Tryst with nature @ Vapi

“Trees are the earth’s endless effort to speak to the listening heaven” - Rabindranath Tagore

As the crimson of the sun illuminates the sky, the birds chirp out loud and clear, the leaves awaken shedding the glistening drops of water that clad them  ready to bask in the glory of the new day. The dry leaves rustle down the ground, as a squirrel runs to get the nut lying down the tree. A ray of light then makes it way down the the weave of the leaves of the tall trees and suddenly the silence of the air is filled with a cacophony of sounds as a lion roars out loud. Alas! the beauty of nature is something which we forget to appreciate in the humdrum of our daily life but the interaction with Dr. Ashok Shah at Vapi made us introspect at the beauty of mother nature.

“People who have agricultural land will be the happiest” this was the line said by a German Professor that paved the path for Dr. Ashok Shah, a truly inspiring individual with revolutionary ideas. Dr. Ashok Shah completed his Phd in biotechnology/microbiology from Germany and has spent about 44 years actively in the learning process, yet he feels that the knowledge he has gained is but a drop in the ocean and there is still a long way in this learning process. A true nature aficionado, he loves spending time in the lap of mother nature and spends considerable time every year deep in the forest. “ I would rather love to spend time with lions, than humans” I guess this statement of Dr. Shah is enough to understand the deep love for nature which he has.

Mr. Jagat Shah with Dr. Ashok Shah

Further Dr Shah believes that one cannot learn only from books and the learning which one gets by staying closer to nature and analysing is what stays worthwhile. In this regard Mr Shah believes that India has a reservoir of opportunity due to the huge mine of forest and ancient knowledge that we have.  The inherent knowledge that we have is what we need to harness to carve a niche globally is what he believes in. Unlike many nature lovers Dr. Shah has taken his love for nature further and moulded it in a business pursuit. With the belief that “Nature loves us, we must reciprocate” he has started Prasad Biotech in Valsad. The company produces a host of products like organic or natural antifeedants, organic fertilizers and pesticides. Dr. Shah also provides consulting services on various aspects of organic farming of crops like wheat, rice, maize, fruits, vegetables, flowers, medicinal and aromatic plants. He believes that today in India if the government and people pursue organic farming vehemently, India with the huge expanse of fertile lands and varying climate can build an indomitable place for itself globally. He feels that if we follow organic farming diligently it has vast economic potential as every acre of land can provide 5 to 10 lacs per year.

Dr. Shah also enlightened us on the unique concept of “Spiritual plantation”.  “Just like all humans have emotions, plants too have emotions” explained Dr. Shah. Hence, we must plant the trees which have an affinity for each other for example it is better to plant a mango tree next to a sandalwood tree as it will grow better. Dr. Shah has acquired this knowledge by studying about the various plants but more importantly by spending time in the forest and analysing nature at his best. He also mentions that a key contribution in his understanding of nature is from the knowledge of an Agori whom he knows from the summer of 1994.

As Dr. Shah continued to recount his experiences time stood to a standstill and slowly as the darkness started to pervade the sky of Vapi  there was much we learnt from the vast reservoir of knowledge that Dr. Shah had.  The acquiring of this knowledge also came at the opportune time as we, next headed to Nashik  the green belt of India with vast agricultural potential.