Plight of violence-affected, infra-bereft farmers
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: March 06, 2025 -

OF the various issues plaguing the state, the conflict-affected farmers are certain to be hoping that the new establishment under Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla would accord importance in addressing their plight by expediting the process for release of the pending compensation promised to them and by providing fool-proof security protection in carrying out agricultural activities in vulnerable areas.

Without an iota of doubt, the Governor has been making all out efforts to restore normalcy in the state, in the real sense, with chief secretary Prashant Kumar Singh too reaching out to the people in distress and holding consultations with the department heads to streamline the administrative set-up after the state was placed under the President's Rule.

As the executive authority is being exercised through the centrally-appointed Governor, who has the authority to appoint other administrators, who are usually non-partisan retired civil servants not native to the state, to assist him, if needed, the responsibility to hear public grievances and address the same, naturally falls on the Governor.

It is exactly on this premise that the Moirang Kendra Apunba Loumee Shinmi Amasung Nupi Lup (MKALSANL) submitted a memorandum to the Governor seeking appropriate measures to ensure adequate security cover to the farmers who are eager to return to their agricultural fields close to the foothills and to release the compensation amount assured to the violence-affected farmers at the earliest possible.

Though the memorandum highlighted concerns of members of the farmers' body based in Moirang assembly segment, it needs no reminding that the violence has seriously impacted the valley peasant community, who for the third successive year would be literally putting their hands on the head over dimming prospect of tilling their land.

It is distressful to learn that over 3000 hectares of prime agricultural land in Bishnupur district alone had to be left fallow since May 3, 2023, due to frequent attacks by suspected Kuki militants from the nearby hill ranges.

To mitigate hardships besieging the farmers to some extent the government had assured payment of specific amount as compensation for the loss suffered by the food producers.

Apart from hoping for instant official process to ensure release of the pending or unpaid amount, farmers of the state would be looking forward to the Governor to address the perennial problem of Manipur lacking viable irrigation networks in this era of mechanised farming and experimental cultivation of various cash and food crops, which are not native to the state.

With an aim to boost morale of farmers across the country the union government has launched various welfare schemesand policies, all intended to eliminate the middlemen and ensure targeted benefit delivery by providing direct income support to farmers;
improve soil health and reduce groundwater depletion;
encourage farmers to grow pulses, oilseeds, and millets from water-intensive crops like wheat and rice;
popularise millets farming, which improve soil quality and incomes while reducing the use of water-intensive paddy cultivation;
price controlling mechanism to ensure farmers get fair prices and discourage overproduction of particular crops,
to name a few.

However, all these initiatives of the centre wouldn't change anything at the ground level in Manipur unless there is improvement in the irrigation network.

Therefore, along with looking into the demand of the farmers' body for payment of the pending compensation, there is urgent need for the new regime to develop irrigation infrastructure so as to minimise adverse impacts of monsoon failures in the coming years.