Solution to 1A has been deliberately left unsolved and is to be answered only by a non-regular / novice commenter, with proper annotation. Those who have answered earlier in the week, please give others a chance.
ACROSS
1 Persian story entertains crowds initially getting success (5) ?C?A? (Addendum - ECLAT {TALE<=} over {Cr...s} - See comments)
4 Obese gangster’s deadly (5) FATAL {FAT}{AL}
11 No car in Alaska contains music player (7) OCARINA [T]
13 Grand reflection of light surrounding this time (5) NIGHT {G} in {THIN<=}
14 American company — it even shreds carrot (9) INCENTIVE {INC}{IT+EVEN}*
15 Spooner says, scoring terribly is absolutely crazy (7,3) BARKING MAD (~marking bad to barking mad)
17 Basically doesn’t even need you to refuse (4) DENY Acrostic
19 Ultimately worship, offer puja daily! (4) PRAY Acrostic Semi&lit
21 Alcohol given without charge for beatnik (4,6) FREE SPIRIT [DD]
25 Indifferent scoundrel introduced to home loans (9) INCURIOUS {IN}{CUR}{IOUS}
27 Go beyond 40, say (5) EXCEL (~ xl)
28 Incompetent VIP (7) NOTABLE {NOT ABLE}
29 Conceal Alumni’s help (7) OBSCURE {OB'S}{CURE}
30 Graduation coat (5) SCALE [DD]
31 Recoiling from white vicious animal (5) CIVET [T]
DOWN
2 Juice supplier? (7) CHARGER [CD]
3 Pilot flying air taxi over top of Vizag (8) AVIATRIX {AIR+TAXI}* over {Vi..g}
5 Missing article about society’s bias (6) ABSENT {A}{B{S}ENT}
6 Essentially dark, a sin embodying greed (7) AVARICE {dARk} in {A}{VICE}
7 Around noon, tramp takes bachelor to socialise (6) HOBNOB {HOB{N}O}{B}
8 Skip work after nail’s infected with germ (8) MALINGER {NAIL+GERM}*
9 Trendy greeting through two centuries (4) CHIC {C}{HI}{C}
10 Reform author stuck in revolutionary ideology, finally (6) REMEDY {RE{ME}D}{i...gY}
16 Dislike associate’s interpretation (8) AVERSION {A}{VERSION}
18 Park is free to entertain Spanish party (5-3) APRES-SKI {PARK+IS}* over {ES}
19 Apple Ipad? Not occasionally flexible (6) PLIANT {aPpLe+IpAd+NoT}
20 Like putting up quote about monk (7) ASCETIC {AS} and {CITE}{C}<=
22 Solitary engineer deciphering clues (7) RECLUSE {RE}{CLUES*}
23 Again, permit lifting bags left for cashier (6) TELLER {RE LET}<= over {L}
24 Relating to people born in distress (6) TRIBAL {TRI{B}AL}
26 Soap being regularly kept uncovered (4) OPEN {sOaP+bEiNg}
Reference List
Gangster = AL, Grand = G, American company = INC, Alumni = OB(Old Boy), Noon = N, Bachelor = B, Century = C, Associate = A, Spanish = ES, About = C, Engineer = RE(Royal Engineers), Left = L, Born = B
THE NEW INDIAN FARMER
ReplyDeleteRamesh Kingston was an IT professional working in California. A Network ADMINISTRATOR, in a giant Corporation, he had started his career in RIYADH, before moving to the US, almost a decade ago.
One day, in 2016, Ramesh announced to his family & friends that he wanted to leave his job in the US & take up Organic Farming in India professionally. Ramesh became an instant butt of his friends' RIDICULE. His father, a practioner of HOMEOPATHY was completely shocked, while his mother felt her NERVOUS SYSTEM give way. NEXT to protest was his wife Regina, who almost THREATENED to walk out on him.
Ramesh, an only son, of hardworking middle class parents, had fulfilled their aspirations & dreams by topping his Engineering Class, from a premier Institute & following the standard Career path charted out for most upwardly mobile Indians.
It was indeed IRONIC that, he never paused ever, to consider, what he really wanted to do with his life. Ramesh hailed from an extended agrarian family, and he grew up eating chemical free food. Over time, as his cousins WANTONLY moved out of their tradional village, one by one, he too followed the PACK. But as he recollected later, what he left behind in his village, was not just his childhood, but an entire life style that included eating fresh non frozen food.
