Thepfulhouvi Solo
Deng Xiauoping, the diminutive Chinese leader, with a bowl of Spittoon in his Office and frequently spitting into it; the man who during the puritanistic-style cultural revolution of China said: “it does not matter whether the Cat is White or Black as long as it catches the Mice” and after the towering Maotsetung’s departure became the paramount Leader, in 1992 urged the Chinese Industry that the Nation “must make full use of its advantage in rare earth resources”. That single discernment of the Leader made China today 20 years later, in less than one generation of man, become the World’s dominant producer of ‘rare earths’ –a rare few minerals- used in smart phones, ballistic Missiles, U.S. Abrams Tanks, Tamahawk Cruise missiles, in Rocketry, in colored lights, magnets, and in many others of what is called ‘cutting–edge Technologies’ of the modern World.
China produces 95% of the World’s rare earth; she has recently scaled down its export to the advanced Nations of the World in order to increase its price and since its recent ‘kara-karhi gulmal’ with Japan over the uninhabited islets in the East China Sea, has stopped its export to that country. Japan use to take 75% of China’s Exports of rare earth. This is Trade, Commerce and Industry tactics laced with Politics for the growth of the State often adopted by developed countries.
Discerning Visions of Leaders decide the Economic Prosperity of their State. Nagaland needs Political Leaders with discerning Visions. So far most of our leaders have shown enthusiasm for their personal move from ‘mud floor to marble floor’ or to become Crorepati several times over in just one Term of Office. The Citizens are proud are proud to have Crorepatis in their community but from their own Trade and Commerce Enterprises, not from politicians overnight out of Politics. The State is interested in Villagers becoming wealthy out of their vast capital jhumlands lying idle without producing any wealth as of now.
How can the Jhumlands make most Naga Villagers Wealthy?
What are Nagaland’s advantageous Resources that we “must make full use of its advantage?
i. Cheap Labor?..........................No. Nagaland is Labor dry.
ii. Minerals?.................................scarcely. We are hardly able to manage even the small primitive extraction of our surface Coal.
iii. Industrial Infra-structures…………Nagaland does not even have the barest minimum of Power for Industry, it hardly has industrial Roads.
iv. Agriculture…………………. It is done mostly by the helpless and the hopeless in mountainous Nagaland. Agriculture is never the Road to Prosperity for a mountainous country Nagaland is. Even today the Agriculture we have is Hand-to-Mouth with ancient Daoh and Hoe in this computer modern Age! Agriculture cannot become the mainstay of Economy of Nagaland whatever the Planning Commission Experts may say. Only the Wearer knows where the Shoe pinches. Nagaland will change only when Nagaland Leaders have discerning Visions. Only Naga Leaders can change Nagaland, not the Planning Commission though we need their understanding helping Hand. The one wider good side-effect of money-pumped in Agriculture Development in Nagaland is the construction of Agri-Link Road which has actually become Forest-Link Roads for transport of Forest Products because of their abundance over Agri-Products. Majority of Naga Villagers do Jhum cultivation but they are abandoning Jhum Cultivation like people abandon their Old Garments.
Resources advantageous to Nagaland are:
A. Vast vacant Jhumlands lying idle.
B. Plentiful Rainfall and Solar Resource for Plant Growth.
C. Widespread practice of Jhum Cultivation that can transform itself to Environment friendly Plantations to Replenishment Green cover of the land.
Nagaland has tremendous capacity for Wood Production, more potential for making Nagaland rich 8 times, richer than Rice. Simple Arithmatic is: a hectare of Jhum cultivation produces Rice only once in 8 years -the general period of Jhum Cycle in Nagaland- and that too only in the fertile cultivable Areas. After the Jhum Harvest, vast stretches of Jhumland in Nagaland lie idle for a minimum of 8 years without producing any Agriculture Crops. On the other hand, wind dispersed seed of Trees immediately sprout up after agriculture crops are harvested and continues to grow the whole year, every year, in every impossible places of the vast the Jhumlands.
With a little help, Jhum Cultivation can transform into Environmentally friendly Industry of Wood Production: In Carbon Sinking, (already today Nagaland’s Jungle sinks about 1 Crore Metric Tone of CO2), in protecting the soil from erosion, in reflecting the Sun’s Rays back into Space to keep the planet cool, in regulating ground water and in making the planet livable for man and all animals. Jhum Cultivation can play a tremendous part in the transformation of the Economy of Nagaland. The gestation Period of some 9 years is no hindrance, during the period the Villagers can continue Jhum Cultivation in other plentiful areas in the normal way. Forestry Farming requires only normal Rainfall and normal Sunshine of Nagaland. Trees are much more drought resistant than annuals Agricultural Crops.
