KHASIAPUNJI (Hailakandi), March 28 – The Khasi people of Khasiapunji in Hailakandi district have been practising the age-old traditional jhum cultivation keeping environment clean. They are producing betel, banana and pine-apples in the hills through jhum cultivation without burning the forests before starting the process. It could be a very good lesson for the other tribal communities of the region practising jhum cultivation. Jhum or shifting cultivation is one of the most ancient systems of farming and the method marked the transition from hunting and food gathering to food production. The essential features of jhuming are the cleaning of virgin hill by felling of trees and burning these followed by mixed planting of seeds of various crops on the slopes without any soil conservation and finally shifting from one area to another after a few years.
During the recent visit to Khasiapunji, 10 km far from Hailakandi town, this correspondent witnessed the socio-economic life of Khasi people. The main feature of jhuming is to shift from one place to another for cultivation; but in Khasiapunji, the Khasi people are practising jhuming last thirty years and for this they are getting enough time for other works. Here the picture is different from the other jhuming areas of the region.
Kun Khasia (65), who is the head of the village (the villagers used to call him Mantri), told The Assam Tribune that they cultivate betel and banana throughout the year but pine-apples only in the months of June-July because it is a seasonal fruit. But everything depends upon the quantity of rainfall in the summer, he said. The leaves of betel damaged due to the drought like situation. Regarding the disease of the plants, Khasia said that they face problem with the diseases of banana tree. Otherwise they donot face any problem. They start the cultivation of betel in the months of June-July after the commencement of rainy season. Betel trees are like creeper and they need a support and they use betel nut trees and other long trees for this in the hills.
On the other hand, they cultivate the bananas in various kinds such as Kachkala, Champakala, Aatikala, Saprikala etc. A healthy banana tree survives for the period of maximum three years. They donot use any artificial organic and for this most probably the jhum products are good for health.
Like other jhumias, the Khasis in Khasiapunji also clean the hills by cutting the jungles before starting the cultivation but they donot burn the forests. Burning the forests – destroying – literally burning – lakhs of rupees worth resources every year in terms of timber, firewood etc lost. Agricultural Scientist AR Ahmed, who is also the team leader of Ashiali-Bakrihaor Integrated Wasteland Development Project (IWDP) in Hailakandi district, said that the jhuming upsets the balance of nature particularly the jhum fire causes heavy destruction. He observed that the human being lose the service of the green leaves for absorption of the carbon-dioxide which man breaths out and which in turn produce oxygen or refreshed air for the benefit of man himself, after burning the forests.
On the other hand, some scientists think that there are also some good effects of the burning of forests. Some reports indicate that the organic carbon decreases after burning while the available phosphorous and potassium increases after burning and PH slightly increases also. All kinds of modern facilities including electricity are far from the village. The jhumias face trouble while marketing their jhum products. Strangely enough, the barter system of economics is still prevailing in the village. They exchange betel, banana and pine-apples with the rice, dal, egg, spices etc. But the businessmen personally take the initiative to bring the products in the market. The entire southern part of Hailakandi district is dependent on the betel of Khasiapunji. These betel leaves are locally known as Khasia paan and are very popular among Sylheti Bengalis. Mantri Kun Khasia, who is the father of ten children, said that they are practising jhum cultivation completely from their own knowledge and experience and are totally unaware about the modern methods and techniques.
Some non-governmental voluntary organisations from the nearby villages are taking initiative to teach the Khasis about the good and bad effects of jhuming. These NGOs are also teaching the illiterate jhumias how to get more production from the jhum field. The president of nearby Gaon Panchayat named Nischintapur, Nijam Uddin Laskar has personally taken the initiative to educate the Khasis for their all-round development. The Khasis of Khasiapunji also perform some traditional ceremonies related to jhum cultivation but most of them have now converted into Christianity and they follow the western culture.