stood still for a minute when I heard from him that the IMAYAM Cancer centre
organized by Dr. Abul Hasan and Dr. Sukumar [ main doctors ] was inaugurated by the former
president Honourable Mr. Avul Pakir Jailulabdeen Abdul Kalam. His talk carried a lot of messages
which I felt was necessary to all the Young Scientists so that they could all foresee a brighter
future.
The next address was delivered by the special guest of honour Dr.Abul hasan. He began with a
question so that the session could be a bit interactive. The question raised by him was: “Which
country in the world is having the most number of malnourished children?” We were really
surprised at this question because it seemed to a bit simple to us. We immediately answered
that Somalia and Kenya are the countries with the most number of malnourished children. To our
surprise, the answer was wrong. He said that INDIA is having the most number of malnourished
children [ about 38.52% of the population of children is malnourished ]. We were really
astounded on hearing the answer but slowly realized the truth. He was actually a storehouse of
knowledge.
Later, we had a talk by Dr. Kangachellakumar. His talk was too short but it his words caught a
deep position in our minds. He wished us all the best and a pleasant stay.
No sooner, we had the next talk by Dr. Chinnayappan. He appreciated the idea of the formation
of a voluntary organization like KAP and praised the brain of Velaian sir of giving training to the
budding scientists of the Kanyakumari district. He stated that KAP provides a golden
opportunity for the students to express their talents even at this young stage. He also affirmed
that on participating in the Young Scientist Programme organized by KAP, the students would
come to know about the food consumption and production trends in India and he also assured
that we would most probably change the worse trends among them in the future. He concluded
his talk with a quote i.e. “The world has enough to full fill our need but not our greed”. I felt it
to be true.
Green team :
As a matter of conclusion, Sooraj of Yellow team was asked to deliver the vote of thanks. It was
definitely an appreciable one.
We then had a short tea break. Then, we were called for the field visit. We were delighted to
have a visit around the SKM Group of Companies. I was really amazed on seeing the security
measures that they took in order to ensure the complete safety and quality of their products.
They offered us new chapels as our shoes may make the factory interiors untidy and the dirt
thus made may reduce the quality of their products.
First of all, we had our visit to the block named “Research and Development – traditional
medicines”. There we saw the various metals that were moulded into shapes and spread out on
sheets under the sun so that they could get dried. Among the metals we saw were Pattukarippu [
in Tamil ] and Nagaparppam [ in Tamil]. We came to know that these metals must change to their
oxide form in order to make the medicine consumable. Later as we got in we had a view over the
specimens of the materials that add flavour to the basic Siddha medicines. Further in we saw
the various technologies involved in making the medicines like the Grinding technologies. There
hung a board which read information about the time period involved in the soaking of various raw
materials used for making of the medicines like the Aichengooram, ICI Thiruthoda Mathirai etc .
. . We came to know that a medicine named the Thankapasmam can restore the fairness to a
person and make the person look charming. Though unbelievable, I thought that these
medicines [ thankapasmam ] could replace the costly Golden Facial technologies [ – parlour
method to restore fairness ]. We saw the technology that uses the application of heat, clay and
pottery in the making of medicines where the raw materials are Honey wax, Sadhamanjil, Salt
etc . . . We also saw the medicines production method that uses Aarumughasinduram as the raw
material. On our way to the next block, we saw various materials that were placed outside for
the drying process like Pomegranate peels, Gooseberry seeds etc . . . I realized that each thing
in this world has its own value though we don’t realize it. These peels are of no use to us and so
we throw it off but in reality they are the ones who cure us during the periods of dreadful
diseases. I learned to respect everything around me after seeing this wonderful sight. We were
also lucky to see a solar dryer in original and we also witnessed certain medicinal plantations.
We then saw the specimens of certain flavoring items. Among the specimens were :
• Thippili, Milagu, Chukku, Thanrikai thol, Athimathuram
• Paru nannari, Koraikizhangu, Karkandu, Seeni, Honeywax
• Nattu ammukara, Sinnagapoo, Malli, Vaivilagam, Ettikottai
• Sitharathi, Thavanatharani, Sathipathiri, Sathikai, Palkizhangu
• Murungai pattai, Sathavari, Avaram poo, Vellai kunguliyam
• Virali manjal, Kappu manjal, Mahilan poo, Venthayam
• Nerunchil mul, Sevallkodi, Masikkai, Karumseeragam, Seekakkal
Etc . . . . . . .
In that block, we saw a signboard that read that the factory is committed to the prevention of
diseases through herbal medicines thus ensure a better society.
Later, we went to a factory that dealt with the production and formation of Choornam, which is
one among the forms of Siddha medicines. Later, after the visit to the other factories, we
assembled outside the factory near a green grassy meadow where I met with an innovative
question raised by Velaian sir regarding the transformation of the machinery used from two
grinders at a time to four which would rather be less time consuming and might reduce the
labour charge. I took up the challenge and decided to inform him the answer during the last
meeting of this Young Scientist programme. I hope it would make him happy.
While standing there, Mr. Saravanan, our guide explained us about the different forms of
Siddha medicines like Choornam, Lehyam, Pasmam and Chindooram. The descriptions that he
offered were as follows :
Form State of existence Types
Choornam Solid Fine and coarse
Lehyam Semi – solid Poornam and Apoornam
Pasmam and Chindooram Nano powder form Nil
Soon after the summary was given, we had our way to the rest of the factory. We saw the waste
water treatment plant / effluent water treatment plant. We also did see the lemon extractor
where a lemon is inserted as a whole to the entrance of the machine which on processing throws
the peel out and the juice gets collected in the residual tank. We also saw the application of
Isopropyl alcohol in the factory which is being used as a handwash so that they could ensure
complete cleanliness of their systems and procedures. We then visited the block where the
Lehyam was being prepared. We saw boards that hung on the walls and one of them read :
We were able to visualize the methods of preparation of the Lehyam and we learned a stunning
fact that even milk is being used in the preparation of Lehyam. Moreover, we also became
knowledgeable about an eco friendly way of preparation of Lehyam i.e. rather than using any fuel
medium for providing the heat, it uses the application of steam makers for heating. We saw an
incubator inside the preparation centre which is mainly utilized for heating purposes.
