My experience with nature

1.     Born in a town, my experience with nature is comparatively less compare with friend who spent their childhood in the interior village life. The first experience I can recall is back in the 1998-99 when an ethnic conflict took place in my district between two communities which one was them was my tribe. We move to a place where it was safe for my community to be, it was a centre for the villagers who come to sell their goods and take them to the town. I could barely remember what was happening, I get to recall this from my sisters who were too scare to tell my parents that I was surround by a snake. They told me that I did not even notice the snake around my leg. In the Manipuri’s folktale, they said that the very day. The snakes are too excited as they see the rains and comes out in plenty number on this day. This whole story of mine was retold by my sister.

2.     This experience was back in the 2000’s. The whole village was inspired by a family who planted banana in a place which was almost 5/6 Km away from my village. Each household started planting banana in that place, which was open and anyone can started their own farm there. I was too young to remember each detail, yet what I can recalled was the yell of jackal in the midst of the day in the field, and the tiring journey which lead to the banana field. On the way there are lots of fig tree on the way, I remember competing with friend to be the first one to reach the tree, for we believe that the first one who pick the fruit tastes the sweetest. On the way, there are numbers of streams which we used to fill our bottles. The waters in the streams are crystal clear, tastes sweet and that was the reason why we do not fill our bottles at home. There were stone as large as a house which people used to write their names with sharp knife on it. The place was so far away from home that people used to stay overnights in the small hut so called buh (small shelter place).

Within a year or two, there was a rumour that terrorist (the undergrounds) were to settle in the nearby place, so people thought that it was not safe for them to continue and plantation, Almost all of the people who did farming there left there plantation and I haven’t heard even today that people from my village continue to do farming there.

The hill which I talk about can be seen from my courtyard. That was a decade ago, I remember as a child, the green and lively mountains in every direction from my house. But now in 2015. The green surroundings are now turning yellow and brown. Even if it is green, there is no sign of big trees, unless the pine trees which are planted for timber. I also remember going to the farms to get pine trees for Christmas tree.

On the western side of my house is also the same condition greenly mountains a decade ago, now stone mining have been taking place and the brown ugly side of the rocks can be clearly visible now. Stone mining is going on and more than 10 trucks of stones are carried away every day.

Half a km away from my home, we as a child used to go for plucking fig tree. Not talking about the fruit, even the fig tree is rare to find.

3.     My father owns a villages in the interior part of my district which is 75 Km away from the town. After the 65 km journey by mini bus, another 5-10km (approx.) walk towards the village of around 50 households. This village and the piece of land which is roughly 500 hectares, is inherited from his father. He told me that this land was owned by his great grandfather even before the arrival of British in Manipur. The excitement to go this very place during childhood was pretty much more. The tiring journey towards the village was more than exciting. However, we were not allow to go more often as there are no good or no school at all. The nearest school was at the loktak project, the schools mean for the staffs child who work in the loktak hydro-electric project. We used to go to this place only during Christmas. The festive aroma during Christmas makes the place livelier. We leave 2 to 3 days earlier before Christmas and the preparation for Christmas had already been on-going. The 22^nd of December is probably the day the whole youth member of the villager would go for dry leaves to build the shed for Christmas hall. The next day is the day for the hay, which is traditionally used during Christmas to make the shed looks like a cowshed. And the next day is the Christmas-Eve, this time is an individual work. All the youth member in the family are allotted the work of collecting fire, as I along with my sisters had no idea where the dry woods would be found. So we took the help of our cousin who took us to a very far place, for them it is just nearby. My cousin told me the story of the animals which was found a decade ago. She told me that even wild boar was found.

I remember, male members going for hunting for Good Friday celebration. They trapped a porcupine and a deer. It is said that there are still a lot of jackal, porcupine in this place. A lot of people go for hunting even at this time

The main income of the villagers come from burning charcoal and the natural product the obtained from the forest. They also do shifting cultivation in countless places. For this they need to cut down number of trees and vacate a bulky size of land.  My first visit to this place was in 2006. The last visit was in 2012 and the difference in the scenic condition of this place is plentiful. The once green and thick forest is left alone with dry branches of trees, which is further cut down for charcoal.

Waters are obtained from the nearby stream. 3 small stream flows inside the village in my first visit. But in 2012, the one in front of the chief’s house is dried up and they are compelled to fetch water from the other stream.

The people in the villages are pretty much aware of the changing climate condition. However with the absence of alternate sources for food and income, they cannot speak out in favour of reserving the trees and water.

I once ask an elder about the condition of the village during his youth, he nodded and smile, “this place was not even touch before you were born. In 1993, we shifted to this place in order to hide from the enemies, that was during the Naga-Kuki conflict. He also told me that there were 100 of tree beans tree, which he added that it was the source of income for the whole villagers as tree bean was expensive. A bunch of tree bean can fetch you a thousand rupee. He told me.

4.     The walk towards the village not only present the scenic beauty of the range, one can see one of the tributaries of the Barak River which flows from Loktak Lake after passing through the loktak hydro-electric project. The hills are high and the river below can be seen as a small stream. The whole range of the leimata can be seen. I was also told that if you go up till the peak of the mountain, silchar town can be also seen from there. A small city in Assam.

5.     Electric facilities was set in only in the early 2012, before that people used lantern, poton( handmade-lantern) and there are few household who can afford solar plate. People go to the field during the day, so any work allotted, village meeting, church gathering, church meetings was held at night. Moonlight was very helpful even today when there is no light. One night as I was walking towards home from the church, with my mobile phone which I used as flash light I heard a sound which was quiet similar to that of dog. I was not the only one who over heard the scream, if it was a dog, I could’ve chase it easily. The barking continues and I was too scare that I run towards my house. My dad told me that there are jackals who used to come for chicken at night. From the very night going out at night alone was scary and I wouldn’t do it unless it is very necessary.

6.     The other night, I along with my sister were preparing changlhah (a traditional food) made with sticky rice wrapped in a leaves. I went outside to clean the utensils. My sister come along with me. We chat and talk about many other things. After my work was done. We sit there for about half an hour. Stars can be seen very clearly if the weather is good and it is clearer on a new moon night.

7.     I remember a friend telling me that the tree stars in the row, that they were there sisters. I was in my 8^th standard when I, along with my friends composed a song for the moon. My school was residential one, the school was on the top of the hill so water supply cannot reached there. So, we were told to go the nearby stream to wash our clothes. The songs is basically on the enjoyment and excitement to wander out of the campus at least for once a month.

After dinner, we used to go to the water tanky and sit there and stare at the sky. I used to believe that if we wish anything to the shooting stars they will become true. I secretly used to wish for stuff that never happen.

As a child, we were assigned to match the constellations we see on our textbook and what we saw.