Agricultural sector is being hit hard by the present unrest yet the concerned department is confident that state will not face any food shortage or food crisis in days to come.
For fear of armed attacks, farmers of Manipur have been reluctant to move out for their farming activities. As such agricultural activities in strife torn state remained at a standstill despite the fact that window period of cropping to end is drawing closer.
Considering the essence of bringing back the agricultural activities on track, the state government had taken up measures in order to bring a conducive environment for farming to continue and to ensure there are no dearth of basic requirement.
Director of department of Agriculture, Ningthoujam Gojendro said that to carry out agricultural activities in conducive environment, various measures have been taken by state government. A series of meeting was held and state level co-ordinating committee and district level co-ordinating committee was formed to ensure that farmers do not face any kind of shortage required in farming.
He stated that through survey, the department has come to notice that around 5127 hectares of land could not be cultivated till June end. Out of this total land, Bishnupur district is affected the most with an area of 2191 hectare and Jiribam district was least affected with size of 37 hectares.
The total cultivable land of Manipur is 1,95,000 hectares, according to official record.
The state will incur a loss of 1543.23MT of rice if the above mentioned total affected land is not cultivate at all. This quantity of rice is equivalent to Rs 38.6 crore, he added.
He said that to prevent facing food shortage, the state government is putting best effort to make used of remaining few weeks of cultivable periods effectively. Initiatives are taken up to ensure availability of urea fertilizers at right and proper irrigation facilities. For safety concern, security protection is provided in vulnerable areas.
Though measures are taken up, it is still questionable whether farming has successfully begun at many places. Some farmers even tend to carry out agricultural works despite fear of being shot by militants even before the security forces were deployed. But ongoing tension suppress their courage and interest resulted to shattered their hope and become complete dismay. They are still unable to venture out in their agricultural land despite having security protection and continuation of armed attacked sporadically in foot hills.
One of the farmers from Phubala under Bishnupur district, Laishram Somorendro said that they continue their farming activities with so much of fear. The agricultural land which he cultivated is one of the vulnerable areas close to foot hill. The number of security personal deployed is also little. But leaving aside all the fear, he persistently continues agricultural works.
“Number of security personal deployed is too minimal. Above this, they are deployed in foothill. If they are being placed at uphill areas near the proximity of place where armed miscreants stay, farmers will be safer and can cultivate all the farmland which is hard to enter because of fear and apprehension of being attacked,” he suggested.
Another farmer from Bishnupur narrated that earlier before security personal were not deployed, they themselves used to guard their farmland throughout day and night and perform farming activities. They felt fortunate with the deployment of security personal as their fear of armed miscreants has been subsided. However, they are still unable to venture out some land due to threat from attackers.
“The agricultural land which is near low canal are being cultivate as this place is little farther from place where armed miscreant had carried out attack. But land which is near high canal area is unsafe to visit. So, this vast arable land remains uncultivated this year. Therefore, crops production from my place will be very low this year,” he lamented.
Another farmer from Sunusiphai under same district said that earlier farmers venture out to agricultural land till the areas lies near to high canal which is very risk to visit. But unfortunately, one farmer who belonged to his neighbouring village, Phubala was attacked by armed miscreant and sustained bullet injury. Since then, they stop cultivating those vast land. The authority concerned should take up possible effort so that farming can be done even in this vulnerable and high-risk areas.
In a distressing turn of events, farmers from Sunushifai and Thamnapokpi under Bishnupur District have come forward with serious allegations against Kuki militants. They claimed that these armed groups spare no mercy even for their cattle during grazing activities. The farmers, who have been diligently striving to revive agricultural endeavours, now face not only a constant threat to their lives but also the loss of their defenceless animals.
Khwairakpam Baleshor, a resident of Thamnapokpi, expressed his concerns over the prevailing violence in the region. He remarked, “The government claims there is no violence in the vicinity, urging farmers to resume their agricultural activities. However, the areas surrounding and above the high canal remain under constant threat from Kuki militants. As a result, farmers are forced to flee for their lives.”
He further added: “The grazing ground for our cattle lies above the high canal, and despite our attempts to send them out, these militants have ruthlessly killed six of our cattle, consuming them. Some surviving cattle have returned with bullet wounds and are currently receiving treatment. This situation demands immediate attention from the government.”
Similarly, in Sunushifai, farmers have also reported incidents of Kuki militants targeting their grazing cattle. Frustrated by their inability to access their own properties for agricultural purposes, farmers shared their distressing experiences.
One of farmers from Kadangband under Imphal West district, Elangbam Lokendro said that central forces are already deployed near agricultural land of Kadandgband. But they didn’t carry out their farming activities because of armed attack carry out sporadically.
It may be mentioned that IG IK Muivah made an appeal that they have come across incidents where farmers faced safety issues as they did not take security cover while doing farming activities. As such farmers should not venture out for farming without security cover. They should inform the local police station seeking security cover for their safety.
He also informed that a total of 822 security forces have been deployed in Imphal West district followed by 300 in Churachandpur, 298 in Imphal East, 236 in Bishnupur, 204 in Kakching, 200 in Kangpokpi and 147 in Thoubal districts.
The writer is an award winning reporter
