Having a Field Day

KOCHI: “I’m always a farmer at heart”, says T U Kuruvila. Born to a farmer in Keerampara Panchayat, the Kothamangalam MLA says he took to the fields quite naturally. “Without letting my parents know, I would go to the fields, take the bullocks and start ploughing,” he says.It’s this kind of real, manual work that he recommends. “Farming cannot be learnt sitting in colleges. You need hard practical knowledge and common sense,” he says.  T U Kurvilla himself owns plantations in three states. Yet, he’s disappointed with the state of agriculture in Kerala.“Plantation, since it is done on a large-scale, is profitable. But it’s different with farming. Rice cultivation is seeing a slump. We need to revive our old agrarian system. There is a lot of potential for farming in Kerala. We can even look at something like farm tourism here.”Tourism is a field that truly interests him. “Activities like trekking can be developed in the forest region here while places like Neelimangalam can be utilised for farm tourism,” he says.An MLA for more than a decade and a former Minister, Kuruvila has a wide range of interests. In fact, the South Eastern London University conferred on him an honorary doctorate for his contribution in eight different fields, ranging from tourism to agriculture to religion. “I’ve held the post of Chavalier, Commander and Baretho-Sarero. In the Syrian Church, I could be the only one who has held all the three posts,” says the veteran Kerala Congress leader without much attempt at modesty.At 75, T U Kuruvila is a satisfied man. “I’ve tried my hand at almost everything and have been successful in all paths of life. I don’t have any regrets,” he says.