MAUTAAM

By: Ninglun Hanghal

The once upon a time “mautaam”- a local term for famine, strikes again in Mizoram and parts of Manipur, effecting the districts of Tamenglong , Chandel and Churachandpur. In 2006 signs of the calamity draw in with flowering of bamboo and swarming of rats, feeding upon villagers’ harvest. By 2007, four out of the five sub – divisions in Manipur’s Churachandpur district confronted the famine. More than 16 hectares of jhum cultivation were devastated with an estimate of over one lakh people affected. Resources in kind and cash were generated from individuals, philanthropic organizations, NGOs and Churches. Even communities living abroad mobilized and sent contribution to their brethrens. The Central as well as the State government too earmarked their funds and budget. Appeal for contribution continues as people were still reeling under starvation in these God for shaken hills of North East India.
Mautaam occurs within an interval of 48 – 50 years. The previous mautaam occurs in 1958 – 59, affecting the same geographical area. Many who have witnessed the calamity reminisce about their experiences and hardships faced during the famine. Days of the infamous Mizo National Front movement, formed initially under the banner of Mizo National Famine Front in Mizoram, resurfaced in many people’s minds. Not many documents were found to be recorded about the calamity. Most of the information available were oral recollections and articles about the rat menace, emotions at the sight of no harvest to reap, relying on edible roots and leaves from the jungle or if fortunate ,walking miles through the rough terrains to pick up a kilogram of rice dropped from above. Though there were few scientific studies or academic writings, mautaam remain a phenomenon that is still yet to be research, analyse and formulate prevention, management and crisis intervention during the havoc.
A highly philanthropist Mizo- Zomi- Kuki community faced the situation in the previous famine helping themselves, sharing whatever little available. This was visible and prominent in terms of help and intervention in the current situation too. Aids and relief materials were distributed through community or tribe based philantrophic organization like the KKL – Kuki Khanglai Lompi, the ZYA – Zomi Youth Association, HYA – Hmar Youth Association, the YMA – Young Mizo Association. The amount of contribution, both in kind and cash, if put together, collected within individuals and community, donations from civil society, would far more out weight the Rs 4,42,62,360 earmarked for Churachandpur district from the Central government’s total amount of Rs 67 crore approved. According to reports, relief spending from the six parent churches in the district, more than 2 crores were already spend in cash on famine relief this year. The parent churches include Reformed Presbyterian Church – NEI, Partnership Mission Society, Evangelical Baptist Convention, the Presbyterian Church of India (R) the Independent Churches of India, the Chin Baptist Association etc. Apart from the aid and relief work, seminars and concerts were held to campaign for famine affected people.
Besides starvation, rats and relief, survey visit by the Manipur Hills Journalist Union in November 2007, reveals many other faces of the mautaam story. The team helped by villagers to drag their loaded Jeep in the mud filled track, the deserted office of the Sub Divisional Officer in Thanlon which has turned into an abode of cows and goats make good pictures and are thought provoking. Of all the 38 villages surveyed, one village – Maukot received its share of two months, rice and dal etc under the public distribution system- PDS for the year 2007. Other villages like Dialkhai, Pherzawl, Lawibual , received 2 to 3 bags of rice. While 25 village out of the 38, did not receive any PDS at all. Only 40 % families in 18 villages have BPL card, below poverty line, a category for benefactors. Therefore, PDS for the BPL was shared with the APL - above poverty line.!! The survey report suggest that the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act- 2005, commonly understood as 100 days job, would have come as an emergency relief, had it been implemented at the right time. At the time of the MHJU report, all the 38 villages were awaiting the job card to be issued.
It was reported earlier that the Central Government in Delhi sanctioned Rs 16 crores and as per latest information, December 2008, a total amount of Rs 67 crore was approved. The State Government earmarked in its 2006-07 annual budget an amount of Rs 9.9 crore to combat famine. Similarly, donations and contributions from Churches, organizations, individuals etc comes up to crores of rupees. The total amount, in kind and cash, if put together in figures, from government and non-governmental, not to forget the individual contributions and the physical labour, will not be a small sum.
There has always been a concept of ‘welfare approach’ intervention in developmental issue and crisis, specifically in the North East region of India. Development packages or Funds are common words and strategies, including law and order. Every budget session in the parliament has an estimated package, grants or funds for development of the North East region. It may be recalled that Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on his visit to Manipur in 2004, post the naked protest and uproar over the AFSPA, offered development packages worth Rs 28 billion, laid the foundation of capitol project estimated @ 317.54 crore etc .
Passed on from generations to generations stories about mautaam was heard and known. At this stage, the information, including campaign for the affected population was communicated in print as well as in electronic form. In comparison to the previous mautaam, the humanitarian intervention, concerns and resources raised in the current situation was unprecedented. Vialzakham, who witnessed two consecutive mautaam recounts and feels that, “in the previous mautaam we were still backward and solely depend on jhum. Today not only are we in the modern age but also have our own government / state administration. After 50 years and well aware that it will occur again, it is sad that that we still do not have an alternative.” In case, there were no funds from the Government or no contributions after 50 years ahead, the next generation need to prepare as mautaam will definitely resurfaced again, as our forefathers narrated us through our folklores.

