By Toki Blah
This write-up is a continuation to my earlier article in this newspaper (ST October 8, 2024) captioned “DoNER Bamboo Policy for the NE,” The attempt to whip up public interest on bamboo, especially that of Meghalaya’s Policy makers is because this writer strongly believes that if handled and managed properly, a Meghalaya specific Bamboo Mission can be a game changer in improving the economic fortunes of the people of this state. It is also the result of numerous queries on how, we as a state, can exploit this proposed Policy of DoNER. If my earlier article had dealt with the economic potentials of bamboo, this current essay will try to highlight the required ‘Enabling Factors’ that need to be in place before the revolution in Green Gold can start happening here in our state. Let me be more specific as to what is meant by the term ‘Enabling’. The best exampling of the term is the Central Government’s decision to remove bamboo from the listed items under regulation of the Ministry of Environment and Forest and to transfer it as an item under the Ministry of Agriculture. In one shot all the restrictions of felling, transport and sale of bamboo under the Ministry of Forest & Environment was removed. Bamboo is now an agricultural item that can be cultivated, harvested, processed and freely sold as any other agricultural crop such as potatoes, ginger, turmeric etc., without restriction from any rules and regulations. The market decides. This will now enable all players be it the small cultivator, the small entrepreneur, the big investor or the different institutions of governance in the state to plan and visualise how they will enter and what role to play in this lucrative bamboo market.
If we speak of a Meghalaya specific Bamboo Mission, the first thing that comes to mind is the need to have a (a) state specific Bamboo Vision and (b) a state specific Bamboo Mission. (a) The Bamboo Vision shall be a road map on how Meghalaya intends to utilise bamboo as the tool to uplift the economic fortunes of specific target groups. In this case the specific target groups should be our small upland farmers, especially the landless agriculturalist and the unemployed youth. These form approximately 80% of our population. The rich, big landlords and the well to do are not excluded but the Bamboo Vision shall primarily focus on the upliftment of our poor. The ultimate vision is to transform the economic trajectory of Meghalaya into an upward curve through a judicious approach on value addition of bamboo as an agricultural crop. It can easily create 40,000 to 50,000 job opportunities! This opportunity must not be lost on how we can bring in our poor as active stakeholders towards the 10 Billion Dollar Economy that the MDA Government has declared as its goal. (b) The state specific Bamboo Mission will be the determination of the Government to take up this Bamboo project on a Mission Mode. The Nodal Department identified to push the mission forward should be quickly identified. Actually the role of Govt will be to identify and facilitate the role of other stakeholders of the mission. These other stakeholders should include the three ADC’s; other existing institutions of governance such as the village councils (Dorbars and Akhings); people oriented NGOs such as the village level women and youth groups and existing agricultural groups etc. These stakeholders may need hand-holding through relevant trainings, exposures or empowerment programmes. This is the enabling process for all concerned stakeholders. The Bamboo mission will establish enabling agencies to hand-hold the identified stakeholders towards the objectives of the Mission. We can start on this mode and learn as we go along.
Security of tenancy for the landless
Of importance is how do we fit in our rural poor into the Mission? Statements have been made of the existence of 31% of agricultural households practicing farming on leased lands. I personally believe that it is more than this. In the Khasi and Jaintia Hills, (not sure of the Garo Hills), farming on leased land is done through informal year to year lease of land ( called Rep Bhura by some). Now because of the insecurity and informal nature of the lease, neither the farmer is interested in investing on the land nor is the Government able to help him as he has no security of tenancy over his leased land. Here is where the role of the District Councils as mission stakeholders becomes so important since they are mandated by The Constitution { 6th Schedule, Para 3(a)} to make laws in relation to the “occupation or use of land for the purpose of agriculture or any other purpose likely to promote the interest of the inhabitants”. A Law by the District Councils is required to make agricultural tenancy, between land owner and tenant, a more formal long term lease contract ( 20 to 25 years would be ideal) so as to create interest of the tenant on his leased land and to enable Government and Financial Agencies to invest on such secure land leases for the benefit of the landless tenant. The question of land ownership will not be touched nor is there call for ADC intervention on the mutually agreed rent on the so leased land. We need a simple law that can enable our small landless farmers to dream big and reach for the sky. Such an enabling law from the ADCs is a must for elevating the rural economy. As a people we must stimulate our ADCs towards such a goal.
There will be skeptics, and they are quite justified with their pessimism, since in the past similar schemes aiming at rural poverty alleviation and job creation have miserably failed. So how can the Bamboo Mission be any different? Let me try to assuage these fears. In the past, ambitious schemes were conceived but in implementation failed to recognize four vital ground realities (a) Lack of motivation and self confidence of the stakeholders (b) Need for hand holding and enabling interventions to make the stakeholders see the light at the end of the tunnel (c) Availability of easy credit (d) inability of the stakeholder to market his produce on his own. We are talking of a small farmer whose marketing experience and ability are limited to exploitative Iewduh and to “shi khohl” (basketful) quantity of sale. The DoNER Policy for Bamboo as we are given to understand speaks of making available technology, investments together with assured international market. It is a complete quantum change for our small farmers.
(i) Through a cluster approach, the Bamboo Mission can think of farm gate purchase of products. The market thus comes to the farmer not the other way round. (ii) Affinity based farm groups ( groups formed by farmers of a compact area producing the same crop) provides self confidence from numbers than attempting to go it alone. (iii)Easy Bank linkage for farm based groups or cooperatives from Scheduled Commercial Banks like, NBARD, SIDBI, NeDFI will further boost farmer self assurance (iv) The assurance of a market for his produce plus the security of tenancy over land can now enable the farmer to really invest on his holdings. From the micro economics of “shi-khoh, ” the bamboo farmer now needs to think in macro terms of Quintals and Tonnes. For these things to happen we need to put our heads together and plan. As we plan we should not miss the forest for the trees. Our objectives and the target should remain steadfast. A proper road map with achievable milestones should be prepared. Development is not magic. Its going to take time, effort and perseverance and most importantly, sincere planning. Only then can the Bamboo Mission be successful.
In conclusion, if the above developments have raised our hopes for a better tomorrow, then what else is there left for us to say or do? One thing remains and that is how we engage with our elected representatives. I appeal to our educated youth, “Please don’t let your MLA or MDC get away so easily.” Meet them; engage with them on the subject; demand they raise the potentials of a Meghalaya Bamboo Mission on the floor of the House; its your Right as a voter; your entitlement as a caretaker of the future. We must not miss the bus again simply because of the ignorance, ego and laziness of our representatives. Let them for once raise an issue of the people. Enough is enough with all the corruption, self aggrandizement and sleaze in governance. Forget further enriching the rich. Start talking about the future of our children!