Basant Soni and Dhansay Sori
On the 9th of November 2019, we visited the Kamar village of Bhallu Dighi which is located on a hill top. We facilitated a discussion with the villagers of Bhallu Dighi on uncultivated food and the revival of traditional crops. In the course of this discussion the village elders shared that the current winter season is an ideal time to collect Pith kanda which is one of their favourite wild tubers. Pith kanda is found at a considerable depth under the ground. In winter the moisture in the soil makes it easier to dig and as a result less effort is needed to extract these delicious and nutritious tubers.
The villagers were also very excited about the fact that a variety of traditional crops, which their ancestors used to cultivate were returning to their fields. “It is like experiencing a new dawn because or traditional foods, like kosra, madia, kang, lal jhunga, are returning to our lives”, shared one of the villagers. They felt that this was a result of the variety of traditional seeds made available to the farmers through the UD project and for this they were thankful for the programme. We were overwhelmed and filled with pride and joy as a result of the gratitude showered on us by the villagers. We felt that if we could make all the farmers we work with as happy as these farmers we would have succeeded in our work.
The villagers were also supportive of efforts to safeguard and improve their forests. The village elders shared that their efforts to protect and improve their forests would help ensure a good life for future generations enabling them to be healthy and keep disease at bay. They said that their children are losing the knowledge of the rich forest foods available to them. They said they are now taking time out to spread awareness among the village children about the variety of uncultivated food their ancestors collected from the forest and how thy did not to visit any ration shops to meet their needs.
