MAUTAM: It’s only about to begin

By Kimbawi Pa

Believe it or not, the impact of mautam is only about to begin. This write-up is not Ripley’s collection. Neither it is a fiction nor a simple conclusion drawn out of an assumption. But it is a fact. Last year was a simple dying down of bamboos because of its flowering and its fruits. It was only wild boars that destroyed paddy and other food crops. Next year is going to be far worse. To predict this accurately one needs no divine inspiration nor consult astrologers. Any sane person can predict it.

More often than not, an alarm has been sounded since the past two years almost by all social and student organisations and NGOs particularly the ZEPADA and the CDSU. But it seems that the State Government has not been fully awaken out of its deep slumber. Some PDS items have been lifted from Sangaiprou Godown last year but for the benefit of a few. It has not been made available this year again. The opinion of the writer is that our interior villagers may survive this year. His greater concern is for the coming year because it is so candid that it is going to be far worse.

As already mentioned, last year was the year of wild boars and other natural related food crops destroyers. This year is the year of rodents and insects i.e. locusts. Rain has poured down timely. Rice plants are about to grow and spread. Other food crops like maize, cucumber, melon, water-melon, peas, etc have started to bear fruits. But the destroyers are on the prowl. Rodents and locusts play their part havoc on food crops. Rats even ate up melons, water melons, cucumber and maize while destroying paddy plants. This means there will not be any crop to harvest this year which in turn is meant for consumption for the next year. Therefore, no harvest this year; no food to store for the next year. No food to store would not necessarily mean starvation but malnutrition. Malnutrition will in turn leads to famine related plague. What then? Death! Shall we allow our people to face that? Each and everyone of us has to ponder over this question and answer satisfactorily.

If this story were bogus, a blame game on the State Government’s indifferent attitude the writer will be much pleased. But sadly, it is a fact. If someone is in disbelief one may go to the spot and verify. The writer neither visits the spot. However, he has been visited by his younger brother from his home village and reported the matter how rats have devastated paddy and other food crops. At the same time, if one is still skeptic, one may go and see the reality from the photo clips of the Editor, Tongluang monthly magazine. He had been with the SSPP leaders up to Sinzawl recently and took a candid snap of the rodent destroyed crops. There is no need of arguing. Rather, collective reasoning can bring relief to some extent. Or will our representatives, irrespective party lines and different party ideologies and irrespective of different constituent jurisdictions give a unison voice to address the plight of our people? Or, still, will at least one of our representatives, irrespective of communal lines and tribe barrier, comes-up to be our Joseph? It’s high time to act upon it. Procrastination may mean death to our people.

To our representatives, Sirs, this is the time you have to act, voice and if needed challenge the Government. Your action is highly solicited if you have a mind to go for polls next time and wanted to win i.e wanted to be elected by popular vote. But if any of you wanted to be elected by other means or knows other means rather than winning popular votes it’s up to you. But remember the wise saying: ‘You can fool some of the people all the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all the time’, by Phinehas Taylor Barnum. Got it?

Light at the end of tunnel: One good news is there. Our brethren from Mizoram have come and sold rice at Rs. 650/- per 50 kg up to Dialkhai range. Compare with Lamka where super fine rice costs Rs. 950/- to Rs. 1000/- per 50 kg it can be rightly presumed that our Mizoram brethren have come to the rescue of our interior villages. Hope this will continue.

What our leaders have to do: What our leaders have to do is this. If they are not in a position to supply food stuff to our people at this juncture let them arrange at least to provide them with sufficient fund so as to enable to buy the rice brought from Mizoram. Is this not the responsibility of being a leader? A representative? To be brief, MLAs and Ministers. Hope no one mistook me. On urging this I have no malice towards them.

Now, we have only five months left. Time is not going to wait for us. Therefore, awake every sane person. Let’s watch for our representatives but only a month. If steps have not been taken by them it is our turn to pressurise and even boycott them. Let us not tolerate. Though silence is golden keeping mum when the situation demands is madness. Complete madness. Therefore, let us choose the wise path. The path to rescue our people from the jaws of death.

Source: http://www.thesangaiexpress.com/Others/Articles.htm