The organic heart of Kandgool

BIDAR: The story of Kandgool village in Aurad taluka of Bidar district is somewhat different from the other villages of Karnataka.

The village, 2 km from Andhra Pradesh border, was torn between Karnataka and Maharashtra till 15 years ago. Marathi speaking people are in majority here, but most of the Marathispeaking families send their children to the Kannadamedium school.

Some children also come to the Kandgool Government Higher Primary School from Dodgaon village in Andhra Pradesh.

While the village - with a population of 1,365 people - has pulled itself out of the fight between two states, it is making its name in organic farming.

The village has 1,200 acres of farm land and this year, standing crop on more than 200 acres was damaged due to backwater floods. Kandgool is situated on the banks of Manjra River.

The remaining land under cultivation was enough to catch the eye of the state government.

Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa will stay the night at a villager's house here.

Around 22 families in the village have taken to organic farming on 400 acres of land.

Prakash Patil, a villager, said cultivation on this land was done without the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides.

The CM's visit

In his effort to encourage organic farming in the state, Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa will stay the night at the house of Satyavan Patil, Taluka president of organic farmers association and a Marathi speaker.

Patil, who lives in Kandgool, said he has been told to make food with less oil.

Sweets are also a complete nono.

The food will be prepared out of products of organic farming.

He plans to make roti, sengada hindi (a dish made of powdered groundnut and pundi palle.

The chief minister, during the visit, will speak to the family and other farmers to encourage organic farming techniques in the village.

This is Yeddyurappa's third stay at an organic farmer's house in the last three months.

A strong signal to Maharashtra

Though the nightstays at farmers' houses are not "political" issue, the stay will send a clear message to the leaders of Shiv Sena and the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti.

Sources said the Karnataka government wants to send out the message that Marathi speaking villages in the state were on par with Kannada speaking areas. Kandgool has both Kannada and Marathi language schools and sufficient teachers to teach.

Satyavan Patil said they were happy with the Karnataka government and it would be a festive occasion in the village on August 28 when the chief minister visits them.

The villagers plan to request the chief minister to construct a dam across Manjra River.

The chief minister may also inaugurate the bridge across the river in the village on Saturday.