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| Eco-friendly agrarian revolution of forest primitives enticing world markets |
Reji Joseph
Thousands of tribals living in the thick forests of Idukki- Kerala of India have achieved self- sufficiency by learning and incorporating the diverse benefits of organic methods of cultivation. Upper caste communities and deceitful middlemen are now no more able to exploit and swindle the tribals or dwellers living in these jungle areas of Kerala. The new/special varieties of tea, coffee, cardamom, ginger and pepper cultivated almost exclusively by these forest people are now being sold in Europe, USA and the Gulf countries.
It could well be described as a revolutionary agrarian feat in the global farming sector. The superior organic products grown by these tribals now sell in some fifty-two countries, though they have not received any specific scientific training for this. A rare variety of white pepper cultivated by them has attained a global market and interestingly, their products are mostly marketed by a Catholic Social Trust Agency, the Peermade Development Society, which has for well over the past twenty-five years been involved in an array of developmental and life upliftment programs; benefiting the commonfolk of the Kerala highranges in myriad ways. A little over fifteen years ago, members of this Social Service Wing of the Diocese of Kanjirapally in Kerala happened to hear about these primitive tribals living deep in the forests of Idukki in a world of their own and about certain rare crops that they produced, which were in high demand by people of the outside world.
Furthermore, touched by the crude lifestyle and hardships faced by these tribals, the society members, highly committed to the betterment of humankind and believing in a worthy lifestyle for all, decided to do something worthwhile to improve the lot of these immensely backward people. At considerable risk to their personal lives, they ventured deep into the dense Idukki forests and painstakingly communicated with the tribals by learning their language dialect; enlightening them, teaching them modernized methods of cultivation and providing them superior quality seeds for sowing.
In the beginning the tribals were naturally afraid and suspicious about the presence of these strangely dressed urban people, far different from them and speaking a dissimilar dialect. But the volunteers soon gained the confidence and cooperation of their tribal chieftains by presenting them tobacco and coffee powder, which they very much liked. This initiative made their efforts considerably easier and was a major stepping stone in the transformation of the way of life of these illiterate backward people, who till then had little contact with or knowledge of the modern world. The bare bosomed tribal women too were at first much afraid of these strangers and initially ran away and hid deep in the forest. Later, female volunteers from the service organization, accompanied by nuns, mingled with and settled in the huts of the primitive tribals, training them and teaching them how to read and write. They supplied food and clothes and slowly taught the womenfolk how to wear proper clothes, cook better as well as many other social etiquettes and practices.
The delivering of babies was till then undertaken crudely inside their huts, under the supervision of senior tribal women and traditional midwives. The surgical tools used were sharp knives and crude bamboo made instruments. The umblical cord was also cut with the aid of bamboo instruments. Today, thanks to these committed social volunteers, the tribals now mostly undergo their deliveries in local hospitals with the help of gynecologists. Resultantly, infant deaths too, a common affair earlier, have now became a rare phenomenon among these people. The tribals were taught improved methodologies of organic farming, ways to improve yields as well as protect the ecological environment.
The society also undertook the responsibility of marketing the rare, pure and superior quality products these groups produced; which have now gained an international market. Till then these powerless, ignorant tribals were being exploited by shrewd middlemen. Thanks to the enterprising initiative of the PDS, the primitive agriculturists of the forest region have also been able to obtain organic method cultivation certificates from JAS (Japanese Agricultural Standards), NSOP (National Standards for Organic Products), USDA and other international agencies. It may be noted that these tribals undertake their cultivation without either disturbing the top soil or by cutting down natural herbs. Though mostly illiterate, they maintain the ecological balance of the region, preserving nature and soil fully. Furthermore, they apply only natural manures. Their cultivation fields are also free of weeds and pests. Having stopped hunting animals, they now more or less live a vegetative life, depending on wild fruits, berries and honey for food. They treat their illnesses with mixes of special natural herbs, leaves and roots.
Rainwater harvesting is also a prevalent practice here for which ponds and soil bunds are set up to preserve the water. Amusingly, they are also able to co-exist harmoniously with the wild beasts of the forests, which surprisingly rarely attack or confront them. Their healthy and active lifestyle, though in rather crude and primitive conditions also helps them to live twenty to twenty-five years longer than those in the modern towns and cities, to ages of 100 and more. While ordinary agriculturists get only Rs 80/ per kilogram for pepper, the tribals sell their organic pepper at Rs 100/ per kilogram. Cardamom produced through their new organic method of cultivation gets 40 percent more than the usual price. Turmeric, ginger, vanilla, cinnamon, clove etc fetch 30 percent more than the market price, when sold by the forest dwellers. Kannapadi forest area is now considered as one of the best zones in the spice fields by the` Netherlands based ‘Scall Organic Agency.