The whole North East has tremendous potential for GREEN ECONOMY. India’s Planning Commission emphasizes Agriculture in the Country. This is all very fine and good for India because this ancient land of ‘Indiyah’ is overwhelmingly a Flat Land overflowing with Sunshine and good Rainfall. The Land is meant for creating India’s Population and Cultivation. India is so suitable for Agriculture and the land so productive that the Cultivators spend millenniums of Bullock Cart Agriculture, lolling on rope Cots in thin clothes under shady Banyan trees smoking Hookas and lazily gazing their crops grow itself.
1000 years before the birth of Jesus Christ, Prophet Jeremiah spoke of “sweet cane” India produced then along with Wheat, Barley. India still do Agriculture with the Bullock. It does not catch the attention of the Prime Minister much when dozens of poor Beggars die in Lucknow and other Cities from too much sunshine, but when a farmer commits suicide due to Crop failure in Andhra Pradesh, the Prime Minister makes a beeline to that State to consol the farmers. Such is the importance India gives to Agriculture, but Forestry is still considered a junglee enterprise and none of India’s few Richest Man in the World of Forbes Magazine have ventured into Tree Farms for production of Wood! Even the Indian Forest Service, IFS is sidelined as Junglee Profession though Pay Commission has given it parity with the other two top Services of IAS and IPS in the Country. Forestry is neglected in Delhi and Nagaland has imitated Delhi.
If Forestry is given half the importance give to Floriculture in Nagaland, it (Forestry) can generate Nagaland’s income more than any other Sector.
A Padmashi Writer of note in the North East even wrote in the Papers that “only foolish people do Agriculture”. Agriculture in the mountains can prevent starvation but it cannot make the people wealthy. No civilization came out of Agriculture in the mountains; mountains are not meant for Agriculture. God’s little Acre in Europe may be Switzerland, mostly mountainous, very rich in Snow, practically no Agriculture but one of the richest countries in the world. Switzerland capitalized on it own natural endowment to gain wealth for its people. Snow, mountains, strict political Neutrality have very high price in a turbulent world and the people of Switzerland convert them to economy. Nagaland must utilize and capitalize on it own natural endowment. Only then can it beat others in the race for wealth in the World.
The decision Makers of Nagaland must search for Areas and Factors hidden from the eyes of the naïve public, to enrich the State. Simply running the State on a daily basis would not take the State further. ‘Land & its Resources’ are the greatest riches of Nagaland, very fortunately the Constitution of India allows Nagaland exclusive Right to “Land and its Resources”.
Consider the export items of Nagaland:
I. Nagaland has been the Mother of all violent Political Movement in the North East by domino affect.
II. Nagas have been exporting Forest Products since its head hunting days and Forest Produce is still the main Export Items of Nagaland today.
FOREST and its PRODUCTS generate tremendous amount of Wealth in Nagaland:
i. The value of all Honey produced over the whole year from Nagaland is not near the value of Wild Vegetables from the Jungle of Nagaland and Honey itself is a Forest Product!
ii. Medicinal Plants extracted from Nagaland is not estimated but very important.
iii. Earth is sold at `5 per Brick and there are about 50 Brick Kiln in Dimapur Area alone producing 1 Crore Bricks annually generating wealth at a conservative estimate the value of Bricks from Dimapur alone is `150 Crores. The total Number of Laborers –men, women, and even children- Trucks, Brick Layers engaged etc is tremendous.
iv. About 100 Buildings are Constructed every year in the Cities of Dimapur and Kohima alone and Stone Chips at `32/- per Cft. at the rate of 50,000cft per Building, uses a quantity valued at ` 160 Crores.
v. In addition huge quantity of stone Chips are used in Road Construction, 100 times more than in the Buildings; by comparison, the Tax collected from Vehicle in Nagaland is hardly `.10 Crores
vi. Sand generates wealth to the tune of `50/ Crores.
vii. There are an estimated 60 Saw Mills in Kohima/Dimapur Area alone, each Mill producing 300cft of wood per day gives a figure of 108500cft per year valued at `396,02,500.
viii. From 3 items of Forest Products from Dimapur District alone, an amount of `.654 Crores is generated. (This does not include several Minor Forest Products like Firewood, Bamboo etc).
The Conservancy Act of India is too restrictive to be almost an Economic Blockade for a State like Nagaland where “the land and its Resources” belongs to the People and not to the Government. The restrictive Act is not followed in toto in Mining States like Odisha, Madhya Pradesh because of which even Chief Ministers have come to grief. The Economy of Nagaland rest in Forest and the Law regulating its Harvest needs to be reformed. Will the Politicians of Nagaland discern it for the prosperity of Nagaland?
