Workshop on ‘Save Indigenous Rice Varieties’ held at Namsai, Sunpura & Roing.

ITANAGAR, Oct 29: The time has dawned for Arunachal to set in motion a Green Farming Policy to build a prosperous, healthy and happy Arunachal. Only then can we ensure food and economic security for the farmers and a disease free younger generation in the coming decades,” declared C Jayakumar and R Sridhar, experts from ‘Thanal’, a reputed Kerala NGO in the forefront of the national ‘Save Rice Campaign’ and poison-free Holistic agriculture during the last 15 years.

“This is not a matter for just the Govt., the political leaders and farmers, but involves all of you:  doctors, engineers, teachers, students, traders and parents.”

The Thanal team led by Ushakumari, its Director and the National Coordinator of ‘Save Our Rice campaign’, was conducting a series of workshops at Namsai, Sunpura and Roing during its five-day visit to Arunachal, aimed at sensitizing and mobilizing farmers and eco-activists, for taking lead to conserve the rich tradition of rice-and food bio-diversity in Arunachal.

A number of Govt. officials, doctors, NGO activists, teachers, students and villagers, apart from agri-officials attended the workshops, organized jointly by the KhunTa Nau Welfare Society and Lohit Youth Libraries Network in Lohit and by RIWATCH, at Roing. An exhibition of indigenous rice varieties of Namsai, Wakro, Sunpura and Dibang Valley was an added attraction of the campaign.

Inaugurating the campaign at Namsai, ADC Nilima Kumar appealed to the participants to make the best of the rich expertise of the visiting scientists. Jayanti Pertin, EAC, guided the discussions jointly with SDAO B Biswas, SDHO B Deb and Dr. Namita Manchekum of ATMA, Namsai. Timita Mungyak, teacher acted as the interpreter.

The guest team also visited Khamti rice fields for a first-hand experience of farming practices.The ‘Farmers Meet’ at Sunpura organized by Bakhrim Chikro, a leading farmer, saw the active participation of several women and mothers under the guidance of Tengliang Chaitom, a teacher.

Joji Mikhu, an Idu Mishmi elder, elaborated on the traditional linkage between rice cultivation and the Mishmi life in the workshop at Roing.

Welcoming the guests, Vijay Swami, Executive Director, RIWATCH, stressed the importance of initiating a museum/repository nursery of the region’s vast vanishing seed and grain varieties.

S Mundayoor, Coordinator, Lohit Youth Libraries, introducing the guests, said that a major role of the library Network is to strive to promote the love of our heritage and environmental awareness among the common people and youth.

The workshops covered issues like the vanishing rice-strains of Arunachal that led to change in cultivation patterns and food habits, threats of junk-food replacing traditional dishes, increasing threats to India’s rich rice-biodiversity due to the emergence of GM seeds, the devastation of nature and environmental degradation due to the use of chemical pesticides and the resultant serious health problems, not only of farmers, but nearby communities, for decades.

Introducing the workshops, Ushakumari informed that Rice is not just a grain, but a culture for entire South and Eastern India. While we had in 1966, 3 lakh varieties of rice-strains, we have lost most of them, many of them medicinal “Kerala, which had 3000 varieties have today just 160 and 90% of Kerala’s rice needs to come from other states, in spite of the Green revolution. We don’t wish to see this tragic state to come to Arunachal.”

Sridhar, R Programme Director Thanal and steering committee member of Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture, explained using a PowerPoint that heavy dependencies on a number of non-traditional seeds, have led to heavy use of commercial fertilizers, pesticides and depletion of water-resources. The resultant family impoverishment has created severe food supply imbalances, indebtedness and poverty-suicides. India never had food shortages since Independence, but only bottlenecks in distribution.

“People die of hunger, even as grains rot in gowdowns. What we need are not GM seeds for food security, but strengthening our own traditional food habits”, he said.

C Jayakumar, Director, Pesticide Action Network India elaborated on the terrible destruction of public health by the rampant misuse of pesticides, by quoting several instances from pesticides like Endosulfan, and how they struggled hard in a campaign to get it banned.  Lenneesh, Asstt State Coordinator explained about Thanal’s Rice Repository Nursery which has saplings of 206 rice varieties of South India.

Dr Ista Pulu, a senior research associate of RIWATCH thanked the faculty for coming all the way from Kerala to Arunachal at their own expense, to help spread educational awareness among the farmers, educated elite and the students. The Thanal has offered to extend and share their expertise to Arunachal in the coming months.