Where the Lives of People Depend on the Mahua
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June 2017 - Volume 9 Issue 6 Rs 15 Where the lives of people I N S I D E depend on the mahua As the mahua trees flower less and less, the villagers of Odisha’s Nuapada District He created a forest and find it hard to make ends meet. These blooms affect not only day-to-day life, but also much more, all from a milestone events such as marriage and house construction. A fall in yield could mean wasteland 2 shortage of food, less money to spend on health, deferring of marriages, etc AJIT PANDA, Bhubaneswar he mahua (Madhuca of less than a quintal per family other marriage expenses. “Sadly, longifolia, an Indian last year and this year it has the income from mahua has not Ttropical tree found largely further dwindled. exceeded Rs 5000 in the last two in the Central and North Indian “There is no certainty these years,” she adds. Holding out against plains and forests) blossom fills days due to weather changes The families in Bhaisadani change in the Land rural households in Nuapada from year to year and from Village say that each of them earn of the High Passes 3 District of Odisha with smiles. place to place. The soil quality between Rs 25000 and Rs 30000 Replete with medicinal pro- also differs,” says Budhuram. a year from forest products, if perties, it is an assured source “Even within a radius of 10 to the yield is good. This help them of livelihood for thousands of 15 km, the yield has differed to meet expenses for marriage, people and helps them meet this year,” he adds, citing the house construction and also, of basic needs, both short-term and example of Kathfar Village ten late, the expense of educating long-term. The flip side is, it is km from Bhainsadani, where their children. an uncertain source of income. the flower yield has suffered “We earned Rs 32000 from The caprices of the weather and badly. mahua and chahar two years ago. An outstanding the vagaries of the price can both “Lightning at the time of We spent Rs 6000 on our son’s A woman in the Sunabeda puppeteer who keeps affect the fortunes of those who flowering is one of the main college admission and the rest for plateau collecting mahua, depend on the forest wealth. causes of drastic reduction in completing construction of our close to a tiger reserve. entertaining 4 Budhuram and Subhadra yield this year in our village,” house,” says Malati Majhi. She Paharia of Bhainsadani Village says Turu Majhi of Karandaba was hoping for a good income of Khariar Block have a daughter Village of Khariar Block. from agriculture and forest and a son. Two years ago, they A fall in yield means a produce the following year to were able to earn Rs 10000 from lot of things to the people – manage the family budget. But three quintals of flowers and 50 shortage of food, less money the failure of crops coupled with kg of fruit. However, the income to spend on health, deferring poor income from forest produce AP Photos: has been dwindling. Last year of marriages, etc. Karuna and made life difficult. A basket of mahua flowers. Embodying hope while the yield was only 25 kg, says her husband Hirasing Majhi “The mahua crop had failed last raising questions about Subhadra. live in Bhainsadani with their year, so I hoped that there would will save me from that loan rehabilitation 5 In Kathfar Village of three children. One of their be a good crop this time, but I was burden,” he says. Bhaisadani Gram Panchayat, daughters got married last year. disappointed again,” says Dhanu Forest officials say the reduced there are 170 households. Each “I gave her half a bhari (unit Majhi. The situation necessitated yield is due to a parasitic household collected two to three of weight) of gold ornaments, the postponement of the marriage plant (Madang). However, quintals of flowers on an average as the yield from mahua was of a daughter of the family. She the villagers do not agree. two years ago, working out to a good two years ago,” says had to be sent to Hyderabad to “Reduction in flowering is seen total of around 500 quintals for Karuna. Out of the Rs 45500 work in a brick kiln. in almost all trees,” they say. the whole village. The earning that they got from mahua and In most parts of Nuapada Ashish Behera, the Bramhapur was between Rs 6000 and some other forest products, Rs District, families have had to take District Forest officer, says that Now, off-grid solar power Rs 7000 per family. But the 13000 was spent on jewellery private loans at exorbitant rates the drastic reduction in flowering for rural communities 6 collection