| Report And Appeal Of The Bamboo Famine in Chin State, Burma |
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| Written by MSWDC | ||||||
| Wednesday, 19 March 2008 | ||||||
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A TERRIBLE FAMINE SWIPES THE BAMBOO LANDERS Report And Appeal Of The Bamboo Famine in Chin State, Burma March 17, 2008 The people who are dwelling in the region of Paletwa Township, Matupi Township, and Thatlang Twonship, Chin State, Myanmar, have been badly struck by a terrible famine since last year, 2007. The region is bordered by India to the northwest and Bangladesh to southwest. The people are known as the Mara, Khumi, and Lemro tribes. They are different ethnic tribes living together in the region for ages. The region is occupied by serrated mountains and separated by deep valleys. Most of the villages are built on the summits of mountains. Very narrow lanes and paths connect the villages and one can travel only on bare foot for days carrying everything needed on back loads. Because of the mountainous and rugged nature of the region during the rainy season even animals find difficult to move from one place to another. The outsiders may wonder why the forefathers of these tribes must have chosen this region for their homeland.
The forefathers were moving from one place to another before settling down in the present region. One of the reasons for choosing the present abode might be its bamboo jungle. For ages, bamboo jungle has been known as a fertile and productive land. Among the Chin people rice is considered a superior food and it is highly valued till today. To the people bamboo jungle means “rice bowl”.
From time immemorial, slash and burn shifting hill-side cultivation is the only means for their survival. Lives mainly depend upon the monsoon and upon the bamboo jungle. In the past the dwellers in the region, in fact, have had little interest in moving to other regions - “after all, if you live in the jungle of bamboo why go elsewhere?” Bamboo indeed is almost everything to the people. Most of the houses are built with bamboo leaves roofing, matted floors and often double layered split bamboo walling. Bamboo shoot is their favorite side dish. Basket and some containers are made with bamboo. Bamboo jungle is their rice bowl. It is rightly noted that bamboo is not just a poor mans timber, but it is a life blood of the people dwelling in this particular region. For them the dying of bamboo indicates the end of life in this region.
Bamboo jungle covers more than half area of the region. The flowering and withering of the bamboo has been known to recur periodically at an interval of fifty years. Elders of the tribes have recorded them as having taken place in the years 1862, 1911, 1952. The people have for ages dreaded withering of bamboo because it had led to terrible famine in the past. Sad is the time, the dreadful disaster repeats again among the people as the flowering of bamboo has begun in last year, 2007. It is invariably followed by an unprecedented increase in the rat population throughout the region, and which, in turn, wreaks havoc on the standing crops leading ultimately to terrible famine throughout the region. It is reported that last year in October, 2007 at the village called Sulotla, Paletwa Township, the rat ate and destroyed all the crops overnight and the rice fields were left empty. In the next morning all the villagers had to leave from their village and crossed to the India border in search of food. A huge number of rats still destroying every crops stored in the farm houses.
According to MSWDC assessment and scientific data collected so far, within the Maraland 47490 people of 8856 families are now badly affected by the famine. This number includes 1151 pregnant women, 11983 children below the age of five, 156 handicapped, and 4045 women feeding babies. The number will soon be added from the people of Khumi and Lemro.
Scarcity of food and clean drinking water directly resulted in many families to be in starvation, and caused increase of diarrhea, malaria and other diseases among children and young people. Hundreds of people have left from their respective villages and slipped into the India border. Another hundreds of young men and women are moving to the nearby towns and cities without having proper skills for work.
Some part of Mizoram State India also has affected by famine. The Indian centre government, Mizoram state government, and other NGOs have a long well planned to combat the disaster. Hundreds of crores of money and thousands of tones of rice have been released to the people of the effected region although the State estimates that an additional 5,740 tonnes of rice will be needed over the next two months to feed the people according to the ActionAid.
Sadly, more people in Chin sate have to go bed hungry. They hardly have a simple rice to feed their starved children. It is only the beginning of the tragic story of the people who are suffering silently. Sad is the time that the suffering ones, their cry, and their groan are hitherto unseen and unheard of.
Those unfortunate and starved people need someone who could speak out on their behalves because they are voiceless ones. They need simple rice just for their survival because they are hungry and they have no brighter future. Women and children need somebody who cares for them because they are ill-fed.
To help better with this crisis, the biggest NGOs in the famine affected region have formed a Joint Relief Committee. The committee is comprised of Mara Thyutlia Py (MTP), Mara Students’ Association (MSA), the Mara Evangelical Church Department of Service and Development (MEC-SD) under the initiative taken by the Mara Social Welfare and Development Committee.
APPEAL TO CHIN COMMUNITY AROUND THE WORLD: To effectively respond this dreadful disaster in Chinland, we would like to request you to contribute whatever amount in cash or in kind convenient toward the Joint Relief Committee Relief Fund. To various Chin organizations and Churches, we request your support and cooperation in dealing with this national crisis.
APPEAL TO INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, CHURCHES, AND FRIENDS AROUND THE WORLD: We request your deeper acknowledgement of the situation and the urgent need of emergency assistance. We ask your generous contributions and a helping hand to those helpless and hunger people that are badly hit by a dreadful natural calamity.
We urge every concerned individuals and parties across the world to help the victims of drought in Chin Sate. MSWDC is committed to assist and cooperate with any organization that is delivering any assistance and help to the victims affected by the famine.
Executive Committee
Contact persons:
Tel: 0037494500657
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