When we entered the next section, I found a wonderful quote hung on the walls and realise that
it should be ready by the pupils who believe in fate and luck. It said : ”The harder you work, the
luckier you get” [ meaning: It is not simply that we should not believe in luck and fate but we
must apprehend that it is hard work that we do which decides our luck and fate ].We saw the
tablet and capsule making processes, the capsule loader, the blister packing technologies, the
semi solid state medicines’ packing and sealing techniques etc. . . Thus the lab visit came to an
end. It was indeed an informative one. My sincere thanks to Dr.Murugan and Mr. Pazhanisaamy
Raw material Q.C.Check
Sugar base Crude drugs Fresh herbs Crude drugs
Pulverising
Decoction
Juicing
Juice
Grinding
Paste
Mixing pan
Boiling
Addition of Coornam Addition of Ghee
who explained us in detail about each and every appliance and techniques used there in the
preparation of Siddha medicines.
Later, we got into the bus and then headed towards the Egg Powder India Exports limited which
also belonged to the SKM group of companies. It was one of the most memorable visits in my life.
Even the first sight of the building caught my attention. The architectural intelligence was
borrowed from the German forms of architecture. It was really fabulous and extra ordinary.
There we met an official of the Exports company namely, Mr. Pazhanisaamy who explained us in
detail about the processes involved in the making of the egg powder and also stated the areas
where it finds innumerable applications.
Pazhanisaamy sir began by telling that we were actually lucky to have visited the company as only
the B.Tech students are given the chance to study the processes and machineries used in the
factory. In my opinion, from the moment we got into the factory, we didn’t have a feeling of
being inside an industrial unit as it was neatly maintained and tidy. Hats off to the officials of
the company . . . . He stated that the Exports Company was actually a joint venture and that it
mainly aimed in Industrial Development. I was staggered to heard from him that the egg in the
liquid form is being processed and then gradually converted into the powder form. He mentioned
the three types of powder such as :
• Whole egg powder
• Egg yolk powder
• White yolk powder / Albumin powder
He said that sweet flour and sugar are also added in definite proportions during the the process.
We came to know from him that the building uses almost all sort of German technologies and
that the Company was inaugurated by our former Chief minister, Mr. Karunanidhi. It was
unbelievable to hear from him that almost 20,00,000 eggs are being broken per day while among
them only about 4,00,000 to 5,00,000 eggs are from their own farms while the rest are obtained
through extensive marketing. He affirmed that the secret of their everlasting success is the
purely organic methods of production and export. We were informed that the eggs undergo
various processes in a sequence before being taken for processing like :
Stored in the
Godowns
Neat appearing
eggs are chosen Undergoes Lab
Testing
Further
Verification
He demanded that a specialty of their products is that they possess a detail tag and that they
follow the “first come, first serve” concept in the terms of export. He confirmed that the
Company manages about six complex machineries. He listed out the production and usage rate in
terms of mass while dealing with the concept of types of egg powders. He elucidated that the
edutator is used to make the liquid content stable by adding solutes. He verbalized that the
products before package also undergoes heat treatment where in the product is subjected to
heat wherein the water molecules evaporate and this, to be sure, removes dust and the yellow
yolk particles too and thus, the end product is the powder ultimately. Moreover, he also
emphasized that almost 60 – 70% of water content can be removed with the help of the process,
‘Reverse Osmosis’. He strongly uplifted a point that the product becomes a finished good and
edible product only after air tight packing / sealing.
When we asked about its applications in the market, he told that the egg powder primarily
decides the softness of the cakes and is used for confectionary purposes. He informed that the
white yolk powder is used for cosmetics manufacturing and for confectionary purposes. He
reported that main aim for the manufacture of egg powder is to reduce transportation
difficulties and to make a superior quality product from an egg. When we enquired about its
nutritional value, he notified that there is no loss or gain in the amount of nutrients when an egg
is transformed into its powder state. He made us aware that the egg shell that are wasted are
partially utilized as animal feed. Before the session came to an end we were shown the various
machineries that found applications in the factory and most importantly we were able to
visualize the pasteurization centre. We would never ever forget the visit to the Egg powder
exports India limited. Thanks to KAP and the SKM group of Companies.
Later, we had the lunch break and the lunch uplifted the traditional customs of food in Tamil
Nadu. Later, we once again assembled in the meeting hall as to thank the faculties of the SKM
group and the facilities offered by them.
First of all, Velaian sir had a short talk. By means of his talk he pointed out certain faults that
were committed by the Young Scientists. He appreciated the sincerity of Mr. Kodeeswaran, Mr.
Shakthivel and all the others who were in constant touch with us and accompanying throughout
the programme. He mentioned the purpose of visit to the IMAYAM cancer care centre. But
before he concluded, he reported that Mailanandam sir is the right person to receive the
Padmashree award for the respectable social services that he offered to the community –
adoption of two villages, really great ! All of us had the same opinion as that of Velaian sir. We
left the SKM Group of Companies by 3:00pm. Our next destination was the IMAYAM Cancer
Care centre.
We reached our destination by 4:05pm. As soon as we entered, my heart felt saint like when I
saw the motto of the IMAYAM Cancer Care centre i.e. “Care beyond Cure”. We assembled in
the seminar hall which was a bit small to accommodate all the Young Scientists and some of us
were supposed to be seated on the floor. It was a different experience for us. Velaian sir
announced that since the doctors have not arrived yet, we were supposed to have a visit around
the Cancer Care centre and if time permits then we shall have a short team meet too. As soon
as we had a short rounds in the centre, all of us were
deeply touched by the sights of the difficulties that
the patients are facing because of that deadly disease.
We then had our team meet and during our team meet,
the team members were informed about the articles
that they were supposed to prepare and we were also
given the topics for the technical presentation.
