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| Jayan sets out with his plants |
Villagers used to call him crazy. But now a growing number call him mashe or teacher. Kaittally Raman Jayan, 46, like the jackfruit tree he campaigns for, maintains a dignified silence whether he is ridiculed or praised.
"I don't understand why people neglect the jackfruit tree. It has the capacity to feed the whole family. It is an excellent tree. Like the coconut, the jackfruit too is a Kalpavruksha, a wish-fulfilling tree," says Jayan passionately. "In fact, India should declare jackfruit as our national fruit, just as Bangladesh has done."
