A flower that bears seeds of doom?

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A flower that bears seeds of doom?

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Bamboo, that is used so extensively in northeast India for various purposes like building houses, bridges, in medicines, and more, spells doom in the form of famine the moment it starts flowering. But is it true, finds out Robert L Sungte.
 
If you think all flowers are beautiful and are meant to bring smiles on everyone’s face, think once again. There is this flower which does just the opposite. That flower belongs to the bamboo.

Scientifically called bambusa, the appearance of its flower is a sign of impending famine to the tribals in the northeastern state of Mizoram and southwestern parts of Manipur; where there is a large track of bamboo forests. As per the Forest Survey of India (FSI, 1988-89), bamboo forests cover 12,54,400 hectares out of the total area of 21,090 sq km. The total land area covered by bamboo in Manipur is 3691.77 sq.km (FSI, 1991), making up 14 per cent of the total geographical area of Manipur.

This tropical moist deciduous forest is the most common type of vegetation in Mizoram and Manipur, and over 23 species of bamboo have been identified. Poor farmers in both the States are reading hard times ahead of this year’s monsoon season even as they are reminded of the famine that had occurred in 1959 which claimed over a thousand lives. In 1959-60, a severe famine had followed bamboo flowering. There was severe starvation and the common man in Mizoram and adjoining tribal belts in Manipur, felt a general feeling of neglect by the Central government. This led to a 20-year-long rebellion against the Government of India by the then Mizo National Front, making the famine an issue for demanding ‘independence’ from India.

The bamboo species that produce flowers belong to bambusa khasiana, m. baciferra, bambusa tulda and d. longispathus species. Sporadic flowering of m.beciferra species of bamboo started again in 2001 and reached its peak in 2007. The locals referred this phenomenon as ‘Mautam’. Bamboo flowering has been recorded in 1862, 1881, 1911 and 1959. All of them had resulted in famine, according to Mr  Ramthienghlim Varte, a Shillong-based senior anthropologist who has been keeping record of this natural event.

“Bamboo seeds which are available every year during late May to early August, is the favourite dish of rats,” Mr Varte said.

It is traditionally believed that bamboo seeds, when consumed by rats, increased their fertility resulting in large-scale reproduction. As thousands of rats savoured their ‘favourite dish’, supply began to dwindle. The marauding rats then invaded paddy fields which led to destruction of vast tracts of standing crops.

‘Not here in South India’

However, experts like Sanjay Gubbi of the Bangalore-based Centre for Wildlife Studies, do not accept that bamboo seeds have anything to do with rats and famine. “There is no clear-cut scientific evidence to link bamboo flowering and increase in the population of rats, at least in south India. In 2000, there was gregarious bamboo flowering in Bhadra Tiger Reserve in Chikmagalur district of Karnataka. But there was no famine,” Mr Gubbi said. The same applies to areas in Tumkur district, Koppa division, Haliyal and Yellapur divisions during 1998-99. But, there was no famine, he added.

What then may be the reason behind the rapid increase in the population of rats whenever there is bamboo flowering in the northeast?

“One reason cited even by scientists is the practice of shifting cultivation, highly prevalent in northeast India,” Mr Gubbi said. Shifting cultivation leads to several small farms surrounded by bamboo forests. Hence, whenever there is bamboo flowering and if there is increase in rat population in the forests, they shift their focus to these small farms after the bamboo seeds germinate and no seeds are left, he reasoned. Local media reports said that farmers’ efforts to check the onslaught of rats, have failed miserably during last year’s harvest season. Farmers in Manipur’s Tamenglong and Churachandpur districts have harvested less than 40 per cent of their normal annual harvest.

“With the poor transport system and inefficient government machinery on the Manipur side, farmers in the two districts are preparing for the worst,” Mr Lalhlunsang Hmar, editor of a local monthly magazine said.

Mizoram acts

Mizoram government, however, is reported to have taken efficient steps to meet this natural phenomenon. It even announced a reward of Rs 100 for killing a single rat! Bamboo is widely used by the Mizos, Hmars, Nagas and other tribal groups in the northeast. It is used for building houses, bridges, fences, household utensils, timbers, toothpicks, handicrafts, medicines, etc. The bamboo shoot also forms an integral diet of the tribal populace. But when it flowers, people feel the least need for this tropical grass.

Despite claims and counter claims about the real cause of bad harvest, bamboo flower is still seen as the bloom of gloom and its seed as a harbinger of hunger. “I was witness to the 1950s’ bamboo flowering and the famine that struck Mizoram and parts of Manipur. We will face the same situation if the government does not come to our aid with all its resources,” said Rema Hmar, a 60-year-old farmer from Damdiei village.

Relief at snail’s pace

The Manipur-based Reform Presbyterian Church-North East India, has been actively involved in providing free relief work to the affected Hmar tribal farmers in the interior parts of Manipur. So far, RPC-NEI has sent over 60 truckloads of foodgrains to Tipaimukh sub-division alone. “In the last four months, we have despatched around 4,000 quintals of rice through our ministry,” said Rev Edwin Darsanglur, executive secretary of RPC-NEI. Manipur government is also sending rice for the affected people but with a Rs 10/kg tag. The cash-strapped farmers who could not sell other agricultural products like ginger and chillies are virtually in tears, the reverend claimed. “We are trying to move in foodgrains as much as possible before the monsoon season sets in, but the government has been very slow in the repair work of National Highway-150 which has been left unattended since 1987,” laments Rev Edwin.

On February 20, the Hmar Christian Leaders Forum’s Research and Development department also met officials of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank and World Relief at Churachandpur. The latter promised to look into the issue.
Help may be coming forth from NGOs and world relief organisations, but the government machinery needs to take a proactive step to avert any disaster. Unlike mainland India, where desperate farmers commit suicide, hapless farmers here continue to fight for their very survival each day. But with little aid coming from the government, people in Tipaimukh and Tamenglong sub-divisions of Manipur can only hope that good fortune and the goodwill of their tribesmen settled in other parts of India, will shine upon them in the days to come.

The tribals in this region claimed that both, the State and Central governments have little impact on their history of survival ever since independence. “We have not seen the sub-divisional officer in the last 15 years,” said Thanglien, a villager under Thanlon sub-division.

To combat the impact of bamboo flowering in different parts of Manipur, Union Ministry of Environment and Forests has allocated Rs 6.9 crore and 1 crore in 2005-06 and 2006-07, respectively. The State will continue to receive Rs 1 crore till 2009 for the same cause. Despite the Centre’s initiative, steps need to be taken by the Government of Manipur in a big way.

In the battle between rats and the poor farmers, the contest appears to be decided. With having ravaged last year’s standing crops, the rodents may finally have the last smile.

Courtesy: Deccan Herald