After the team meet, we had a tea break and then the
meeting was commenced with Ram Akash campering
the programme. He welcomed everyone to the dais and
then Abiulin was called upon to give a short introduction about The IMAYAM. We were all
astounded to hear from her that the IMAYAM was inaugurated by Dr.A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. She
stated that the cost of the project was around 40 lakhs and its aim is to provide care and
support to the cancer patients. Many doctors from across Tamil Nadu are offering voluntary
services to the IMAYAM like Dr. Sadagopan who is providing the rice for all the cancer patients
in IMAYAM. She also affirmed about all the free facilities and treatment that IMAYAM is
offering to the cancer patients. She also took notice of the fact that Dr. Sukumar sir is of the
greatest support to IMAYAM. The idea about IMAYAM was originally envisaged by Dr. Abul
Hasan which was encouraged and supported by other members of IMA Erode and other well
wishers from that district. The first and main building if the trust was donated and constructed
by his family in memory of his parents. No doubt, Dr. Abul Hasan is one Mother Therasa that
India has produced.
Then the introductory address was given by Velaian sir. He appreciated the social contact of Dr.
Vijayakumar sir who is the backbone of this Erode – Satyamangalam programme. His new position
as the national president of IMA was actually a result of the social service that he has done on
behalf of KAP and of course, on his own behalf too. He even appreciated Dr.Abul Hasan sir’s
sincerity and big hearted mind of offering free service to all the Cancer patients around there.
As a token of appreciation, the doctors and the subordinates were offered books [ Book
published on behalf of the Young Scientist program that took place last year ] by the official of
KAP. The pattern was as in the following table :
Book given to : Book given by :
Dr. Abul Hasan Shri. L. Edwin Sam
Dr.Sukumar Shri. Balakrishnan
Mr. Shakthivel Shri. Thiruvenkatam
Mr. Kodeeswaran Shri. Samraj
Secondly, Dr. Abul Hasan sir was called for the presidential address. He said that we were really
fortunate to visit IMAYAM as the visit is not easily accessible. He beautifully quoted that :
”IMAYAM is actually a home built by the doctors for the cancer patients who cannot be cured”.
He listed out the treatment methodologies offered to the cancer patients like :
• Operations
• Chemotherapy
• Radiotherapy
He stated that Cancer is the only disease in which both the patient [ physically ] and the
relatives [ emotionally ] suffer equally. He informed us that even after facing a lot of
difficulties to inaugurate the IMAYAM, he was voluntarily coming forward to put IMAYAM into
force. He mentioned that other cancer care centres are charitable organizations organized by
private companies or some holy organizations while IMAYAM is a care centre completely working
under the surveillance of doctors. The causes of Cancer were discussed by means of an
interactive session. The causes discussed were:
• Bad dental hygiene
• Genital hygiene
• Carcinogens [ excessively fried food items, alcohols, cigarettes, tobacco etc .
. ]
• Pollutants
• Fertilizers
• Pesticides and Insecticides
Etc . . . . . . . .
He stated that Imayam had served more than 700 patients so far. I was amazed to hear that
wide range. I imagined the range of patients who could get care if a lot of such organizations
emerged in the various corners of the world. He beautifully defined cancer as the part and
parcel of the evolution of mankind. He said that Cancer ranks third among the diseases that may
cause death in sure. He acknowledged that among all the cancers, mouth cancer and blood cancer
can be at the first stage be cured to a certain limit. He then quoted the most touching words
that Dr. Porges narrated about himself: “I have treated many, I have cured many but forgot to
realize that I had one in myself” [It is cancer that he is referring to]. To make the session a bit
interesting and jovial he compared cancer to the sport - cricket where the Batsman is the
victim, cancer is the bowler, doctor is either the umpire or the captain and the victim’s relatives
are the vice captains. He demanded that Cancer possesses an unpredictable nature and we felt
really surprised and fearful to hear from him that India is the country with the most number of
cancer patients in the world [10,00,000 cancer patients]. He mentioned that India is sooner
going to receive the sobriquet: “ THE CANCER CAPITAL OF THE WORLD ”. I was totally
surprised to hear from him that we people have not realized the real value of life in spite of so
many years. The moment I thought to thank God for having spared me from the deadly disease
of cancer, Abul sir immediately said us to do so. Moreover, he also said that the people of India
are not ready to be accessible to the new techniques and treatment methodologies used to cure
cancer. As a result of some questions proposed by us, he narrated an incident that he did
undergo when he encountered the treatment of a girl who was severely suffering from breast
cancer. As part of the narration, we were able to know that breast cancer was caused due to the
excess secretion of harmone [ eastrogen ]. The incident that he mentioned was really miserable.
He mentioned the terms that are used when cancer affects the various parts of the body like:
• Eyes – Retinoblastoma
• Brain – Meningioma [ caused due to over exposure to mobile radiations ]
• Myxoma – Heart
He mentioned that cancer is never a problem if it is treated with the importance that has to be
given to it. He signified that various national leaders and renowned personalities of the world
have overcome this deadly disease or even more deadlier diseases. For example, Mr. Richard
Nixon [ 37th president of the United States ] have encountered serious illness like a Brain
tumour that has been densely grown, he managed to live a happier life despite bothering this
disease and he believed that he died when he had to. I was even more surprised to hear from
him that Neil Armstrong [ the first to set foot on moon ] was suffering from serious cardio
vascular disorders/cancer. Since they didn’t lose their confidence in life, they were able to
survive for longer years. This was the message that he wanted to convey to us. He denoted that
America is the country that is standing first in the field of cancer research and presently they
are doing researches to find and remove the organelle that is responsible for activating the
cancerous cells. When we asked about the symptoms, he simply answered that cancer has no
known symptoms to show in the most crucial and the beginning stage, as time goes on the person
gains overweight, becomes oversensitive, experiences unexplained swelling, causes bleeding in
urine and rectum and even suffers from vomiting and constant blood lose [ these are the
symptoms that can be detected during the earlier stages of cancer ] . He finally concluded by
telling that the only way to eradicate or curb the threat that this disease is posing to the human
society is to “BE OPTIMISTIC”. Since Sukumar sir had a very busy schedule that day, he had to
share his views on cornea transplantation and many other eye related issues before we had our
chance to ask our doubts to Abul sir.
