An adventure to spur an agricultural high

[1]

Two bikers. Twenty-three states. Ten months. That’s what’s needed for experiences to last a lifetime.
Inspired by the Che Guevara travelogue, Motorcycle Diaries, Deepan Veluswamy and R. Muthukumar broke away from the monotony of their daily jobs and travelled across the country on their motorcycles.

“I always loved travelling to the neighbouring villages when I got some time off. After graduation, I took up a career as an RJ, whereas my friend from school, Muthukumar, was working in the US. Eventually, we realised we were unhappy with our lives. So, we started planning a road trip to learn about agriculture in India. We both quit our jobs and took off without a moment’s hesitation to live this movie fantasy-like adventure. We visited organic farmers across the nation, understood their way of life and the different concepts that exist today,” said Deepan. “Our mentor was Vivek Cariappa who we met in Karnataka. His lifestyle in itself was an inspiration. Our friend Gladys helped us with financial aid as well as bought us cycles when we ran out of money for petrol. My girlfriend Vinitha too was a huge source of moral support to me. We faced several challenges, the biggest of which was in Kashmir when I fell unconscious as I couldn’t handle the temperature. It was the military who helped me out and admitted me in a hospital,” he added.
Muthukumar said, “We had to a do a lot of research, unlearn whatever we thought we knew about agriculture and then learn all over again. We’d have people help us everyday, with food, accommodation and words of advice. Apart from meeting diverse locals from different parts, we encountered foreigners who also shared with us their expertise in farming techniques. Unfortunately, we also found several farms ravaged due to mining and withering due to no support from the government.”
“Ultimately, we realised there is no set formula or rule to farming. It all depends on location dynamics, seasonal variations, nature of the soil and how we adapt to the situation. Being open to nature’s whims is what it’s all about,” he added.
“As of now, we’re making a documentary about our travels. After that’s completed, we will invest in lands and begin our advent into agriculture shortly.”