Source:Kangla

By S Singlianmang Guite

Lamka, December 24 2008: On Christmas eve a crowd usually swarm the dusty corri- dors of this second largest township in the State but this chilling winter evening is ostensibly different.

The crowd and the ample smile on their faces that reminds vendors of the brisk deals they had in this time of the year is lacking.

Famine has taken its toll on the community. Everything seems set for the perfect celebration  armed groups that usually blot the festivity is now under Suspension of Opera- tion with the government, NREGS is there to shell out the extra bugs required for merriment, late night Christmas carols begins to re-appear, Musical Concerts were organized since October, Assam Rifles and the SoO group have treated the people with a vibrant and trouble-free musical night, mobile manufacturer Nokia has brought its mobile band in town; but everything fails to adopt the mood of this fun loving community. Our tickets were usually sold-off from the last part of November in other years, but this year the rush began only yesterday and even that was unfit to called a sold-off, Chingboi, a travel ticket dealer for the interior areas who had been in the profession for the last ten years said.

Thangkhosat of Tuila village in Henglep sub-division visits the town today, but unlike other years they were to procure rice that should sustain them for one week.

I could only afford money for the rice, and I cant go shopping, but I still consider myself lucky, he said. Many of their villagers could only stock rice for two days.

Our paddy this year was unusually healthy but rats have gobbled them up before we could reap it, Ngaikonieng also from Tuila said. When asked, a woman who manned the ticket counter for Tipaimukh Road unassumingly said, Bang dang ziek ahi dia! - What else! The Mautam devastation has visibly taken its toll, crowds that swarmed the township corridors were decline al least in two fold and many vendors have felt the thinning away of their customers. Remi, proprietor of Jingle Bell a dealer in stationery items said, look for yourself; how can I said this is good, when enquired if her business was affected.

A makeshift vendor in New Bazar, Pari claimed that she sold more than Rs.10,000 worth of good for two consecutive weeks in the last two years at this season sold Rs.3000 yesterday - the highest this year.

Ready made retailer JP Selection and foreign good dealers too felt the impact. Khailet Haokip, who just returned from Henglep after delivering a truck load of rice at the sub-divisional hqtrs visibly felt the pained within the interior populace.

The villagers played aloud Christmas songs though a PA system in the morning, it is very enchanting but the fun ends there, they have nothing to feed themselves, he said.

People from far flung villages came to the sub-divisional hqtrs to purchase rice with whatever money they had, but there was no rice.

The truck load we brought along was sold off in no time. I cant truly express their suffering, I just feel pity, he recounted of his encounter with the hungry popu-lace.

The road leading to Henglep is pathetic, it is merely 35 kms from here but we travel one whole day.

 Source:The Sangai Express

S Singlianmang Guite 

Lamka, December 21 2008: Towing on the national guidelines of relief materials, ZEPADA  a frontal organisation championing the economic owes of the people here, for long, has been maintaining that relief materials should not be delayed even for an hour.

But the Government still appears to care a little, as the relief materials were delayed not just by hours, but by weeks and months.

‘As the Christian dominated district of Churachandpur is already on its festive mood, it is pertinent to mention that majority of the people remains haunted by the dreaded Mautam famine they have suffered.