Soon after the talk by Abul sir, Sukumar sir had his presentation / talk. He began by telling that
iris is the layer that is responsible for the colour of the cornea and explained that cataract
refers to the white reflexes in the pupil. He emphasized the causes [ defection of RB1 Gene and
often inheritance ] and effects [ total blindness ] of retinoblastoma. He shared his views on
malignant melanoma [ neoplasm of melanocytes ] which is very common among the people of the
present era. He stated that we should never use the term eye transplantation but rather it is
the term corneal transplantation that has to be used. He pointed out a very important fact that:
“ AN ALIVE PERSON CAN NEVER DONATE HIS EYES ”, while, “ A DEAD PERSON CAN
DONATE HIS EYES WITHIN 6 HOURS AFTER DEATH ”. He said that the only way to broaden
the notion of corneal transplantation is to educate the people and pupil of INDIA. He declared
that corneal transplantation is done only in the recognized hospitals. He cited that: “ TWO
PERSONS ARE BENEFITTED WITH ONE PAIR OF EYES ”. He conveyed us about the first step
to be followed during eye transplantation i.e. before the transplantation, wet gauzes or the
cotton pads are kept on the eyes as means of sterilization. To make the content reach us in the
best way, he even displayed a video showing the complete process of transplantation of cornea
from a person where in we saw the cornea and eye ball separately. He concluded by once again
mentioning the importance of eye donation. His talk was really informative with lots of points
that have to be engraved in our minds to remain forever.
Later, we had a chance to continue the interactive session with Abul sir. During the session, he
informed that Mr. Armstrong [ a cyclist ] lost his leg due to cancer. It was really miserable for a
cyclist to lose his legs. He stated that allopathy medicines are derived from plant alkaloids too.
He mentioned that it is very much necessary for an individual to learn and possess at least one
good skill in life to gain relaxation. Moreover, he also informed that apart from the usual
curriculum, it would be good if each student is also well – versed in any of the sport events too. I
asked a doubt as to the differences between a cancerous cell and an ordinary body cell:
Cancerous cell Ordinary body cell
1. Comparatively bigger 1. Comparatively smaller
2. Rapidly multiply cells 2. Cell division is a bit slow
3. More number of mitochondria 3. Less number of mitochondria
4. Nucleus is generally bigger 4. Nucleus is generally smaller
5. Secrete lots of chemicals [ hormones
and enzymes ]
5. Secretes comparatively less number of
chemicals [ hormones and enzymes ]
6. Destroys the normal cells around -
He stated that blood cancer is being treated by the transplantation of Bone Marrow as the
cancerous cells are clearly produced in the bone marrow. He concluded by telling that the only
thing that can be provided to the third level cancer patients is care and not treatment and it can
be made possible in a wide range only if organizations like IMAYAM emerge in various corners of
the world.
The vote of thanks was proposed by Deenu Raj of Red team and thus the session came to an end.
I would never ever forget this visit to IMAYAM in my life as it created a profound touch in the
deeper segment of my heart. We left the place with the satisfaction of having completed a day’s
programmes successfully.
We reached the lodge [ where we were supposed to reside ] by around 8:00pm. We had
refreshment for about half an hour and then we assembled in room no:111 for the dinner. After
the completion of the dinner, Velaian sir selected a few students who have not set foot on the
podium and who have not spoken boldly in front of others to propose the feedbacks on that say’s
programme.
After the feedbacks by the students, John Rabikumar sir, as a coordinator was called to give
the feedback / suggestion. He appreciated us for the cooperation throughout the programme
and valued the food that was served throughout the programme.
Later, Sajeev sir was called upon to offer his suggestions. He said that the one good work of
that day was that we didn’t even waste a morsel of time for anything. He also said that he was
stunned to see the technologies that were used in the manufacture of Siddha medicines as he
was aware of only the technologies used in the manufacture of allopathic medicines. He thanked
KAP for the magnificent opportunity and also wished us all the best.
After that, Balakrishnan sir began his talk with an appreciation to SKM Mailanandham sir who
has arose to this prestigious position of being a Padmashree winner from the earliest small scale
industries. He also said that the programme that he liked on that day was the visit to IMAYAM.
Next, Thiruvengadam sir was called upon. He began his talk with a petite story.
“ One day, a professor was called to a college to propose the felicitation address during a special
occasion. He began his address by asking them a question i.e. does anybody here know about what
I am going to talk ? Immediately, some among the students said yes while some said no. The
professor said that if it that so, then the ones who know about what I am going to tell should
give the message to the ones who don’t know about it. The students were totally ashamed to
hear this reply from him. ”
The story really refreshed all our minds. He praise the team cooperation of the Young Scientists
and also appreciated Velaian sir’s mentality to bring all the students to the dais and make them
speak so as to give them all an equivalent training.
As soon as he completed his talk, we had an informative and logical talk by Edwin Sam sir. He
mentioned the relationship between our topic and the visits that we have undergone that day. He
said that to foresee a good scope in agriculture, the only way would be to promote organic
agriculture. He mentioned that we must move in the right path and make use of all the
opportunities that we encounter on the way. He also mentioned a quote : “Moving one step in the
right path is better than moving miles in the wrong path”. He affirmed that the way one takes
things around him will decide his attitude and character. He said that we must inculcate the
habit of creative thinking within each one of us. He stipulated that we must do things that will
benefit the attitude of a good scientist. He concluded by pointing out the importance of social
service in the modern society.
Last but not the least, Vikram sir proposed his valuable thoughts. He said that KAP though doing
everything effectively, we must also try to improve the attitude of each Young Scientists. It
was really a point that has to be taken into account. My sincere thanks to Vikram sir. . . .
Before the meeting was dispersed, Velaian sir appreciated and thanked the genuineness of
Shakthivel sir and Kodeeswaran sir and also mentioned that we could never ever expect such
facilities if this didactic camp was supposed to be held in our district. That was really true . . .
It is said : "You're not healthy, unless you sleep at the right time with the right thoughts."
With these thoughts we bid Good Night to each other and moved to our respective rooms to
have a sweet slumber.
