LIANGMAI IN 21st CENTURY--OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

Small family is a happy family. Liangmai is a small community living in three states--Assam, Manipur and Nagaland. As per the Asia Harvest survey, in 2001 our population is just only 22,800. We are living in the border of Manipur and Nagaland; again in the border of Assam and Manipur. Based on our location, we are a borderland people, which isolate us from the main stream of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland. However, we have rich natural resources. In olden day, our forefathers considered mithun was their first wealth, and forest as the second most important one. Today, natural resources place on the top of every wealth; as it is non-renewable.
The most important opportunity for Liangmai in the 21st century is to preserve our rich natural resources. As the Lok Sabha, on 18th December 2006, passed the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Bill, 2005, seeking to recognize and vest the forest rights and occupation in forest land of forest dwelling Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest-dwellers. The Act grants four types of rights—title rights i.e. ownership to land that is being framed by tribals or forest dwellers; use rights i.e. to minor forest produce, to graze areas, to pastoralist routes, etc.; relief and development rights i.e. to rehabilitation in case of illegal eviction or forced displacement and to basic amenities, subject to restrictions for forest protection; and forest management rights i.e. to protect forests and wildlife. The best way to preserve our natural resources is to declare ‘community reserved forest’, which will be funded by the government, but jointly managed by the government and local representatives. The advantage of having reserved forests is, it provides employment to local people and funds are sanctioned by the government each year. On top of that, in reserved forests, rights to activities like hunting and grazing are sometimes given to communities living on the fringes of the forest, who sustain their livelihood partially or wholly from forest resources or products. Once we declared such forests, the government will link us through modern means of transportation and communication, which will be better than what we are doing today. If we choose this path of development, then the people of Liangmai will be better educated, healthier and prosperous than at any time in our long history.
The most prominent challenge for us at present is deforestation. There are different factors for different regions that lead to deforestation. In Mexico, Brazil and Indonesia, the chief cause of deforestation is due cattle ranching, over-heavy logging and slash-and-burn farming. The growing population and subsequent higher demand for agriculture, livestock production and fuel wood are the main causes of deforestation in Ethiopia. Urbanization and development is the main causes of deforestation in the United States. Unlike in United States and Ethiopia, the chief cause of deforestation our area is over-heavy logging. Today, we don’t have virgin forest. The temporary construction of roads, their equipments destroyed our flora and fauna; polluted the water and air; and increased soil erosion and landslide.
Deforestation is a substantial contributor to global warming. It increases soil erosion, flood and landslide. The water cycle is also affected by deforestation. As a result, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change argued that deforestation account for up to one-third of total anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions. When these happen, we are sure to face famine, severe diseases, which will further slow down the educational, political, economic, cultural, religious and social progress of our community.
To conclude, now is the time to raise the issue. Let’s educate and encourage our community to preserve our natural resources. We are their future. The future development of our community depends on how much we preserve our natural resources today. Therefore, to take Liangmai in 21st century--opportunity and challenge, preservation of our natural resources is a must.