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Padma Shri farmer Seeding Sathya finds place in Kerala's Class 4 textbook
Mangaluru: A lesson on Padma Shri awardee Sathyanarayana Beleri, popularly known as Seeding Sathya, has been included in Class 4 Kannada textbook in Kerala. Beleri is a rice farmer from Nettanige village in Kasaragod, Kerala, bordering Dakshina Kannada.
The lesson titled 'Battada Taligala Saradara' is based on an article written by retired Prof Narendra Rai Derla, published in a Kannada magazine before Beleri was honoured with the Padma Shri. Interestingly, this marks the 19th lesson authored by Prof Derla to be featured in school textbooks across Karnataka and Kerala.
Prof Derla said Beleri never preserved paddy varieties for recognition. "He owns limited pieces of land and the soil is not fit for paddy cultivation.
Despite these challenges, Beleri went to extraordinary lengths to conserve indigenous rice varieties, even resorting to growing them in grow bags. In a rare reversal of roles, Beleri supplied nearly 200 seed varieties to agricultural universities across India, institutions that typically serve as seed providers to farmers," he said.
Ramanna Delampady, Kannada language textbook committee member, said the textbooks are developed based on the Kerala Curriculum Framework 2024, under the State Council for Educational Research and Training.
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A curriculum committee oversees the process, adopting a thematic approach to enhance learning. For language subjects, 14 themes have been identified, one of which is agriculture. As part of this theme, the story of Beleri has been introduced.
For Class 4, the chosen theme is 'Varieties of Paddy', which also includes profiles of successful individuals in agriculture and an introduction to farming equipment. The aim is to celebrate a local figure, making the content more relatable for students, he said.
Beleri said he was happy that his life has become a source of inspiration for children. "Receiving the Padma Shri brought with it a deep sense of responsibility. When a farmer is recognised with such an honour, it naturally sparks curiosity among people that has led to surge in demand," he said. Beleri has over 650 paddy varieties. "The real challenge lies not just in collecting them, but in maintaining them. I developed my own methods of cultivation through trial and error, often learning from setbacks," he said.
Amit Shah wishes Beleri on birthday
Beleri was in Bengaluru on June 15 when he received a surprise birthday call from Union home minister Amit Shah. "I was shocked when told it was the home minister. I said I do not understand English or Hindi, but he still wished me. That is when I realised it was my birthday," he said.