Day – 3:-
Maroon team :
By 6:30 am, we had our breakfast and got into the bus with lots of expectations for a good day.
As the journey was to start, Velaian sir called Sukumar sir to propose a very short talk and also
wish the Young Scientists best of luck.
Sukumar sir gave us the names of the Padmashree winners from erode and Satyamangalam
including our beloved Mailanandem sir. He, as a man of self respect, showered all his blessings on
us in the form of words. We were so much enthusiastic to have his blessings upon us and thus we
started a beautiful journey.
Since this journey had a very good start, we had the belief that it would also be a successful one
like the previous day’s programme.
Our first destination was the Sundararaman’ organic farm. To our surprise we were warmly
received by Dr. Subramanian , Dr.Chinnaswamy Dr. Selvakumar, and Dr. Venugopal and Dr.
Narayanareddy, members of IMA Satyamangalam at the junction itself. It was a rare privilege
and honour given to the young scientists and KAP. We just entered and were seated in a hall in
which the roof was made of coconut leaves and other bushes. Really it was cool and calm. As the
name suggests, it was really a very beautiful place. I was doing the campering.
I welcomed the guests and the officials of KAP in the
beginning and then gave a short introduction about KAP
and the facilities that it offers to the society as well
as the Young Scientists.
By means of the presidential address, our beloved Dr.
Subramaniam sir introduced Sundararaman sir and
said that he was actually – “the son of the soil”. He
claimed that Sundararaman sir’s family had been
practicing this organic farming since many years and agriculture had been passing on in his family
from generation to generation.
Later, the shawls were offered to the personalities of KAP and Sundararaman sir by the
doctors of Satyamangalam IMA. I was very much grateful and my pride saw great heights when
I too received a shawl for the campering.
After that, I gave a short talk on Organic Agriculture. I defined Organic Farming as an
agricultural method that doesn’t makes use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. I demanded
that it was introduced by Sir Albert Howard, recognized as the Father of Organic Farming,
who wanted to evolve a more eco-friendly way of agriculture. I cited that role of organic
agriculture, whether in farming, processing, distribution, or consumption, is to sustain and
enhance the health of ecosystems and organisms from the smallest in the soil to human beings. I
declared that Organic Agriculture is now effectively practiced in more than 120 countries [
among them, India holds the 33rd position ]. I said that although, Organic Farming is an
inevitable phenomenon, the production from this type of farming cannot feed the entire
population. I insisted that it needs a lot more land for cultivation and suitable conditions for
their effective growth. I also told that the Government has launched the National Programme
for Organic Farming and has also started the National Institute for Organic Farming which
are landmark achievements in the arena of Organic Farming. I concluded by telling that :
Let’s join hands to make our India , ‘ORGANIC INDIA’ ! ! !
Then, Jinolin from Maroon team proposed a theme talk on the same topic Organic Agriculture in
Tamil. She mentioned that our ancestors had been getting food from Organic Agriculture alone,
but with the emergence of the modern generation, the ancient and organic methods of
agriculture got drowned away. She demanded that by means of Organic Agriculture, there are a
lot of advantages like :
• Since it is scientifically approved, it may increase the quality of the products
• Increases the soil fertility
• Ensures proper water feed when irrigated since the soil is healthy
• Increases the water holding capacity of the soil and makes the soil loose
• Gives the needed nutrients to the soil and makes the soil healthy
• Ensures an eco – friendly, green environment as it doesn’t use any sort of
chemical fertilizers and pesticides
She insisted that it is the soul duty of each citizen of this country to save our soil to ensure a
good future for the earth. She mentioned that one of the most important step that has to be
taken care of while practicing agriculture is soil testing. She even stated the different methods
and processes involved in soil testing. She mentioned the various constituents of the soil with
respect to their percentage ratio. She alluded that since organic agriculture uses organic
fertilizers and other organic products [ like neem cake, neem oil etc . . ], the soil becomes loose
and the soil increases its nutritional value and gives all sort of necessary requirements to the
plant in the right proportions. She also said that a place named Rishikesh had turned towards
organic agriculture because of the effective awareness given to the public. She concluded by
specifically mentioning to a book named “ One Star Revolution ” authored by Mr. Feucako on
Organic Agriculture and its benefits.
Later, it was the most awaited talk by Sundararaman sir. He began with few good words : “
Agriculture is a way of living ”. He said that to ensure a future with lots of greeneries in this
world, we have to give up and sacrifice a lot. He also quoted that : “ We are supposed to be frank
to ourselves and our society ”. He specified a school in Krishangiri district where the students
have themselves indulged in agricultural practices within the school premises. He stated that
childhood experiences are those that could never leave our soul and also said that we expect and
work according to our needs and limitations. He acknowledged that : ” Nature can satisfy wishes
but not our greed ”. He cited that if agriculture is done with sincerity and love towards the
plants, then the plants will provide us what we need. He affirmed that the generation gap is a
great problem and that the situations when he was a student is extremely different from that
of today’s which will also affect the lifestyle of a person. I felt ashamed to hear from a fact
that the people of today’s generation has gone against it rather than being with it. He gave a
sobriquet to the underground water table as “ A SAVING BANK ”. He declared that for the soil
to be converted from a completely inorganic one to an organic one, it has to undergo 3 years of
complete organic care. He beautifully quoted that ( in tamil ): “Arasan Evalli, Makkal Avalli ”.
Though, I am Malayali, his words were so clear that I could understand the meaning of this
wonderful quote.
