This Vizianagaram-based retired schoolteacher is on a mission to promote natural farming by transforming communities into bio-villages that are reliant on agriculture but do not use pesticides or fertilizers. Through his Justified Action and Training for Tribal Upliftment (JATTU) Trust, Dollu Pari Naidu of Thotapalli village in Garugubilli Mandal of Vizianagaram district has developed at least 100 bio-villages, including the first in the state.
He has written 32 books on the practice and promotion of natural farming and a feature film with natural farming as its core theme, Amrutha Bhoomi. The film has not yet been released. In 1998, Pari Naidu voluntarily retired from his position. He founded the JATTU Trust to help the Jatapu, Savara, Gadaba, and Kondadora tribes, as well as other underprivileged people in the district.
Since 1998, with the aid of the Society for the Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP), the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Rythu Sadhikara Samstha, and Azim Premji Philanthropic Initiatives (APPI), he has been practicing and teaching natural farming.
Hundreds of natural farming awareness programs have been conducted by a retired teacher. He has taught farmers how to make organic manure such as vermicompost and Jeevamrutham. In Thotapalli village, he established Prakruthi Aadidevobhava Campus, which shows agricultural models, organic manure manufacturing, and food processing units.
The Annapoorna crop model, established by Pari Naidu, promotes food security for marginal and tenant farmers.
To end hunger, farmers receive an annual salary of Rs 50,000 to Rs 1,000,000. He's also started a "school-to-field" initiative for kids to raise awareness about natural farming. Through the JATTU Trust, he has been distributing agricultural machineries such as seeders, weeders, and cutters.
The first bio-village in the state is the Kondabhariki hamlet in Kurupam Mandal. In the district, 93 villages have been classified as bio-village, with the remaining seven villages to be notified on April 21 by Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan. Natural farming has been adopted on at least 41,438 acres by 37,699 farmers across the area.
Aside from that, the founder of JATTU has produced a variety of short films and documentaries to teach farmers about natural farming. With the help of Rythu Sadhikara Samstha, he created Amrutha Bhoomi. Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan recently launched Amrutha Bhoomi's audio and video songs.
The film is expected to be released by Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy in the coming days. Vangapandu Prasada Rao, a popular folk singer from north Andhra Pradesh, wrote 14 songs for the film.
"I have seen the pathetic conditions of tribal farmers when I was on a deputation as OSD for Parvathipuram ITDA," Pari Naidu told TNIE.
“I chose to work for the tribals' betterment and founded JATTU Trust. We're aiming to transform two mandals — GL Puram and Kurupam, which have roughly 456 villages each — into bio-mandals," he said. "I believe that the greatest gift we can give to our future generations is a pollution-free civilization," Pari Naidu concluded.
