Location: Bankura Seed Festival
The festival, which brought together people from various backgrounds and cultures, fostered a sense of both unity and diversity among the farmers. Beyond discussing farming and seeds, the farmers also exchanged thoughts on floods and potential measures to mitigate their impact. The event introduced new ideas not only to farmers but also to those not directly involved in agriculture. Additionally, it emphasized the importance of preserving indigenous practices and traditions.
Monuhar Pegu, a 27-year-old farmer, shared valuable insights into farming in the flood-prone areas of Assam. Why is a young farmer like Monuhar choosing to engage in traditional farming methods? How do farmers manage the challenges posed by frequent floods? These were some of the key questions he addressed, providing a detailed perspective on the subject.
Interviewer: What is your name?
Interviewee: My name is Monuhar Pegu. I’m from Kaziranga, Assam, where our farming practices are also based. We have come to the Bankura Seed Festival to showcase our native variety of seeds and promote our traditional farming practices. Additionally, we are here to exhibit our handicrafts and silk garments that we produce. I belong to the Mising community, which is the second-largest community in Assam. We weave our own clothes as part of our tradition.
Now, the question arises, why do we continue these practices? The climate crisis we face today is largely due to monoculture farming. We aim to counter this issue in any way we can.
Interviewer: What do you mean by monocultural farming?
Monuhar Pegu: Monoculture farming refers to large-scale agricultural practices, usually involving chemical farming. For example, cultivating only paddy or only wheat over an extensive area leads to soil degradation and other environmental issues. We want to counteract these harmful effects.
Interviewer: How did you become involved in organic farming?
Monuhar Pegu: Organic farming is essentially a movement that started as a return to traditional farming practices. Initially, our ancestors followed these sustainable methods, but with the Green Revolution, chemical farming became widespread. Eventually, people realized its negative impact on health and the environment, leading to a revival of traditional farming, what we now call organic farming. However, today we are moving further towards ‘natural farming,’ which is a more refined version of organic farming that completely avoids synthetic inputs.
I was introduced to farming from a young age, as I grew up watching my family cultivate crops using traditional methods. Even though I studied Political Science, I could never forget the wisdom I inherited from my community. A fundamental question arose in my mind: If my food and land are not safe, then what am I living for? I could choose to work elsewhere and earn more money, but that would come at the cost of losing my connection to the land. By practicing traditional farming, I can sustain myself while also contributing to a larger movement. Today, with the rise of monoculture and chemical farming, the only way to counteract this is by establishing an alternative model based on traditional practices.
Interviewer: How much land do you own?
Monuhar Pegu: Individually, we have small plots, around 5 to 10 bighas each. However, collectively, we cultivate a much larger area.
Interviewer: What do you mean by ‘collectively’?
Monuhar Pegu: By ‘collectively,’ I mean community farming. In our community, we share and farm the land together. This system is known as ‘Haria’ in our language. If someone is unable to cultivate their land, they entrust it to someone else within the community for farming. This is done based on verbal agreements rather than written contracts. In our region, paddy is the primary crop. Given the diverse landscape and frequent floods, we have developed unique farming techniques suited to our environment.
Interviewer: How do you deal with floods?
Monuhar Pegu: We have our traditional ways of coping with floods. In the Mising community, for example, our houses are built on elevated bamboo platforms called Chang Ghar. The structure is designed to allow floodwater to pass underneath, rather than obstructing it. ‘Chang’ refers to the bamboo staircase leading to the house. This practice ensures that our homes remain safe while allowing natural water flow.
We also welcome floodwaters in our croplands. Unlike artificial floods caused by excessive rainfall or mismanagement, natural floods bring nutrient-rich silt from the forests, replenishing the soil. This is an example of a climate-resilient practice that has been followed for generations.
Interviewer: Doesn’t flooding have a negative impact on farming?
Monuhar Pegu: Natural floods are beneficial because they enhance soil fertility by depositing organic matter from upstream areas. However, artificial floods, often caused by excessive damming and poor water management, are disastrous.
Interviewer: How can artificial floods be prevented?
Monuhar Pegu: The best way to prevent artificial floods is by avoiding large dams and allowing rivers to flow naturally. When we obstruct a river’s natural course, it leads to severe disruptions, including excessive flooding. As young people, we have a responsibility to address these issues and advocate for sustainable water management.
Interviewer: How old are you?
Monuhar Pegu: I am 27 years old..
If our generation does not take the lead in this movement, the future will become even more challenging.
Interviewer: There is a growing trend of farmers moving away from agriculture. Is migration also happening in your area?
Monuhar Pegu: Yes, migration is a widespread issue. It happens primarily because farming alone does not provide enough livelihood opportunities. Many farmers believe that their only option is to grow paddy or wheat, but they do not realize that they can diversify their income through other means, such as pisciculture (fish farming) or sericulture (silkworm rearing) like erica, muga and mulberry.
The key issue seems to be that villages lack sufficient livelihood opportunities, while cities offer a broader range of employment options. However, this is not necessarily the case. If we create and explore more economic opportunities in rural areas, migration to cities will decrease.
Interviewer: Can you share some traditional farming methods that you use?