Later we had a short break by having a tender coconut which was an extremely different
experience for us. In the later session, he mentioned that one thing that both types of
agriculture [ inorganic and organic ] commonly need is the sunlight – the source of light. He
stated that soil is a living substance and added that if it had been non – living, then how it could
give rise to living organisms like plants. He announced that one of the most exciting odours of
the world is the smell of the soil which gets spread when a drop of water falls on a completely
dry surface like that of a land suffering from drought. He mentioned the types of micro
organisms like :
• Aerobic micro organisms
• Anaerobic micro organisms
He said that if agriculture has to develop, then the farmers must learn to live independently and
he must be self – sustainable and kind – hearted. He denoted that a coward is a person with no
power and eligibility to question. He demanded that we must change the mode of using our brain
to visualize and understand things. He mentioned that the depth of the soil upto which we can
find living organisms is about 9 ft. He mentioned the different types of worms [ classified on
the basis of the burrowing nature ] found at this depth like :
• Top layer worms [ possesses non – burrowing character ]
• Middle layer worms [ found at depths of 6-8 inches ]
• Bottom layer worms
He mentioned that a simple mixture of dry leaves and water forms a source of good manure to
the soil and the plants. He mentioned that we must never talk about a subject unless we have a
thorough knowledge on it. He again quoted that : “One’s talent is the source of the food for the
other”. He mentioned that they also practice the domestication of animals in their farms. He
asked us the three main products of a cow. We answered that :
1. Milk
2. Urine
3. Dung
Immediately, he said that a farmer would say it in another order like :
1. Dung
2. Urine
3. Milk
I was totally amazed at the way he transferred ideas to us. He also affirmed that the way we
set out our goals is also equally important to achieve success. He stated that micro – organisms
are responsible for the amount of nutrients in cow dung. He specified a valuable point that
vermin-compost consists of micro organisms and not earthworms. He declared that soil becomes
benefitted by the compost only if the compost has been consumed by micro organisms and if
their excreta are used. He said that for a better quality of compost, care should be given to the
source of the plant waste used. He mentioned that if 1 acre of land is supplied with 10 tonnes of
compost, then only 3 acres would be necessary if the excreta obtained after the compost had
been consumed by the earthworms and microorganisms is used. He denoted that the system of
working of the farmers should be changed i.e. the daily work should be increased as they start
practicing methods involving the application of compost, while the annual work would
comparatively decrease and the productivity would increase hugely. If we move to organic
agriculture, then we will be supposed to us only one third of the usage of Urea and DAP that we
use now. He stated that an organic farmer would give the first preference to biological
processes for farming while an inorganic farmer would give first preference to the chemical and
physical processes. He avowed that the manure that we are actually providing to the plants is
being utilized by the micro organisms.
Later, we had a tea break and during the break, Balakrishnan sir took us to the area where
tobacco was being cultivated around there.
In the next session, he explained us about the process of formation of the organic carbon
content in the soil [ the food for the micro organisms ] and said that the evaporation of the
carbon content should be reduced to ensure security of the soil. He strongly stated that the use
of Inorganic fertilizers would deteriorate the quality of land. He mentioned that the Pune
university is working to develop an eco – farm and thus save the bio – diversity of the nature. He
mentioned the names of some constituents of organic matter as well as some organic farm
products like sunhemp, danejack, ragi, thattapayaru (in Tamil) etc . . . . He specified that multi
variety seeds are sown to the soil to increase its fertility and also to increase its nutritional
value with the help of a rotavated tractor. He also gave us an activity to produce a completely
organic soil / compost with the most fertility to raise any type of crop. The steps involved in
doing the activity are as follows :
1. Take a bucket and fill it with soil / mud
2. Add organic components like perumpayaru ( in tamil ), cherumpayaru ( in tamil
), Uzhunnu ( in tamil ), thuvarai ( in tamil ), ellu ( in tamil ) etc . . . . and mix it
well with the soil
3. As they sprout, cut the plant and again mix it with the soil. Follow the process
repeatedly
4. Mixture has to be treated with water
5. Put the seeds of maize into the bucket and watch it sprout as a healthy plant.
6. Now have the yield and mix the rest of the cereal with the soil and add water
to the soil.
7. A bucket full of organic soil is ready now . . . . .
He said that according to the Organic Federation of Australia, 1% of Organic Carbon Content is
equivalent to 10 tonnes of Organic manure in terms of nutrition and productivity of the plants.
He specified that the home of micro – organisms is the soil and all sort of its reproduction takes
place within the soil itself.
He then mentioned 5kg of cow dung contains a lot of Potash in the form of K2O and Phosphorous
in the form of P2O5. He visualized certain organic manures and components to us like:
• Amutha karaisal – 1kg of cow dung and 1l of cow urine
• Panchakavya – mixture of five products of cow
- rich source of macro and micro nutrients
• Pseudomonas – effective for treating wilt diseases
- enables effective disease resistance
• Mor karaisal – mixture of lactic acid with micro – organisms
- enables disease resistance
- mixture of Aloevera leaves, thulsi leaves, neem
leaves, custard apple leaves etc . . .
- lactic acid bacteria enhances microbial activity
- initiates effective pest control
He stated that by following conventional farming methods, the number of beneficial fungi is
decreasing while the number of non – beneficial fungi is increasing. He elaborated the techniques
of partial aerobic and anaerobic methods of digestion. He mentioned the various types of insects
like :
• Vegetarian insects
• Non – vegetarian insects
He cited that insects are attracted by the odour of the plants and they suck the sap of the
leaves and even make scars or cuts on the leaves which may reduce its disease compatibility. He
mentioned few examples of non vegetarian insects like :
• Egg eating caterpillar
• Larval parasites
• Pupal parasites
Etc . . . .
He concluded with few words that motivated us to move towards organic methods of farming in
the future. His talk was really an energetic one and we were all amazed by the way he conveyed
the message of Organic Agriculture to us. When I said that he was eligible to receive the
Padmashree award, he said that he would refuse to get it if it was proposed to him. This made
my admiration towards him even stronger.
Later, feedbacks were proposed by one member of each team. The meeting was then dispersed
for the lunch. The lunch had a combination of a variety of dishes that had an appetizing taste
and which watered all our mouths. I was indeed very much happy since the session organized by
the Maroon team was completed successfully.
Yellow team :
Soon after the lunch, Sudararaman sir visualized the process of frothing [ under specific
conditions ] where in we could see the action of bacteria in a medium of cow dung and cow urine.
