Surja Paharia
In June and July 2020 a variety of activities associated with the promotion and revival of traditional crops; strengthening of Jara and Kurwa shifting cultivation based practices of the Paharia people; vegetable cultivation in kitchen gardens; and planting of uncultivated food and other trees and plants; were carried out in the Paharia villages of Sundar Pahrari and Littipara Blocks of Godda and Pakur Districts of Jharkhand.
The Pahria, an indigenous people of Jharkhand, have historically cultivated a rich diversity of rich variety of crops that included a variety of millets, maize, pulses and legumes, oilseeds and a variety of vegetables. They continue to carry out their traditional shifting cultivation based mixed cropping practice of Jara and Kurwa on hill slopes and also cultivate vegetables and other crops in Potio Keta (homestead plots). However, with increasing dependence on a handful of commercially important crops like cowpea, rice bean and pigeon pea there has been a substantial reduction in crop diversity with seeds of several traditional crops currently being hard to come by. This reduced crop diversity and subsequent reduction in dietary diversity and increased dependence on external food items is threatening the nutritional security and health of the Paharia people. In order to promote the revival of traditional crops several awareness programs on the benefits of these crops have been carried out and a community seed bank has been established in Chamdade village of Sundar Pahari to make seeds of these crops to farmers across the area. With the arrival of the monsoons in mid June traditional seeds that included Kodme (Finger millet), Petge (Foxtail millet), Muto (Pearl Millet), Batwa (Little millet), and Garari (Jobs tear); were distributed to 60 Paharia farmer families. In order to promote self reliance of Paharia households with respect to food production especially in the face of the food scarcity as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic seeds of 8 different vegetables – bhindi, lauki, muli, Kadima, jhinga, saag, mircha and karela were distributed to 85 Pahria households.
In order to promote increased sustainability of the Kurwa and Jara based agricultural system of the Paharia Forest Gardens and Guided Fallows initiatives were promoted. After 2 years of cultivation in the Kurwa plots, the land is left fallow for 3 – 5 years for regeneration and then again brought under cultivation. However, the minimum optimal time period is at least 10 years, which has gradually declined and brought in invasive species like Siam Weed (Chromolaena odorata) resulting in loss of biodiversity and nutrient depletion.
In order to extend the fallow time period Forest Gardens are being developed through shade tolerant crops e.g- Turmeric, Ginger, Taro, Dioscorea, Elephant Foot Yam, and Small gourd which are being cultivated in the forest fallows to generate additional livelihoods. The fallows are closed for grazing and protected from fires. In July 2020 8 Paharia farmers came forward to establish forest gardens and they have subsequently reported that the crops that they planted are growing well.
Along with Forest Gardens a Guided Fallow initiative is also being promoted which is aimed at addressing challenges being faced in the first year of the fallow period. In the new fallows Velvet bean, Jack Bean and Sword bean are being sown. This is like live mulching. The aim is to reduce invasive species, promote conservation of moisture, creation of a suitable microclimate for microbial action, improving soil structure and texturepreventing soil erosion, protecting soil biota from UV and Cosmic rays, replenishing water table, aiding in germination by maintenance of soil temperature, increasing crop resilience, creating dense root network, reducing excessive heating of soil or deposition of salt in top soil. In July and August 2020, 3 Paharia families have come established guided fallows in their lands.
Two chilli nurseries and two nurseries of wild tubers have also been established. In order to promote the future availability of a variety of uncultivated food and other plants and trees, over 2000 saplings were distributed to 250 Pahari households. The species of saplings distributed included aam, amrut, jamun, anar, amla, gamhar, sharifa, seesam, imli, mahua, kusum, behra, komo, kachna, ilkurdu, etehe.
