On the Broder, I protect my Nation, and in the field, I protect my Soil… I was born as Matti Ka Rakhwala

My name is Capt. M. S. Arjunan (Retd.). I served the nation as an Army officer, and today I serve the land as a dedicated farmer. After completing my years in uniform, I chose to return to my roots in the Nilgiris—a land blessed with rich soil and gentle climate. Here, I grow the famous Ooty carrot, a crop that carries the fragrance of the hills and the hard work of the farmers who nurture it.

People often ask me how it feels to shift from the disciplined life of a soldier to the humble life of a farmer. My answer is simple: both roles demand courage, commitment, and love for the country. As soldiers, we protect the nation’s borders. As farmers, we protect the nation’s food security. One guards the land, the other nurtures it.

Every morning when I step into my fields, I feel the same sense of purpose that I once felt in uniform. The soil beneath my feet reminds me that service to the nation does not end with retirement, it simply takes a new form. Today, my weapon is not a rifle, but hard work. My battlefield is not a border, but my farmland. Yet the mission remains the same: to honour and protect Mother Earth.

I am proud to say that I am fulfilling both responsibilities with devotion—defending the nation as a soldier and sustaining it as a farmer.