Kamjong villages take up initiative to preserve soapnut
Source: Chronicle News Service / R Lester Makang
Ukhrul, March 12 2024:
In a significant move to protect the declining forest products, villages in Kamjong have initiated a project to establish a soapnut nursery and safeguard the native seeds.
Conceived by social activist Hungyohung, the initiative has drawn a group of like-minded individuals and local farmers from Hundung Goda, Mailiang, and other nearby villages in Phungyar block, who joined hands to collect soapnut seeds and establish a nursery for their preservation.
In an interview with The People's Chronicle in Ukhrul town, Hungyohung shared that this initiative was taken to protect the indigenous fruit in the face of rapid depletion of forest resources.
He continued that soapnuts, also known as 'Chonshithei' in Tangkhul and 'Reetha' in Hindi, have a long history in the local community.
In the past, when detergent powder and shampoo were scarce, people used the black seeds of this wild fruit to wash their clothes and hair.
'As children, we used them as marbles to play with.
The pericarp or outer covering of the fruit was also used to make shampoo, and it was commonly used as soap for laundry, as evident from its local name," he explained.
Hungyohung added that even today, affluent individuals use soapnuts to clean their gold ornaments as their soapy covering has powerful cleansing properties.
The black, marble-like nuts also have a nourishing kernel that is suitable for human consumption and is also highly delicious.
He related that farmers in the region have observed that feeding crushed soapnut kernels, sans the hard black cover, to malnourished piglets for 6-7 meals can significantly improve their growth.
According to Hungyohung, sizeable quantities of soapnuts have been collected from various villages in Phungyar block, and local farmers are currently in the process of preserving them.
He also mentioned that the period from February to March is a suitable time for collection of soapnut seeds.
However, compared to the past, the region has witnessed a decline in the growth of soapnut trees, he noted.
"These trees are delicate and require deep forest cover and protection from other trees to thrive", he said and added that it is crucial to preserve our forests, and this initiative is a significant step towards achieving that goal.