Surja Paharia and Rohan Mukerjee
In January and February 2021, a set of posters covering wild food, traditional agricultural practices and history of the Paharia people of Sundar Pahari were distributed to Paharia villages across Sundar Pahari.
Alongside the distribution of posters community meetings and awareness programs were facilitated, which focused on the benefits and importance of wild food, traditional agricultural practices and crops, and the need to protect and safeguard forests and traditional food systems.
Porkhani 29th January 2021
On the 29th of January 2021 a set of paper posters were distributed in the Paharia village of Porkhani. 14 women, 5 men and 5 children came together to view the posters. Surja Paharia facilitated a discussion on different wild foods available in the region and their current status. The participants shared that while they love eating tubers, Ikjo /Eihe Halli being their favourite, there has been a considerable reduction in the availability of tubers. They pointed out that tubers have a variety of benefites, like Challenge Halli which helps in improving milk production among lactating mothers.
The shared that they all consume a variety of wild green like Komo, Sanjhori, Kano, Tisgo, Adro, Eranche, and Susni. They also collect wild greens like Tisgo, Kachu and Adro from near water bodies. The favourite fruits especially among children were Tut bele, jambu, Esehele, Aani, Dumbri and Poja Panchge.
In the context of the poster on different bamboo species they pointed out that the biggest bamboo available in their forests is Bodua which they use to collect Tadi from Tal (Palmyra Palm) and they also use it for the construction of their houses. With regards to wild food, they all felt that Ereth bamboo species produced the best bamboo shoot.
The poster on the “Land of the Paharias” was particularly well received as it illustrated the historical rights of the Paharia people to the land and forests of the region. The poster had a map of the Damin-i-koh area reserved for the Paharia people in 1780, whose boundaries were demarcated with masonary pillars in 1833 and Palmyra palm trees in 1882. This poster reiterated the fact that the Paharia people are indigenous residents of the region, at a time they are being increasingly marginalised in their own lands.
Balami 30th January 2021
On the 30th of January 2021 we had a meeting with villagers of Balmi village to distribute flex posters. 12 women, 9 men and 4 children were present at the meeting held in the Primary School grounds. The participants were able to identify a majority of the wild and uncultivated food illustrated in the posters. However, they shared that there has been a decline in the availability of wild food as a result of destruction of trees and forests in the area.
Kameshwar Paharia and Jamna Paharia came forward to request the establishment of a nursery of wild food tree and plant species, in their village. They said that there was a suitable site for setting up a nursery with availability of water. The poster on the “Land of the Paharias” was well received here as well and the villagers were proud that their history and rights had been documented.
Tatakpara 1st February 2021
We had a meeting with 14 women to distribute the posters. The women enthusiastically identified the different Uncultivated Food from the posters and the older women were particularly adept in identifying the different foods. They shared that their favourite wild greens were Sanjhori, Komo, Adro, Chilo, Aradeo and Berbayo. The tubers preferred by them were Nappa, Challenge, Eealli, Napdu, Talko and Churka. Their favourite fruits were Kathal, Tisro Chakjo, Chakjo, Telo, Tiso, Aani, Pusra/Kusum, Tatte and Dumri. They also collected a variety of Osdu / mushroom with their favourites being Ero, Jhingani, Potonglo/Orogso.
The tools poster enlisted much laughter as the women find it amusing that the simple tools that they take for granted in their daily lives were important enough to make a poster.
In addition to discussing the benefits of wild and uncultivated food UD fellow Surja Paharia also stressed the benefits and importance of traditional millets, their contribution to Paharia strength, health and nutrition; and the need to revive them. The women complained that some of them had not received millet seeds through the UD program on time last year. Surja promised that all efforts would be made to ensure that they received seeds on time this year.
Cheo 1st February 2021
We visited Jaleshwar Paharia and his wife Basanti Paharin in Cheo village to distribute flex posters for display in their village. A few villagers gathered in their house and Jaleshwar went through the different posters with them. He stressed the importance and benefits of different wild foods as well as traditional agricultural practices and crops. They decided that they would display the posters on special occasions as they feared that children might destroy them if they are displayed permanently.
Siddapara 10th February 2021
On the 10th of February 2021 an awareness meeting was conducted with villagers of 6 villages in the grounds of Siddapara primary school. Dharmendra Paharia, from Bada Palma village was the resource person.
He highlighted the benefits and importance of wild food, forests, traditional agricultural practices like Kurwa and Jara and traditional crops. He also facilitated a discussion on the need to control and prevent forest fires in order to protect their forests.
