When human society abandoned hunting and foraging in favor of settled life and agriculture, civilization as we know began. By domesticating crops and animals and linking them to a productive seasonal cycle human society learnt to reap the harvest of their sowing and had time to develop other aspects of civilized life; collectively known as culture. Agriculture, thus is the progenitor of all culture. It is a pity that in recent times we have forgotten that message and have invented a more confining and limited definition of human culture that does not include agriculture. Except, of course Shykh Seraj. Seraj is a quintessential personality of our cultural and intellectual space who has kept the seminal fire burning around agriculture and has kept this light burning in our psyche over a lifetime.
An integral element of the narrative that he has created includes not just agriculture but soil, in Bangla Mati (derived from Mrittika); known in the western world as Terra. He adds to it the human component and comes out with the brilliant meme “Hridoye Mati o Manush”; Soil and Men (or women) in the heart; a sound-bite that has taken deep root in Bangladesh, thanks to Seraj.
I met Seraj and our common friend Faridur Reza Sagar in 1972 in Notre Dame College in the newly liberated Bangladesh. Those were the heady days of flowering of Bangla culture; of songs, poetry and other cultural programs in the TV station in the DIT building. Looking back those days now seem far-away but in each of us those seminal days had lit a necessary and proximal fire to move forward not just for ones immediate self but for the fledgling country for which each of us were self-proclaimed patriotic custodians.
Many of us have kept that narrative of custodianship alive over a life-time; Seraj has done it more than many. His relentless hard work in keeping the story of agriculture alive in our heart has given him prominence in the national and international stage and has made him an iconic figure in the minds of our people; more so in the rural areas than in the cities. Every time I discuss an issue related to agriculture people ask me have I discussed it with Shaikh Seraj and what he thinks about it?
And indeed I have and been blessed by his interest admiration and friendship. My work has been mentored and helped in so many ways by his keen interest and attention and I have discussed with him important matters relevant to agriculture such as hybrid seed, rice agronomy, and precision agriculture. In recent days I have seen him flying around the world bringing to his TV audience the grand international narrative on urban farming, precision agriculture and threats on agriculture by the encroaching perils of climate change. His coverage of these key issues has not only informed his audience on specific issues but has vitalized the role of farming and agriculture as a pivot of human culture itself as described earlier in this essay.
To such an iconic figure and my friend of younger days I send my most enthusiastic felicitations on his birthday. May his efforts in coming years continue to inform stimulate and steer us; to a more enlightened space in these Covid and climate periled world. Let his love of plants nature and soil and his efforts of creating a poetic narrative of these topics into our minds continue unabated.
(The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the view or editorial policy of Channel i Online or Channel i)