The rest of the time was allotted for the field visit. He shown to us the compost which is the
mixture of plant and animal waste and which can give nutrition to the plants. He also mentioned
the process of its formation as to :
1. Dry leaves are accumulated under a length of 1ft and a breadth of 4ft.
2. Water the accumulated matter
3. Mix the accumulation with cow dung and cow urine
4. If possible, add a layer of green leaves over the earlier one
5. The process is done repeatedly till it rises to a height of 4ft.
6. It would be better if done in shade
He mentioned that shade, water and aeration are the components necessary for the formation
of a healthy compost. He stated that Earthworm rearing should go hand in hand with the
formation of vermin compost as the compost is being consumed by the worms to produce a
nutritional and a vigorous excreta which is the actual manure added to the plants for its healthy
propagation. He mentioned the names of the worms that are reared by them :
• Endrulus Euganae African - American species. They do not
• Eisnea Foetida help the farmers to plough the field.
The earthworms that help the farmers become active only in the morning and also soften the
field. We saw the area where the earth worms were cultured. He demanded that it needs a lot
of care. He verbalized some of its components like:
• Outer skin of coconut – maintains wetness of the area
• Predators like cats to kill the pests [ owls which are considered as a symbol
of bad luck are actually an icon of good luck to earthworm rearers as it
chases out the pests ]
• Sprinklers – to make the area wet.
Etc . . . .
He indicated that even the roots require proper air circulation and as the soil becomes healthy
of various elements, it becomes easier for the water to penetrate deep into the soil as holes are
formed on the soil surface due to the presence of the elements [ mentioned earlier ] like:
• Phosphorous
• Potash
• Nitrogen
He then showed us a pit where a mixture of organic material was mixed with the water to make
it healthier when supplied to the plant roots. The structure of the pit was in such a way that the
depth of the hole in the middle is a bit deep and the other pits having the organic matter and
the earthworm sack are connected to the main hole by means of holes layered with gravel to get
only the water content so as to ensure that the essence of the organic matter reaches the roots
of the plant when the water from the middle hole is pumped out. He signified that to avoid
mosquito breeding, solid waste management is done by an NGO.
Later, we visited a 4 acre long caseurina cultivation and we came to know from him that these
trees were used for paper making and for painting purposes. He stated that the trees grow to a
height of25 -30 ft. We were surprised to hear from him that a tree named Simorobo grew
between the caseurina plantations only due to the droppings of the birds. He said that an
average yield of the caseurina would be around Rs.2200 per ton.
After that, we saw the sugarcane cultivations where mulching was practiced so as to ensure the
growth of bio diversity.
We became aware that sugarcanes can hold water for a pretty long period. He explained us
about the reasons of the colour difference between its types. He explained that it is the amount
of sucrose in the plant that decides the sweetness of sugarcane.
Finally, the vote of thanks was proposed by Fathima to Ramakrishnan sir [ son of Sudararaman
sir ] for having explained about their various cultivations throughout the field visit. We were
surprised to have watermelons as the food during the tea break. We were all satisfied with the
food offered on that day.
Then we had a short session by Ramakrishnan sir. He stated that a lot of changes had been
caused by the modern technologies to the nature. He mentioned the four R’s namely :
• R - Refuse
• R – Reduce
• R – Reuse
• R - Recycle
I posted a comment that according to the recent information, one more R has been added to the
existing ones i.e. R – Replenish. He said that we must limit the
usage of nature thereby not exploiting the various resources.
He said that we should encourage the policy of reusing various
materials. He concluded by telling that nature is giving us
various good articles but we are misbehaving to it by giving
undesirable products to nature.
Finally, we bid goodbye to Sundararaman sir and his family. As
a token of appreciation we were offered one segment of a sugarcane each. It was so tasty and
we were lucky to have tasted the organic food products in this era where everyone is dependent
upon inorganic products.
Nextly, we went to the Kasturi Ba Niketan where they preserved the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi –
the father of the nation. It had an inbuilt school and an orphanage too. We were surprised to
hear from him that the organization was started by Late . Kamarajar , the then chief minister of
Tamilnadu and now it is being managed by them. The lady who offered us the facilities there was
Mrs. Lalitha Govindharajan. She shown us the steam boiler which is being used there for cooking
as well as for heating the water. We also got the chance for visiting the Orphanage and Old age
home which were also part of the Kasturi Ba Niketan. She mentioned that the former prime
minister, Jawahar Lal Nehru had visited the place. Again, one Vinobhaji had been in the
Ashram which proclaimed its importance in those days. We had an interaction with the old people
residing in the Old Age home. They stated that they were very much happy to have been there
and they were being offered all sort of free facilities and treatment. She also stated that the
Old Age home was inaugurated by our chief minister, Mrs. Jayalalitha. She also demanded that
presently, the orphanage had around 100 orphans and the old age home had around 25 old people.
The vote of thanks was proposed by Sooraj and as I suugested earlier, he did mention an
appreciation to them for having been doing such a social service to them.
Later, we had a visit to a temple to draw in the presence of his blessings throughout our travel
back home. By around 5:00 pm, we reached the Bhavanisagar dam. The dam was built during the
period “ 1948 – 1955 ”. I was surprised to see people enquiring about KAP to the Young
Scientists. They were really curious to know about KAP. We also saw the Hydroelectric Power
Station there. We also saw tanks having stagnant water and those tanks were also serving as
breeding grounds for the Young Scientists.
The next meeting was supposed to be organized by the IMA Sathyamangalam and it was the
concluding session of the programme. Fathima proposed the welcome address and also gave a
short introduction about KAP.
Later, the Young Scientists, one from each team was called to propose the theme address. First
of all, it was Steffy who gave the talk. She shared her information about the modern irrigation
techniques and about GMO’s with us. She also gave us some information about hydroponics and
aeroponics.
The next talk was given by Sooraj of green team. He began his talk with a proverb: “ Necessity
is the mother of Invention ”. He mentioned that if the present situations continues, then the
future would be even more worse. He also specified that the over consumption of chocolates, ice
–creams etc . . . . can lead to obese conditions. He said that the future is in our hands and we
must save it.
