Benjamin Gondaimei
It cannot be exaggerated or romanticize to say that there was once a basic food security among the Ruangmei Community. In the past everyone has something or someone to rely on for their food locally. Food insecurity came to Ruangmei Community through natural calamities, wild fire and other factors. Everyone was assured of the share
produced. Market serves local needs. The agriculture system was the subsistence nature and immediate livelihood was the livelihood was the paramount objective of the economy activity. If part of the harvest is left over, so much the better as it was given as a relief or was bartered or sold off for cash. Only few essential commodities were exchanged with outsiders. The system of social governance, agricultural practices and religion went hand in hand to ensure the basic food security of the people.
Many of the tribal population depended on agriculture for survival. What has been lacking in their agricultural activity was the production of forest resources. The Ruangmei heavily depended on forest and rivers for food. They get a variety of mushrooms, fruits, flowers, bamboo-shoot, tree barks, tubers, medicinal plants, green vegetables, wild animals and birds from the forest. These items were available throughout the year. Thus the forest was the indispensable part of the economy. Forest maintains rivers sources. This made not only agriculture possible but also provided fish, crabs and many others invertebrates that are eaten as food. In this way Ruangmei has at least something to depend on for food from the local resources. Their food may be lesser in quantity but certainly nutritious as it comprises of, rice, varieties of vegetables, fruits and meat that keeps them Healthy and strong. Today their foods are mostly confined to few food commodities available in shops.The basic feature of Ruangmei, like many other tribal groups, was a sharing community with the produces they had. Working for wages was negligible since recent times. Exchange of agricultural activities was a common feature among the Ruangmei tribe. Free labours was offered by the villagers, for digging new paddy field, plot, constructing of houses and the owner providing delicious meals and wine or tea. It was lavishly offered; meat and wine at the time of merit feast to all the villagers and neighbouring villages through this offering people gain status. Even the poorest of the poor villagers fulfill to their desires at this feast. To some extent, this offering has disabled accumulation of wealth. Village community life was in strong intact despite the fact that patriarchy was the dominant force that shapes the culture. Being agrarian society, the Ruangmei traditional religious belief and practices enable them to revere and preserve land and forests. This gives regeneration of forests and land without which realization of food security for any society.
Women and Food Security
Women played significant role in maintaining food security as they slog along the Jhum and paddy fields. Almost every Ruangmei family has kitchen garden, mainly maintained by women help each family to eat fresh vegetables throughout the season. Women possessed wider knowledge and skills of agricultural activities along with timetable of ploughing, sowing, weeding, plantation and harvest. It is said that women all over the world are the guardians of food security since the dawn of time. Maria Mies pointed out that contrary to the myth of man the hunter, provider and bread winner, it has been established that in earlier current hunter-gatherer societies, up to 80% of the daily nutritional requirements are provided by the efforts of women.(Maria Mies, Women food and Global trade). Women from early times to the present, ensure that their families and communities always have something to eat. With gradual monetization of economy and its activities, women faced greater responsibility in agricultural activities as men are mostly engaged in cash economy.
Monetization of Economy
The Ruangmei people by and large mostly depended on Agro-forest economy and were economically self sufficient and had hardly any commercial contact with the outsiders till the arrival of the Meiteis and the British. By the 19th century, the impact of modern society such as the state administration, new economic system, modern education, Christianity and Naga Political Upheavals brought massive changes in the Ruangmei Society. It started with the intrusion of Meities and British into Ruangmei (Manipur context) areas who introduced new forms of administration and money (for tax and forest related trade) the effect of money economy is strongly felt today overriding all other aspects of economy and becoming a dominant force of shaping all spheres of life.
Today all the products are monetized and are seen in the form of commodity that would serve in capital cash. Every product of the forest and labour are seen as money. Daily wages are seen in form of money but not in the form of work done. Human labour forces today in our Ruangmei society are counted in the form of money. The concept of “Time is Money” has been greatly influenced. Every bit of work and resources are seen in the process where profit making can be done. Our society is greatly influence by the capitalist mode of production. The tribal mode of production is rare to see. The ethics of the capitalist is riding the Ruangmei society.
