People have been asking us why we were opposing the formation of the newly formed virar-vasai municipal corporation, and we have been answering them in various ways like explaining about the culture, traditions, environmental conditions etc. There are many joys of being a villager. One of them being the ability to lead a peaceful life, away from the hustle bustle of the city. And another being the fresh seasonal fruits!! Mangoes in this case.
Whats the price at which city dwellers are eating mangoes? 500 rs a dozen? May be more. We have them for free. Just look at the quantities that were produced by just one tree this season at my home.
And we still have one more tree to go. Since we ripen this fruit at our home, we are sure that there is no harmful ripening agent added. So these mangoes are hygenic. We won’t be able to consume such a huge quantity, so some of them will be pickled, some ripened and rest of them sold off. So it brings in some pocket money.
If we had been “developed” like the cities, this would have been a luxury which we couldn’t afford. I was surprised to hear from a colleague that, when he tried to plant a mango plant in his colony, the secretary opposed it giving some vague reasons. Shame the no one thinks about free fruit, leave alone environment.
Anyway, as each year, I will be enjoying my home grown mangoes. You won’t be!!