INDIGENOUS TREES PLANTATION: A people’s movement in Phesama

Morung Express News
Phesama | April 23  

Phesama is the closest Southern Angami village to Nagaland’s capital Kohima. In August 2015, the village was devastated by a landslide that damaged cropfields, homes, property, displacing more than 40 families. The village continues to rebuild itself and the resilience of the community remains one that has received great respect and admiration from neighbouring villages.  

With emerging climate change, the community is taking up major concerns to mitigate ecological crisis in the area. On April 23, the village organized an indigenous trees plantation day as part of its action program on ‘Conservation of Natural Resources.’ The initiative was spearheaded by the Phesama Youth Organisation (PYO). More than 700 people came to plant 3000 saplings in an area of 3 Sq.km from Varü river and Dzücharü river at Phesama near the National Highway stretch. All the saplings planted were indigenously grown trees such as Kevi (Cherry tree), Khavü (figus species), Shievü Tekhra (local willow), Khusa (neem), banana and banyan trees.  

Angami Public Organisation (APO) President, Dr. Vilhousa Seleyi, who also hails from Phesama village, mentioned that the youth selected the indigenous trees with the idea that it will not be misused for firewood or timber. The 700 volunteers were not just the youth of the village but elders, students of the village, including St. Paul Institute Jesuit Trainees, students and teachers of St. Paul School, representatives from APO, Angami Students’ Union, Southern Angami Youth Organisation, and Southern Angami Sports Association.  

It took almost a month for PYO to mobilize the village which included door to door campaigns and announcements in four churches of the village and schools.  

In 1994, the village had adopted a resolution to ban hunting, fishing, burning of jungles, and dumping of loose mud due to the increasing ecological crisis in the village as well as the neighbouring areas. Reaffirming the resolution on January 23 this year, the village authorized the youth to implement the resolution in toto.  

“We are aware of global warming and climate change which have become a world-wide concern. As we look around, we witness our hillocks, rivers and streams slowly losing greenery and drying up. We have a huge challenge ahead and this is the right time, if not late, to usher in this change,” said PYO President, Khriezhapu Kuotsu. He asserted that the trees plantation is a small way to begin and the trees planted today will boost the survival of people tomorrow.  

Kuotsu also reiterated the 1994 resolution not to sell any part of ancestral land to outsiders with the intent to protect and preserve land, its resources and history.  

Another objective behind the trees plantation is also to conserve water. Phesama supplies 0.3 million litres water per day to Kohima. Despite its generosity, the village has witnessed water scarcity within the village in recent years. This scarcity, according to Khriezhapu Kuotsu, has also led to increasing hostility among the villagers. If we don’t tackle these problems, it could lead to violence among the villagers, expressed Kuotsu.  

“We need to safeguard our eco system. We need to safeguard even the micro organisms and plants which we cannot see with our eyes. We have to protect them for our children and the future,” said Dr. Seleyi.  

Criticizing growing individualism in society wherein most people today receive education and acquire wealth for personal comforts and interest, Dr. Seleyi called upon the people to think and act on what is best for the people and the society. Dr. Seleyi also expressed disappointment over the way Earth Day was celebrated on April 22 which, he viewed, was mostly celebrated in towns and inside buildings.   “

The concerned authorities and agencies should come forward to the rural base for practical work,” stated the leader. Asserting that every individual must work towards the protection and promotion of biodiversity, Dr. Seleyi posited that everybody can contribute. “The wise can contribute their knowledge, the rich can contribute their wealth, the youth can render their physical service and the leaders can devote their time in monitoring and implementation of policy making,” he affirmed.  

On being asked how a small village like Phesama can impact the State or the world, Dr. Seleyi remarked that among Angami villages, Phesama has the highest exposure to the rest of the people with it close attachment to the State capital, National Highway and Kisama, the Heritage village.  

The PYO has more challenges ahead as the village continues to witness increasing stone quarries and deforestation. It plans to create more campaigns and awareness programs, regulate reserved forests and spread the message to neighbouring villages. “Once we sensitize the people on the negative impacts, slowly we can expect changes. We don’t want to resort to violence. We want to resolve our environmental crisis through peace,” said Kuotsu.