Patkai Christian College (Autonomous) History department on September 9 begun its “webinar series” with a paper presentation on “Agrarian changes in the hills of North-east India: The unlikely story of shifting agriculture”. The series is expected to conclude in the month of October.
A press release by the department stated that the webinar series began with a presentation by A. Lozaanba Khumba, a doctoral candidate from the Centre for the Study of Regional Development, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi.
In his presentation, Khumba said there was a mainstreaming of horticulture in the cropping patterns and that the people in the hills have largely shifted from planting rice to more profitable cash crops.
He explained that the markets becoming increasingly accessible was one of the factors driving this shift. “Farmers are now able to send their products not just to Imphal and Kohima but also Delhi and other metros,” he said.
Khumba attributed this demand for organic jhum products to the increasing migration of people from the hills to the metros for reasons such as education or finding easier avenues for livelihood.
He said the agrarian changes in the hills were also influenced by the quality of road, distance, time taken to travel. “Distance mediates agrarian change,” Khumba added.
Khumba then said that a significant downside to this agrarian change has been the breakdown of traditional institutions.
“The search for profit leading to breakdown of traditional institutions – village councils are losing control over community owned lands,” he explained.