The next talk was given by me. I mentioned the food production and consumption trends in the
three periods that India is divided into namely :
• Ancient – trends were dependent upon the Mughal and Delhi dynasties and
moreover, the trends were also influenced by the Hindu and Muslim customs
• Medieval – food preservation techniques were brought in, food was stored to
be used in times of starvation
• Modern – new technologies like the hydroponics and aeroponics took birth but
self sustainability was lost.
I mentioned that to feed the millions of the poor, we had to move a lot and also demanded that
it is the sole duty of the Young Scientists to look forward a bright future in agriculture. I
concluded by telling that we must be ready to find solutions to most of our problems.
The next talk was given by Dharan. He mentioned that the land utilized for agriculture is
comparatively very less and also declared that various other problems are responsible for the
decline of agriculture like :
• Population growth
• Climate change
• Water scarcity
• Limited land spread used for agriculture
He concluded by telling that in our nation, every 3.6 seconds, a child is dying [ primarily
due to malnutrition ] and insisted us to save India from this pitiable condition.
Lastly, the theme talk was proposed by Abishek. He mentioned that food processing is the way
of changing the raw materials into cooked ones or simply changing the form of food from one
form to another. He mentioned an example as to milk being changed into butter, yoghurt etc . . . .
He also mentioned certain ways to preserve agriculture in the future. He concluded by telling
that we must find methods of processing food without losing its nutritional value.
Later, Jinolin gave a summary of the talk she spoke during the session in the Sundaramraman’s
farm. Anjali was then called to read out the report of the whole programme. She also used the
opportunity to express her gratitude to KAP and IMA.
After that, Dr. Thangavel gave a short talk. He said that the talks given by the Young Scientists
had the maturity of the talk given by a scientist in reality. He said that our performances had
been recorded to view it at different schools around Satyamangalam so as to improve the self –
confidence of the students of Satyamangalam.
Later, a talk was given by Dr. Subramaniam. He said that he had a bit of inferiority complex to
see the Young Scientists speak so boldly in front of such a large gathering. He mentioned that
he was very much happy to see us and wished us all the best in the coming days.
Later, we were awarded a bottle of protein powder as a token of appreciation.
Then, we had an interactive session. He asked us to
indulge in agricultural methods at this young age itself. By
being a part of the interactive session, we were able to
know that Rajnikanth once suffered from kidney failure
and also came to know that pappad and pickle are the two
products that a diabetic patient is prohibited to consume.
He said that non – vegetarian products can be a source of
protein and also told that we must develop more effective
medicines for poison attacks, heart attacks, cancer, allergies etc . . . .
Before the national anthem, a doctor representing the IMA Satyamangalam delivered the vote
of thanks.
Finally the formal vote of thanks was proposed by Velaian sir with respect to the whole
programme. He suggested the IMA Satyamangalam to take care of the Kasturi Ba Niketan
where they preserved the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi with further improvements development.
Before the meeting was dispersed we sang the National Anthem with the satisfaction of having
completed a programme successfully. It was really a wonderful moment to see that the doctors
themselves were serving the food. After having our dinner and bid Good bye to the doctors of
IMA Satyamangalam we left the IMA hall. On our journey back home, we couldn’t sleep as our
thoughts were filled with the happy moments that we experienced during the two days.
The moment I heard about the greatness of Sukumar sir, I had the eagerness of knowing more
about Blood donation and the Blood bank. As soon as I reached home, I began my research with
the guidance of Velaian sir. The result of my research and the information I gained :
� Universal blood donor – O+ve
� Universal blood recipient – AB-ve
� Various tests like the Hepatitis B test, HIV test, Hepatitis C test, HIV 1 and HIV 2 tests
were introduced and came into existence so as to ensure that the donor blood is of the
best quality
� These tests were later modernized with improvised technologies. The WHO has
recommended the following four tests for the donated blood :
• Hepatitis B Surface Antigen
• Antibody to Hepatitis C
• Antibody to HIV, usually subtypes 1 and 2
• Serologic tests for Syphilus
� Who can donate blood ?
• Age : between 19 to 60 yrs
• Weight : above 45 kgs
• Normal blood pressure and body temperature
• Blood can be donated once in three months or in four months
� Site for drawing the blood :
• The site is washed with soap
• Cleaned with a sterile cloth
• Blood is drawn usually from a large arm vein lying close to the skin
• A large needle is inserted that damages the RBC’s as they flow through the
needle
• A tourniquet is tied in the upper arm to increase the blood pressure and thus
increase the speed of the process
� Recovery :
• Donor should not get up for 5 minutes
• They are given juice and little refreshments
• There is no equipment complication as disposable needles are being used
� How much blood can be taken ?
5.5 litres of blood is in our body. During blood donation, 350 – 450 CC is taken depending
upon the weight of the donor. The haemoglobin and the cell components are restored in
two months. So, it is safe to donate blood once in three or four months and not less than
this.
As a conclusion to my research , I jumped to my feet when I saw that the IMA Satyamangalam
has itself started a new blood bank along with the Rotary club recently.
My appreciations to IMA Satyamangalam . . . .
I wish to record my gratitude and thanks to IMA Erode and its members especially, .
Dr.Sukumar, Dr. Abul Hassan Dr.Chinnayappan and also Dr. Kanaka Selva Raj . IMA
Satyamangalm and its members (Dr. Subramanian , Dr. Thangavelu Dr. Selvakumar, Dr.
Subramanium,, Dr. Muthukumar) for their encouragement and support and sparing their
valuable time with us even though their work schedule
normally never permit them to do so. Let their noble
deeds spread to other part of India too with a sound
message of serving the poor with concern and love.. Mr.
Sundararaman, the living Gandhian and is not just a farmer
but a legend and scientist in organic farming a mentor,
true custodian, follower and protector of nature.
We bow our head to Dr. Vijyakumar, President, IMA ,
India for his effort and help. Also we extend our heartfelt thanks to , Dr. Thiraviam Mohan, Dr.
A. Kabeer and Dr. T. Thiarviam from IMA Nagercoil for their support for the successful
completion of the study tour.
“Try not to become a man of success. Rather become a man of value.”
This is what I learned since the day I became a part of KAP . . . .
My heartfelt thanks to KAP ! !
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