Naga National Movement and Food Security
The rise of Naga National Movement in 1929 and intensified after India’s Independence also gave impetus towards the destruction of local resources as it needs money to sustain the movement. Not only did the villagers pay taxes to sustain these organizations but also government’s substantial chunks of fund meant for development are diverted to them. No development work can be taken up without the approval of the Underground leaders. Tehelka Magazine has showed with astonishing facts part of this movement’s effect economically on people both Naga and Non-Naga. At present, the total revenue of Underground groups from various sources in Nagaland is estimated to be at Rs. 1, 300 crore annually. This movement is also responsible to a large extent of deforestation as they clear the forest constructions of camps. Many underground leaders are involved in Timber business and black market. Hundred of Ruangmei, Liangmei, Zemei men and women are in the movement reducing greatly agricultural labour force. There is increasing clash among the different underground groups in Manipur, Nagaland, and Arunachal over territorial control for collection of taxes. It is open secret that the underground groups are running parallel government in Manipur with almost all the MLAs and having connection with one or the other group. The wealth of MLAs, the elites and the underground leaders grew abnormally at the cost of the majority poor people. They are becoming present day Zamindar of our society.
Militarization and Food Security
The state interpreted insurgency movement as “Law and Order” problem, and respond with heavy militarization by imposing Armed Forces Special Power Act(AFSPA). This has become counter-productive. When AFSPA was introduced in Manipur in 1980, there were only two active Underground Groups. Now after the introduction of the draconian law for 30 years or so the numbers of the Underground groups has risen to around 30 groups operating in the state resulting to more violence. It is suspicious that the ever increasing underground groups in the state is the creation of the government of India with hidden agenda of keeping more armed forces in different parts of north east India to thwart any disruptive activities by neighbouring countries. AFSPA has been instrumental in making many army personnel rich, provide platform for getting easy medals and quick promotion. Its effects on economy of the local people often go unnoticed. Almost after every 10-20 Kms there are army camps in Manipur creating insecurity to the local people. AFSPA has resulted in the direct denial of access to food and water for communities that have been besieged and cordoned off, especially like on imposition of curfew, trapping people in their villages and impeding movement. The closures keep people away from their jobs and that farmers are restricted to go to their field or market. Such incidents can be cited; shoot out at Namtiram, Longmai, Tabangluang.
Another factor can be stated to the factional war between the underground outfits. When in a particular area a conflict is aggravated, people are forbidden to go to the field since both the parties are at war against one another waiting in the jungle. And since underground Camps are situated in the forest or they come to the village and stayed and attack one another. The villagers had to flee from their sweet homes leaving behind everything for their survival, the local people are restricted to move, denial of going to field and their jobs. Denial of right to livelihood/food are seen in a cleverly manner and right to life is denied. The destruction on the security of food are accentuated by the conflict between the underground groups-example can be drawn from-Makhuam, Taotiap/Nungtek, Kaiphundai, Khoupum, etc, for instance upon that crisis the local villages have to feed the underground groups, ferry them food items.
Ethnic Conflict and Food Security
Manipur state is formed by many ethnic groups. The Meiteis, Nags and Kukis formed the three major groups and who often clash with one another. Ethnic conflict is a present problem in Manipur, the solution for which is of increasing importance for securing food security. Ethnic conflict leads to destruction of life and livelihoods, displacement, disruption of economic activity, breaking down of social relations and hampers effective and smooth administration of the state. It disrupts food production through physical destruction and plundering of crops and livestock, harvests and food reserves; they prevent and discourage farming; they interrupt the line of transportation through which food exchanges, and even humanitarian relief, they destroy farm capital, conscript young and able bodied males, taking them away from their work and suppress income earning occupations. The impact of food security often lasts long after the violence has subsided, because assets have been destroyed, people killed or maimed, population displaced, the environment damage, health, education, and social service shattered. This resulted in the insecurity of food for the people: lurking for poverty.
Economic blocked and government policy
The struggle of the people by various tribal groups towards the government of Manipur has triggered a tremendous blow to the food security of the Ruangmei people. The struggle of various organizations and Unions in drawing the attention of the Government blocked the National highways evading the daily livelihood of the people living in the state of Manipur hampers the basic needs of the people. Ruangmei which are scattered in different districts of Manipur are greatly affected by the denial of the right to life through the blocked. There is a crunch felt in every home to the shortage of the food commodities. The price rise of the food commodities and other necessities crippled the life of the people. The poor are the most affected one; the daily wage labourers, women and children, the differently able people/handicaps and the sick people. There is also a tendency to say that, the presence of great quantity of rice and commodities in the state doesn’t mean people have accessed to it. Since the highways are blocked by the agitators, the food stuff is in shortage which has greatly affected the daily requirement of the people.
The people as a whole needs to introspect and retrospect the social system which has deprived us from being self sufficient to dependent people now.
Benjamin Gondaimei can be contact at : bengongon(at)yahoo(dot)in