reduced to an average and the rest went towards of interest to meet the expenses of mahua in the last two years of marriage and other social might be due to the peak in yield responsibilities. Gauri Chinda of the previous year. A peak year in Kaktiam Village had taken a loan production is always followed of Rs 15000 to meet expenses by a drastic reduction, according related to her daughter’s wedding. to him. The debt remains unpaid even “There is no data with the after two years. She earned only government on production Rs 3000 from her collection of of mahua after it was handed How the aboriginals mahua last year and got even less over to the panchayats, so it here have hopelessly this year. is difficult to say exactly how lost out 7 Likewise, Sridhar Paharia bo- much the yield has fallen, and rrowed Rs 10000 to meet the what the impact on people is. expenses of nak dand, which But it can be safely said that the amounts to a fine. His son had economy of a forest dweller is Subscribe to eloped with a girl and for social highly affected due to drought,” sanction for the marriage; he had says retired professor and social Making for a picture postcard scene — women in Nangalbod to host a feast for the villagers. worker Fanindam Deo. < Village picking up mahua flowers. “Only a good yield from mahua Rs. 180 for 12 issues 2 June 2017 FOCUS He created a forest and much more, all from a wasteland For most people in Kolkata, Shantiniketan-Bolpur is a favoured weekend getaway to get close to nature, especially in winter and autumn. Once there, a meal at Vanalaxmi is a must. To the uninitiated, it must sound like another good restaurant to visit on a holiday. One could well classify it as a rustic retreat. But Vanalaxmi is much more than all that RINA MUKHERJI, Kolkata labour of love by levels are low and, with most method worked, and soon several someone who was far forests gone, summers hold no trees survived. Subsequent years A ahead of his times, respite for the locals. saw an entire mango orchard of Vanalaxmi is a wasteland- When Niranjanbabu (as he 850 mango trees take shape. In turned-forest patch in is better known) initially came five years time, the orchard had Dwaranda, in Birbhum here in 1961, there was hardly 48 varieties of mangoes growing District, on the Jharkhand- any source of water around, save out of its trees. Subsequent years West Bengal border. Spread a shallow well in the adjoining saw guava, cashew, banana, over 35 bighas (measure of denuded forest land. With trees wood apple (bael), papaya, land), Vanalaxmi Unmesh being cut down by the hundreds, mahua, lemon, pummel and Samiti is a living example of the biodiversity in the area was at many other fruit trees grace the how tending to Mother Nature a terrible low. There was no place Vanalaxmi grounds. can usher in sustainable to live on the land and, hence, Niranjanbabu even defied development and benefit an he put up nearby. Accompanied nature to grow coconut palms on entire community. by his mother, Kohinoor Debi, the premises. Since coconut needs A scion of the royal families Niranjanbabu set out to create a salt and a coastal environment to of Puthia and Mymensingh forest out of nothing. grow, Niranjanbabu would plant (in present-day Bangladesh), In 1964, Niranjanbabu was coconut saplings and sprinkle Fruit trees in the Vanalaxmi forest patch provide a pleasing Niranjan Sanyal was keen joined in his efforts by Dr Parbati salt around them (today, there sight. to build an institution where Bhattacharya from Bolpur, who, as are a sizeable number of palms, the forest-dwelling culture of a medical practitioner attached to each bearing 10 coconuts each). of vegetables such as spinach, ancient Indian ashrams could the primary health centre, felt that In a few years’ time, living potato, cucumber, ash gourd, be replicated. After exploring she could try make a difference to quarters were built and the brinjal, bottle gourd, Colocasia the length and breadth of India the health of the adivasis (tribal core group of Vanalaxmi grew (arvi) several varieties of beans he ultimately settled for the people) of Dwaranda. There larger. By then, it comprised and greens are grown. The patch of land in Dwaranda, in were two others, too, who were Niranjanbabu and his mother, paddy fields also grow several Birbhum. inspired by Niranjanbabu to make Sumitra Sinha and her sister, varieties of rice, besides herbs The property had belonged a difference to society – Sumitra Kanan Pal and her brother, and and legumes. The single water- to a rich Kolkata family, Sinha from Vishwabharati Uni- Mrinal Kanti Pal and his wife.