ALL YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE COCONUT TREE

By Tara Narayan

APART from promoting love and respect for trees and plants the Green Heritage Eco Club of St. Francis Xavier High School, Siolim, also brought out a useful booklet at its plants show last month. It is titled “All you wanted to knowabout Coconut but did notknow where to find out!!” Since coconut trees are so much a part of the landscape of Goa and life does revolve around the coconut tree in many vital senses it is worth acquiring a copy of this booklet which is modestly priced at a Rs.100. It is illustrated vividly by the cartoonist and artist Alexyz and has all kinds of research and fun write-ups about the tree of life, the coconut tree. A collection put together by the students of the Club.

The mix of useful, interesting and intriguing articles cover various aspects of the coconut tree: how to cultivate and nourish coconut trees, how to control the eriophid mite from ravishing your coconut trees, how tender coconut water is the best “soft drink” in the world, how coconut oil is not as bad as it is made out to be, how coconut liquor or feni is now inviting global interest! In his preface to the booklet, Fr. Paul Sagayam, MSFS Principal, pertinently comments that “Environmental consciousness has become imperative. If we do not take of our environment today, we will turn Mother Earth into an uninhabitable place. There are many warning signals available predicting the shortage of water, increase in the ambient temperature which will cause skin cancer and other related diseases. The future of our Earth is at stake and life of our children will be hampered greatly. We, the present generation, will be held responsible for the disastrous consequences in the future. We may not be alive to defendour thoughtless and carelessactions…” Words to pay heed to for the future is always determined by the way in which we live in the present (we may seek revenge for the past or we may learn the wisdom not to repeat past history!)….

Fr. Paul adds that the school had decided to focus on the theme of the coconut at its annual “Festival of Plants and Flowers” this year because, “We want the people to become awareof the usefulness of coconut and grow them in abundance.” The people of Goa can afford to take a fresh look at their bounty of coconut trees and shower some more tender loving care on them. Reading the booklet one is amazed by the native Konkani vocabulary which exists for every part of the coconut and its uses e.g. the leaves of the coconut tree serve as thatch for huts and houses, rain protection (i.e. zodd), for walls, eaves (i.e. pakadi) for windows, rainwear (i.e. kono) for farm workers; fan (i.e. moll) for winnowing paddy, fuel for fire, temporary torches, decorations for feasts, baskets. The trunk is used for rafters (i.e. pati) and beams (vanshe) for the roof, poles, single-beam or double beam footbridges across streams, half-round water channels, wood for curios, firewood….all this, courtesy the coconut tree.

Not to mention the use of the coconut in drinking and eating…coconut is nutritious to drink and eat, there is tender coconut water, coconut kernel (umonn) used in various curries and confectionary, coconut oil is used for cooking, frying, body massage, as a sun screen, as oil lamp fuel, manufacture of soap. Coconut fibre makes for touch eco-friendly ropes, twine, mattresses, packing material, etc., etc. And the empty sterile nuts are used by fisher folk as floats for their fishing nets and learning how to swim! It’s hard to imagine life in Goa without the coconut tree and the younger generation should pay heed to this…it is not for nothing that the coconut tree is called a “kalpvriksha” or wish-fulfilling tree of heaven!

This is a booklet which deserves to be in every house in Goa and in every house which has a coconut tree in its front or back yard. All it lacks is a couple of recipes!

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