Nutritionist Shantilal Kothari, whose efforts were instrumental in revocation of the ban on lathyrus speaks to Aparna Pallavi

How did you get interested in lathyrus?

In 1983, prices of tur daal suddenly shot up by Rs 200 for 100 kg. At that time I used to believe what I had read: that lathyrus causes lathyrism. But field research in Nagpur and adjoining districts revealed that the pulse had been consumed for generations without any ill effect on people