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Now cash crop growers to be targets of CMAS?

BERHAMPUR: The commercial cash cropping by persons and firms from outside the State may face stiff opposition from tribal and dalit organizations in Koraput district.

The Chasi Mulia Adivasi Sangh (CMAS) in Bandhugaon area of Koraput district has decided to target the lemon grass and tobacco plantations, which have allegedly started to substitute food grain cultivation in the area. It may be noted that last week supporters of this group had destroyed 220 acres of teak plantations by an Andhra Pradesh based firm in the block. They ploughed the land to start foodgrain cultivation on it.

Speaking to The Hindu, convener of the Bandhugaon-based group of CMAS Srikant Mohanty welcomed the efforts of the administration to open road communication between Narayanpatna and Bandhugaon.

According to him, their activists had not cut down trees to block this road. He alleged that the Maoists were behind the road blockade. "We are in favour of a democratic way of agitation," Mr Mohanty said. It may be noted that Bandhugaon CMAS group claims itself to be separate from the other CMAS group in adjoining Narayanpatna block, which is alleged to be having naxal links.

He, however, said after teak plantations, their next target would be the areas of other cash crops being grown in tribal pockets by outsiders. They are eyeing lemon grass cultivation on around 2,500 acres in remote areas of Bandhugaon block by persons from adjoining Andhra Pradesh. These Andhra based cash crop growers took the land on lease from tribals paying Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 5,000 per acre for five years.

It is also alleged that they use local tribals as labourers paying low wage of Rs. 40 per day.

Cultivation of lemon grass has picked up in the area. Apart from it contract farming of tobacco by ITC is also continuing in Bandhugaon area. Contract farming of cotton had also been taken up in the region, which failed.

Mr Mohanty said tribals were handing over their land on lease for substitution of food crop cultivation because of lack of irrigation facilities. But the large-scale use of pesticides and fertilisers in commercial farming is destroying the organic farming tradition in the area.

"Tribals and dalits of the area have not gained from this substitution of cash crops but the foodgrain storage capacity of these poor families has got reduced drastically," he said. It is alleged that the tribals in Bandhugaon are now facing shortage of straw to make their traditional thatched roofs as paddy cultivation has gone down.

Mr Mohanty said the supporters of his organisation have decided to take over the land which is being utilised for commercial cultivation. After taking over the CMAS activists plan to cultivate foodgrains on them, he said.

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