The changes that have come about in the lifestyles of these ‘forest people’ through organic cultivation is simply astounding. They are now also free from the grip of upper class communities and middlemen who used to swindle them when selling their produces. In the field of education, employment and standards of life too, they had achieved rapid progress. A quarter of a century ago, the standard of living of the tribals in the forests of Idukki had been far different. A head load of Cardamom carried through the thick and hilly forest routes to the Vandiperiyar market would never yield the tribals any money from merchants there. Instead they would get about five kilograms of rice, two packets of tobacco and ten chewing masala tips, far less than the real value of their rich produce. Similarly in exchange for a load of cinnamon, they would just be given a douser and for a jar of forest honey - a handloom towel. This sort of cheating has now come to an end. The age when women lived in watching sheds over trees with a child packed on their backs are over. Huts and watching sheds have become a rare sight in Kannampadi now.
The time when they used makeshift oil torches to frighten away wild elephants is just a memory now. Solar electricity is today prevalent in almost every house. The slogan and feeling that `for the upkeep of life, organic food is indispensable` has materialized among these archaic forest dwellers. For paddy, plantain, tapioca and tuber cultivation, they never use chemical fertilizers or insecticides and most do not even know what these are. They depend on organically suitable soil for their cultivation. They also undertake cultivation without uprooting shrubs or tilling the agricultural fields. One can reach Kannampady through the Periyar forest, traveling thirty kilometers uphill from Upputhura in the Kerala highranges. It is a rugged area with steep hills and forest streams, filled with wild animals, thick and large dense trees. Elephants, tiger, deer, buffalo and wild snakes like cobra are a common sight here. This is a dense forest region where teak, rosewood, sandalwood, mahogany and maruthi grow in abundance. The forest streams are ever flowing. These perennial streams join together to feed the Periyar River and Idukki dam. The area is very fertile and highly suitable for cultivation. Not a single tree has been cut down and thus the face of the forest remains intact. The forest dwellers undertake their agricultural operation using only traditional seeds. Besides forest trees, cardamom and plantain varieties are also cultivated. Since the seeds are pure and natural, they have considerable resistance power against diseases.
During summer the different varieties of seeds are smoked, dried and preserved in dry leaf packets. The Kannampadi tribal agriculturists never use artificial manure. They have now also started the cultivation of rare medicine herbs, many of which are becoming extinct and trading in them. Moreover, the organic zone of Periyar forest is an area in which over a hundred types of medicinal herbs are grown. This forest area can be termed as the most affluent site in the world for its exclusive variety of organic species. Self-supporting agencies are now exploring possibilities of expansion of organic cultivation. The forest tribes which have settled down in Idukki area include Malyans, Ulladans, Malampandarams, Paliyans, Uralis, Muthuvans and Mala Arayans. For these tribals who thrived purely as nomadic people, depending solely on forest products for food, the influence of modernized agriculture has been astounding. Half a century ago, they dwelt in rock caves. The tribals now cultivate koval, paval (bitter-gourd), ladies finger, beans, carrot and other vegetables in the dense forests. The only challenge is from wild elephants and monkeys. They sell a variety of the fruits and vegetables they produce at Upputhara and Kumily. They are in contact with the outside world only once a week, when they buy rice, salt and other essential requisites and return to their new abodes in the forest. Even throwaway seeds give high quality yield in these forests. Though they have not learned modern methods of cultivation these forest dwellers know the best times for sowing and harvesting. It is the women folk among the tribals who do most of the manual labour for cultivation. Through rearing of cows, they produce organic milk. Vermicompost and vermiwash are used for cultivation.
They are now enlightened about the scope and prospects of trading their organic products in the world market. Foreign agricultural experts come from Europe and America each year to study the novel methods of cultivation in the gardens of the tribals of the dense Kerala forests. Foreign agencies like SCALL, JAS and several universities abroad are now familiar with the agricultural methodologies and products adopted by these forest tribes. Every year before the coming of the monsoon, the tribals prepare the proposed sites for the agricultural operations in the forest by tilling the surface free of shrubs. They never burn the dried leaves and materials on the surface of the soil as this destroys valuable earthworms and millions of bacteria in the soil which help organic development. Dried leaves are spread over the proposed fields and when these crumble and wilt, ash is spread over them. As soon as rains start, the site is processed in lines, with drainage facilities to prevent outflow of rain water and seeds are spread. During the summer season, leaf covering is given to growing plants. These tribals are now involved in organic farming and keenly preserving the virginity of the forest land. They also know how to prepare vermicompost and organic manure from cow dung. Their crops are today exported to Germany, London, France and Netherlands distinctly labeled as being produced from Kannampadi forest, Idukki. Their agricultural products are collected by the Peermede Development Society directly from the forests.
The processing, exporting and foreign cash transactions are handled by the PDS. All the tribals have a bank account in a scheduled bank and a Pass Book, used under the guidance of the PDS volunteers. Keeping money at home being unsafe, most of them have a bank balance of fifty thousand or more rupees. The illiterate seniors of the community place thumb impressions instead of signatures on documents and withdrawal forms.
As a result of the literacy campaign undertaken by the PDS, many of them now know how to read and write as well as to count currency notes. Though they have not seen a Dollar or Pound, they know the value and denomination of these in the Indian Rupee. The upcoming generation of these forest dwellers are today a proud lot, many studying in English Medium residential schools and bound to help improve their age-old crude lifestyles in the days ahead.
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