Villages in North-east India have always been presumed to be “little republics”, in terms of being self-sufficient when it comes to the economy and culture. That might have been true in earlier generations, when needs were limited and villages were unaffected. But that is no longer the case. Villages lack basic amenities, infrastructure and connectivity. At most there are primary schools while health care is non-existent as resources have become scarce.

It is in this scenario that villages in south Manipur’s remote Churachandpur district continue to struggle. While jhum cultivation remains the primary occupation, villagers also depend on the forest for other resources like food supplements, materials for building houses, essential household items and much more.

Though enough resources may have been available, due to the absence of economic activity and proper economic avenues, these villages remained undeveloped and are found lacking on all socio-economic parameters. Traditional knowledge alone could not lift them from poverty. Most importantly, the inhabitants of these villages find it hard to manage two square meals a day.

That said, villages in the Thanlon, Henglep, Sangaikot, Tuibuong and Samulamlan blocks of Churachandpur district have seen a slow but steady move from this stagnancy to economic activities that provide new momentum.

Since 2014, the North Eastern Region Community Resource Management Project, undertaken by the North East Council, has initiated various development models and strategies in these remote villages. Community farming and collective initiatives such as self help groups for women have been started. For last two or three years, villages in these blocks of Churachandpur have witnessed a progressive change that enabled them to enhance their productivity and knowledge.

Women, in the form of self help groups, have engaged themselves in the economy. They receive loans as seed money that goes into buying essential items from the town and then, they sell it door-to-door. The groups are also involved in collective farming of economically viable crops like ginger and turmeric. Individually, the women in these villages have also taken up non-farming activities such as running piggeries and poultries. The loans can be taken on a minimal interest rate, sometimes as low as one percent.

Moreover, representatives of every household have formed natural resource management groups, which have initiated farming, cattle rearing, fishery et al. In Bukpi, Zamsuanlian, who is chairman of the NaRMG, stated that villagers have learned the skills of collective management. He particularly mentioned that women groups have made a huge difference in terms of initiating various income generating activities. Most importantly, he said that a sense of collectivism and savings has brought a change in their life and lifestyles.

Women in Bukpi have also set up grocery stores, which were previously known as “pan dukan” — a small shop selling betel nuts. Those have now been hugely impacted and turned into grocery stores selling essential items ranging from soaps, shampoos and cosmetics, and daily utility goods including shoes and clothes.

In Thanlon village, a passionate Songkhamuan excitedly spoke about his banana cultivation. With a small grant from the NERCORMP, he started off about three years ago. In the beginning he planted around 5,000 saplings and since then, he has been transporting his products to Lamka (the headquarter town of the district). “Twice a week, I sell out five baskets of bananas”, said Songkhanmuan. A traditional basket contains about 1,000 bananas and according to his calculations, his monthly earnings come to approximately Rs 30,000 to 40,000.

Tallian village chief Th Pauzalun started a fishery besides his banana farm. He felt satisfied that he could offer sumptuous food to visitors. He also sells his banana, other crops and fish to the town. “This is motivating and encouraging,” he said.

In hill villages, fetching water from its source was a hardship, especially for women. Under NERCORMP, water tanks have been constructed at key locations that allow women to devote precious time to economic activities.

To further enhance their productivity and skill management, NERCOMRP has assisted in providing support for spice grinding. At Aina, Ginzapau, who now owns one such spice grinding machine, happily told that the village can now cultivate more variety of crops.

A blacksmith is one of the key people in the village. They play an important role in village life and livelihood as all agricultural tools are handmade by them. Sixty-year-old Genna has been a blacksmith in Aina from a young age. He learnt the trade from his maternal uncle and has been crafting tools from iron and steel ever since. He collects the material from the scraps of trucks and other vehicles.

The same goes for Kamkhogen, a blacksmith in Tuilumjang, who has been supplying products to the entire village of more than 30 households and even to the town. “All the Army (security personnel) men posted around the villages buy Kuri (knife) from me”, he said. With a little support from NERCORMP, the village blacksmith now owns a machine for cutting iron.

Carpentry is another crucial skill for a village. NERCORMP trained promising villagers to initiate carpentry works. Boison, aged about 42 years, makes tables, chairs and other items of furniture, and is also engaged in construction. He is one of the most sought after people in the village.

Slowly, villages in the remote areas of Henglep, Thanlon and Singngat have been waking up to the boons of collective effort and engaging in economic activities. It has had a huge impact on their lives as villages have become livelier with enthusiasm.

But challenges remain. Even though villagers are proactively taking up various initiatives, the crucial issue of economic upliftment on large scale is yet to materialise. Presently, the villagers’ initiatives are limited — for instance, the absence of markets is a big stumbling block. Though economically valuable products are being generated, villagers have no avenue to market their products. Moreover much of their produce is seasonal and therefore perishable. Their income, according to the women, all go towards the education of their children and medical expenses.

Another crucial issue is connectivity. At most, these villages have one or two small carrier transport options (a mini truck) that come once a week or so as the roads are in a pitiable condition.

To revamp such “village rep-ublics” into economically self-sufficient entities, there is need for concerted effort, most importantly from the state administration.

The writer is a freelance contributor, based in Lamka (Churachandpur), Manipur