Jhum cultivators need support

Jhum cultivation is an agricultural system that is deeply dependent on nature and the environment. It is not merely a method of farming; it is closely intertwined with the culture, economy and traditions of the indigenous communities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). Therefore, jhum cultivators need to be supported and brought under government assistance, including farmer cards and various agricultural incentives, speakers said at a roundtable discussion in Rangamati.

The speakers made the remarks at a roundtable titled “Importance of Jum Cultivation in the Hills: What Needs to Be Done in Light of Reality”, held at Sabarang Restaurant on Rajbari Road in Rangamati town on Thursday afternoon. The discussion was organised jointly by Jabbarang Kalyan Samiti, a non-governmental development organisation, and Prothom Alo.

Dipen Dewan, member of parliament from Rangamati and a guest at the roundtable, said the recognition of jhum cultivation as a form of agriculture should be seriously considered. He said he would discuss with the Ministry of Agriculture and other relevant authorities the possibility of bringing jhum cultivators under farmer cards, government incentives and other agricultural support.

He also said he would try to place the recommendations emerging from the roundtable before the relevant ministries and policymakers.

Kajol Talukdar, chairman of the Rangamati Hill District Council, said the geographical and ecological characteristics of the CHT are different from those of other parts of the country. In this context, jhum cultivation remains a necessary agricultural system for many hill communities.

“It is therefore not realistic to talk about banning or stopping jhum cultivation. Jhum cultivation will never disappear from the CHT,” he said.

Calling for the recognition of jhum cultivation in the national agricultural policy, Kajol Talukdar said that if the government formally recognises jum production as part of agriculture, jhum cultivators would also be recognised as farmers and become eligible for government support.

He said jhum cultivators are currently deprived of agricultural loans, incentives and other government facilities because they are not formally recognised as farmers. The Rangamati Hill District Council would consider preparing a list of jhum cultivators and exploring the possibility of issuing them special identity cards and providing targeted support, he added.

Chief of the Chakma Circle, Debasish Roy, said jhum cultivation should neither be portrayed as the solution to every problem nor blamed for every problem in the hills. However, the long-standing negative perception of jhum needs to change.

He agreed with the demand for recognising jhum cultivation as agriculture, saying such recognition was necessary for jhum cultivators to receive government incentives.

“Jhum cultivators do not practise jhum for pleasure. They do it to earn a livelihood,” he said.

On seed preservation, Debasish Roy said the idea of establishing seed banks was good, but preserving jhum seeds for more than a year is difficult in practice. Therefore, research is needed into appropriate methods for preserving indigenous seeds rather than simply establishing seed banks.

He also called for the establishment of a dedicated research centre on jhum cultivation. Government institutions, district councils, circle authorities, research organisations, NGOs and the media should work together to sustain jhum cultivation, he said.

Professor Khaled Misbahuzzaman of the Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences at the University of Chittagong highlighted the importance of jhum cultivation and said it was once a largely self-sufficient agricultural system.

“Meeting the food needs of the family was its primary objective. But the economic reality has changed. People now want to earn more. As a result, they are increasingly turning to hybrid varieties, chemical fertilisers, pesticides and market-oriented crops,” he said.

Explaining how jhum cultivation has changed over time, Professor Misbahuzzaman said a jhum plot was previously left fallow for 20 to 25 years. During this period, soil fertility, microorganisms and biodiversity had enough time to recover naturally.

But the fallow cycle has now become much shorter, reducing the opportunity for the soil and ecosystem to regenerate naturally, he said.

He also observed that the conversion of jhum land into fruit orchards was contributing to an increase in landslides in the hills.

Jhum cultivation is gradually declining in the hills, while interest among the younger generation is also falling.

According to data from the Department of Agricultural Extension in the three hill districts, the area under jhum cultivation has declined by about 2,400 hectares over the past five to 10 years. Jhum cultivation, which once covered 17,723 hectares, is now practised on around 15,326 hectares.

Former member of the National Human Rights Commission Nirupa Dewan called for the establishment of a specialised research centre on jhum cultivation.

“Research is needed to understand why the younger generation is moving away from jhum, how they can be reconnected with this traditional agricultural system, and how jhum can be adapted to modern realities and sustained,” she said.

Juwam Lian Amlai, president of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Forest and Land Rights Protection Movement, criticised the tendency to blame jhum cultivation for deforestation and climate change.

He said the Forest Department and various other quarters often blame jhum cultivators for forest destruction and climate change. Instead of simply blaming them, he said, efforts should focus on finding scientifically sound ways to sustain the agricultural system.

Naiupru Marma Mary, a member of the Rangamati Hill District Council, said the disappearance of jhum cultivation would also mean the gradual disappearance of traditional festivals such as the harvest festival, as well as the spirit of mutual cooperation and social values associated with jhum cultivation.

Others who spoke at the roundtable included Ashok Kumar Chakma, executive director of Monghar; Bhavatosh Dewan, vice-president of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Headmen Network; Biplab Chakma, head of the Livelihoods and Natural Resources Management Division of UNDP’s SID-CHT; Prabhanshu Tripura, a jhum cultivator from Kaptala Para in Khagrachhari and president of the local PIC; Sucharita Chakma, executive director of Progressive; Dinendra Tripura, executive director of Toymur; Jhum cultivator Phulrani Tripura of Bhangamura Para; and Lalsa Chakma, executive director of Kobidang.

The keynote paper was presented by Partha Shankar Saha, assistant news editor of Prothom Alo. Mathura Bikash Tripura, executive director of Jabbarang Kalyan Samiti, delivered the vote of thanks. The roundtable was moderated by Firoz Chowdhury, assistant editor of Prothom Alo.