Monuhar Pegu: Of course. As I mentioned earlier, our traditional housing techniques are designed to coexist with water rather than resist it. Similarly, in farming, we use eco-friendly materials like bamboo instead of concrete.
Another important traditional method is multilayer or integrated farming. In the past, diverse crops were grown together, but over time, this practice declined. Now, we are reviving it. Today, what is known as ‘integrated farming’ was actually a long-standing practice in our community. For example, livestock are kept alongside crops, and their manure is used as natural fertilizer. This creates a sustainable farming cycle.
Interviewer: What do you think about the future of farming? Are young people getting involved?
Monuhar Pegu: Social media has increased awareness about farming, but many young people engage only at a superficial level, such as making reels about it. However, in my area, I see a positive trend, more young people are returning to farming. The key is leadership. Our generation must take charge and lead this movement to ensure a sustainable future.
Interviewer: Thank you.
Mithu Rani Mondal, a middle-aged woman from the Ranibandh area of Bankura, initially hesitated to give us an interview. However, as our discussion progressed, she shared her perspective on farming practices from a woman’s point of view.
Interviewer: What is your name?
Mithu Rani Mandal: My name is Mithu Rani Mandal. We’re here on behalf of Dalmadal Farmers Producers Company. We operate in three blocks of Bankura: Ranibandh, Hirbandh, and Indpur. Our organization consists of 4,000 women engaged in agricultural production.
Interviewer: So, all of you are involved in chemical-free farming?
Mithu Rani Mandal: Not just organic farming, we also encourage cattle farming and pisciculture, all done using organic methods. We then sell our produce in the market.
Interviewer: Do you personally engage in farming?
Mithu Rani Mandal: Yes.
Interviewer: How much land do you own?
Mithu Rani Mandal: I own a small plot of 3 bighas. In addition to that, I lease 3-4 bighas of land as needed. However, I don’t cultivate throughout the year. We have Producer Groups (PGs) in every Gram Panchayat area, and they manage farming when we are unable to do so.
Interviewer: How much does it cost to lease land?
Mithu Rani Mandal: The cost varies. Since much of the land in our region is lowland and often left fallow for multiple seasons, the lease price fluctuates between ₹1,000 and ₹3,000 per bigha, depending on the location and soil quality.
Interviewer: You focus on organic farming. Why are so many farmers moving away from agriculture?
Mithu Rani Mandal: The main reason is chemical-based farming. Excessive use of chemical fertilizers has led to soil infertility. On one hand, yields are decreasing, and on the other, farming expenses are rising, causing an imbalance and reducing profits. Additionally, chemical farming has negatively impacted farmers’ health, making them physically weaker. This has discouraged many from continuing in agriculture.
However, in our area, we’ve managed to reverse this trend by transitioning many farmers from chemical to organic farming. Since adopting organic methods, farmers have noticed improved health, increased energy, and better overall well-being. We have also introduced new crops, such as watermelon, which was not traditionally grown in our region. This has provided farmers with an additional source of income.
Interviewer: What type of land do you have, lowland or elevated land?
Mithu Rani Mandal: In Bankura district, we have both elevated and lowland areas. The soil here is primarily malbhumi (lateritic soil). There are also ponds and government-constructed canals. Our PGs decide where water resources are needed most.
Interviewer: So, is water scarcity a major issue in your region?
Mithu Rani Mandal: Yes, water scarcity is a significant challenge. In elevated areas, farming depends entirely on monsoon rains, as there are no alternative water sources. To address this, we have created hapas around these regions.
Interviewer: What do you mean by hapa?
Mithu Rani Mandal: A hapa is a small pond.
Interviewer: Do you use shallow pumps or other water sources?
Mithu Rani Mandal: No, we rely primarily on these small ponds and other natural water bodies.
Interviewer: There have been noticeable changes in nature over the years.
Mithu Rani Mandal (interrupts): Absolutely!
Interviewer: Have these environmental changes affected farming?
Mithu Rani Mandal: Yes. Last year, we observed that the leaves of Shegun (teak) trees were turning yellow, something that didn’t happen before. Even neem trees were drying up and shedding leaves. Additionally, kalboishakhi (seasonal thunderstorms) have become less frequent, impacting crop growth.
Interviewer: What do you think the government should do to bring farmers back to agriculture?
Mithu Rani Mandal: The government is already taking effective steps. However, further promotion of organic farming would be beneficial.
Interviewer: Is the younger generation showing interest in farming?
Mithu Rani Mandal: Yes, they are. Thanks to their involvement, we’ve been able to establish Producer Groups and the Farmers Producers Company.
Interviewer: Have you observed a shift away from farming in your village?
Mithu Rani Mandal: During the lockdown, many people left farming. However, those who had migrated for work faced severe hardships and eventually returned to farming.
Interviewer: What steps are you taking to encourage farmers to continue farming?
Mithu Rani Mandal: We are working on improving land utilization. One-time croplands have been converted into two-time croplands, and two-time croplands into three-time croplands. This allows farming to continue throughout the year, making it a more viable livelihood.
Interviewer: Thank you.
Jaladarsha 