Their worries have overshadowed the normal cheerful mood prevailing at this time of the year.

Public suffering is compounded by the non-distribution of Mautam relief by the Government which they endlessly waited, said ZEPADA in a statement issued on Saturday.

In this regard the agency has claimed that it has made a request the FCI, yet it fails to comprehend why the Government has adopted such a casual attitude in delivering the relief materials.

‘Why relief material got delayed for so long? Six months to release the fund and more than one month (and still waiting) to procure and distribute the food-grains,’ it inquired.

And, in the face of such apathy, the existing PDS still remains to be the granaries of the power that be, alleged ZEPADA further.

Citing a recent instance where 100 quintals of rice each was awarded for every constituency through APL retail agents, ZEPADA said the agents have already submitted the utilization certificate for November 2008, whereas the public remained in dark regarding such distribution.

The agents have claimed in the UCs that the rice have been distributed before 15 December, 2008 .

Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, December 22 2008: MANIPUR’S FAMINE hit Churachandpur district has overshadowed the Christmas mood of the Christians here in this Kuki-Chin-Zomi communities dominated district.

Most parts of the district had been hit by the famine like situation after the rodent attacked the standing crops as well as the granaries in the wake of large scale bamboo flowering.

A total of 16,050.13 hectares of cultivated land was damaged and 1,03,558 persons from 14,307 families in 264 villages in the district bordering Myanmar and Mizoram affected as per district administration report quoted by Co-ordinating Mautam Famine Aid.

When bamboo flowers, famine, death and destruction follow.

Rats multiply at a very rapid pace after eating the protein-rich seeds that appear soon after bamboo flowering.

When the seeds are exhausted, armies of rats chomp their way through other food grains, causing a famine.

“As the Christian dominated district of Churachandpur is already on its festive mood, it is pertinent to mention that majority of the people remains haunted by the dreaded Mautam famine they have suffered” Zomi Economic Planning and Development Agency (ZEPADA) said in a release, adding their worries have overshadowed the normal cheerful mood prevailing at this time of the year.

The Public suffering is compounded by the non-distribution of Mautam relief well on time by the government which they are endlessly waiting for.

Bamboo grows wild in 3691.77 sq.km of Manipur’s total geographical area of 22,327 sq km.

Locally known as Mautam, the bamboo flowering is concurrently affecting the contiguous areas of Mizoram as well.

ZEPADA also urged the FCI department on the 11th of this month for direct lifting of all famine related items from Dimapur to Churachandpur at least till the 3rd of December, it said.

Meanwhile, the DC Churachandpur said that all requisite amount of food had been accredited for procuring the rice, claimed the release.

However ZEPEDA questions Why relief material got delayed for so long? - Six months to release the fund and more than one month (and still waiting) to procure and distribute the food-grains, it questions.

Source: epao.net

Kohima (PTI): The villagers in Nagalands Peren and Dimapur districts are gripped by a fear of food scarcity after a large army of rodents invaded the crop fields destroying whatever comes their way.

There has been an abnormal increase in the rodent population in Peren district and the foothills of Dimapur in the last six months, throwing a big challenge to agricultural experts and officials on rodent management.

The affected villagers adopted their own indigenous methods like spraying pesticides to control the rodent population, but they hardly worked as the pests rapidly replicate themselves, agriculture department officials said.

This set the stage for Dr A M K Mohan Rao, noted rodent specialist and a consultant in the Union Agriculture Ministry, to visit the affected villages last week.

Dr Rao, a recipient of FAO (Rome) Award on rodent management, accompanied by state agriculture minister Chumben Murry, held a series of discussion with officials from the departments of forest, agriculture and Nagaland Bamboo Mission.

During the field visits of Dungki, Lamhai, Deukoram, old Jalukie in Peren district, the villagers expressed their fears for shortage of rice even for the coming festive season not to speak of the lean months.

As it was seen that the rodents spared ginger, it was assumed that the herb and some medicinal plants might act as a repellent to the marauding pests. In neighbouring Mizoram, frequently visited by the ‘mautam’ or bamboo flowering which attract rodents, the ginger weapon has worked.

Source: The Hindu