By Dr. R Sudarshan
Every meal in this part of the world is likely to have lentils and so in a way, lentils run a substantial part of our lives. But farmers use herbicide desiccants - Glyphosate and Reglone in plenty on lentils and you end up consuming them at least once a day, all 365 days, and all of your otherwise beautiful life. And just a quick Google search will tell you that these chemicals penetrate deep into plants and into lentil cotyledons that no amount of washing in the kitchen sink will remove Glyphosate from the delicious lentil soups and curries you relish. Yes, you are slowly poisoned for life, by your own delectable choice.
Every year after the summer rains, we begin the lentil race by preparing the farmland for sowing seeds. It is an arduous work of 6 to 7 months of protecting the plants and growing lentils for the family and for friends who care. We have never been able to grow too much, but we grow enough for at least half a dozen families as of now.
Pricing lentils for the store shelf is like demeaning an invaluable life. And this first shallow furrow we made yesterday at the farm to sow lentils is a deep commitment to survive.
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