One day in the US, Ramesh came across the story of an old Indian woman, creating an entire forest without expecting anything in return. He felt so drawn by this story, that for the first time he reexamined his own life clinically. He found himself to be an OCCUPANT of alien lands. He also felt a hitherto unknown, TENDER feeling for his homeland & felt his true calling was BECKONING him.
But the tales of farmer suicides & farming debt were so grave in the Indian Landscape, that his family refused to RELENT & Ramesh realised, changing his ABODE was going to be very difficult in more ways than one.
However Ramesh was hooked & wanted to go back to his roots. He found unexpected support from Father Benedict, a PASTOR in his Village church. The PASTOR helped Ramesh to buy a 6 acre farmland, in Pura village near Mysore in Karnataka. This location for the farm was decided primarily to avoid the overflowing negativity, amongst his own kith & kin in his village.
After completing the DOCUMENTAL formalities, when Ramesh moved to Pura, almost a year later, there was a horrible drought there & the distressed farmers were moving out. This almost broke Ramesh's morale. But since he was the sole FINANCER of his farm, he had no debt issues to deal with.
Taking advantage of the lean season. Ramesh levelled his land & developed water conserving methods. He also hired those farmers, who had chosen to stay behind, thus getting experienced hands to work with.
After building a large pond & pits with PIPES for recharging ground water, he studied the prevalent farming techniques in the area. Deciding to adopt IMF (Integrated Farm Management), he started working towards sustainable farming.
ReplyDeleteHe developed an organic cycle between plants & animals, where all waste is reused. He decided to rear livestock & also a breed of PIGEONS in his farm. Rather than have the MONOPOLY of a single crop, he decided to adopt inter cropping, where 2 or more plants are grown on the same place. Making a blue print of short term & long term vegetables, crops & shrubs, he developed a dedicated patch for PLANTAINS apart from other fruits like lemons, guavas & mangoes.
The fruit trees are spaced apart & vegetables grown in between. These are harvested every season thus sustaining the farm through the wait out period for long term crops. Also water is saved. As the outer trees are watered, the same water runs off in the middle, irrigating the vegetables, thus saving up to 50% water.
Within 2 years Ramesh bought an adjacent farm of additional 11 acres, where he grows millets, ragi, rice etc. He also has a special ALOE VERA garden with more than 15 varieties of the single species.
Discarded DUMP TRUCKS were fitted with special engines & used as tractors, thus saving capital cost.
In less than 5 years, Ramesh managed to turn around his farm into a profitable venture & was awarded the 'Best District Farmer' Award by the state of Karnataka. Tying up with regular outlets & eliminating middle men, Ramesh has helped the entire local faming community unite, prosper & make more profit.
At a time when traditional farmers are quitting agriculture, Ramesh Kingston represents the modern Indian farmer, who brings his technical know how & management skills to a traditional profession, making it viable financially thus becoming a role model for both traditional & entrepreneurial farmers.
BASED ON THE TRUE STORY OF SURESH DEVANG, a Corporate Engineer turned farmer.
Welcome back Gowri with your much anticipated story. Keep them coming.
DeleteA good choice today. Decided to read about Suresh Devang. I remember to have heard about him,but not in detail.
Very inspiring real life story!
DeleteInspiring!
DeleteExcellent story Gowri. Love it.
DeleteStory = tale, crowds initially = c, e(c)lat = success. I am not sure of why Persian but perhaps it is a reversal indicator. So tale becomes elat.
ReplyDeletePersian written from right to left
DeleteI thought as much but wasn't sure. Or if Persia is taken as orient, therefore, from the East, tale becomes elat.
DeleteJB @ Well thought out! Thanks.
DeleteWell solved Sujatha and yes Jacob - that was the intention.
DeleteTypical of Hypatia to use Persian as reversal indicator. No surprise/doubt there.
ReplyDeleteHa ha Paddy!
DeleteHypatia is too generous with her second offering this week! Enjoyable solve and also slowly getting the hang of her spoonerism clues! Thank you Hypatia. 😊
ReplyDeleteI took 21A as a charade.
ReplyDeleteLooks like it could be either.
DeleteYeah it can be taken as a charade or a D/CD perhaps.
Delete+1 for comparatively easy offering. Not yet fully into Spoonerism.
ReplyDeleteThanks.
DeleteVery crisp clues!
ReplyDelete👏
Thank you:)
DeleteI wonder how such beautiful clues get framed- with such silken surface.
ReplyDeleteThanks Binay. You made my day:)
Delete