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Agriculture | The Chizami model of development -Ananda Banerjee

The Chizami model of development -Ananda Banerjee

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published Published on Jul 11, 2016   modified Modified on Jul 11, 2016
-Livemint.com

How women in a remote Nagaland village are bringing about transformation rooted in traditional Naga practices

Inside a small thatched hut, smoke from the wood fire danced with the sun rays beaming through gaps in the roof. We huddled around the fire, brewed tea and wordlessly consumed the packed breakfast of bread, jam and boiled eggs. An intense cicada cacophony resonated across the hillside; the incessant shrill buzz battering our eardrums and made conversation difficult.

We ended up at the straw hut after an early morning hike—a long winding trek through the leech-infested dense tropical forest of Chizami village in Nagaland. In the upper reaches of the forest (where the altimeter gave a reading of 6,000 ft), we crossed through jhum fields on the edge of a hill. Jhum is slash-and-burn cultivation traditionally practised in the hilly terrains of north-east India. In the jhum system, an area is divided into plots and a particular plot is cultivated for a year or two after which the farmer shifts to the next plot. The rotation cycle between plots vary between five to 10 years. The longer the duration, the better the crop yields as the soil gets more time to replenish with nutrients.

The jhum field we crossed consisted of neat rows of maize crops—each broad leafy plant sprouted like a fountain of water. “It will be ready to harvest in a few months,” said the female farmers who accompanied us. Adino, Weteu, Kozou and Khrozou—four smartly dressed women in slacks and graphic T-shirts from the nearby Enhulumi village who farm in this hilly land. Enhulumi and Chizami share the same forest patch.

Also accompanying us were Seno Tsuhah and Wekoweu Tsuhah, Project team leader and programme manager, respectively, from the North East Network (NEN), a women’s rights organization that promotes sustainable agriculture and agro-diversity in Chizami. The duo has been at the forefront of documenting the status of women in Nagaland, championing women’s rights, encouraging and supporting local communities in restoring and protecting traditional food systems and agricultural practices.

Chizami village, located in the Phek district of eastern Nagaland, a three-hour drive from the capital Kohima, has 600 households with a population of 3,000. The village comprises six khels, a Naga name for clans within the same community. All the khels have equal representation in the village council and play important roles in decision-making in matters related to village governance.

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Livemint.com, 10 July, 2016

Livemint.com, 10 July, 2016, http://www.livemint.com/Sundayapp/95Jo4kMnrHQMxISskp0nCI/The-Chizami-model-of-development.html


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