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I have often spoken about and compared the development of Manipur with that of Tamil Nadu as I visit and observe the happenings in both these States at regular intervals. These two States seem to be traveling in opposite directions. While some people quickly identify the reasons and the causes for this in very pessimistic ways, others say that we cannot do anything unless things get to normalcy. What can be done in the given situation? A lot, and it does not require enormous resources from outside.
To an occasional visitor like me to Manipur, things seem normal though. So many cultural programs goes on every day and all the time in Imphal and throughout the State bringing out the cultural depth of the people, both of the Meiteis and of the tribal. Various student unions and youth and women organizations take up a number of public issues. And there are so many Non-Governmental Organizations undertaking welfare activities as well. And, more importantly, the community halls in every community, however small indicates the inherent community spirit of the local people, and the voluntary effort that goes into maintaining and running them. Culturally, the Manipuri communities are exceptionally strong. These are amazing. You are, and must be, proud of yourselves.
Resources in Manipur, unlike Tamil Nadu, are aplenty, for example, productive land, forests and water. Forests and water are the lifeline of Manipur. People have full access to these resources and in most places they own and control the land areas.
But as one travels across the hill areas, what strikes is the absence of trees and the balded hillocks. These have happened out of compulsions to survive and seek out a living. The major day-to-day problem in the hill villages is water for drinking. Then, water for irrigating terrace paddy. Forests’ first function is that of a water tank. It holds the water and releases it slowly. The village authorities must earmark the forest areas that are sources of drinking and irrigation water and protect them as eco-zones. Like the youth and women associations mobilize money locally and conduct cultural and sports activities, they should raise seedling nurseries of various horticulture, spice and tree species, and either plant them themselves in the designated forest areas or distribute to women and farmers for planting in their kitchen gardens and farm lands. The goal must be to raise a three-tier forest of ‘mixed’ species, not a plantation of pine trees.
Various tribal student and youth organizations and the church bodies can spread this message like gospel and encourage the village-based youth and women organizations to take up these activities: (a) create eco-zones, (b) raise nurseries of horticulture-spice-tree seedling nurseries, and (c) plant them in the designated eco-zones and in kitchen gardens and farm lands. The Imphal-based tribal and non- tribal organizations can organize training programs to raise nurseries, and get spice seeds and distribute to village-based youth and women organizations. If these organizations can act quickly, nurseries can be raised now so that seedlings can be planted in kitchen gardens and farm lands during this monsoon in June-July. These activities can be taken up in the valley area as well.
There are so many highly qualified and capable unemployed agricultural and other technical graduates in Manipur who can align with the non-governmental organizations and provide technical support. To make it self-reliant and employment oriented, the seedlings can be sold at a nominal cost that can include a profit as well.
There is so much of under utilized manpower and organizations available in Manipur who should take up the above concept and make it into a demand-driven and self-reliant program and a movement. Agencies like the Don Bosco Reach Out can procure from South India spice seed materials and provide them to the local organizations and train them to raise nurseries. One possibility is growing Vanilla plants which can give an income as much as Rs. 10,000 and even more per plant in about five years. Spices and vanilla are low volume, high value produce and can be transported and marketed economically. The starting point for Manipur’s development is the forest (hill) areas. When the local people and their organizations take the responsibility for their own development, supported by the larger NGOs, Manipur will become a different place, like TN, Kerala and Karnataka, in the next five to ten years. This must be initiated as a private and a non-governmental effort, and of and by the people of Manipur. And this process must be initiated now by the NGOs.
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