In many ways,
the life of Pradip and Malini Hembrom of Village Hanspahari
in Gangajalghati Block of Bankura, has been like the
other couple of hundred Santhal tribals of their village.
Farming on very small holdings producing just about
enough rice to feed the family and for earning a little
cash, working as unskilled labour. Santhals are well
known as hard-working people but at the same time quiet,
self content and lacking in ambition.
When they have the resources, they have community feasts,
eat pork, drink mahua wine and sing and dance. What
made Pradip different from others is that in the off-season
instead of moving out of his village to work as an unskilled
labour, he started growing vegetables on a small plot
of land not even owned by him. A small stream flowing
not too far from there served as its source of irrigation.
Malini made several trips to that
source and fetched water from there in two canisters
hung on a bent pole of bamboo that she carried on her
shoulders. This is a common device locally known as
bäk. Before coming in contact with SFI project
initiatives in that area, they were growing traditional
vegetables and earning small cash income that was spent
in meeting essential family expenses, including schooling
of their children a nine year old son and a seven-year
old daughter, presently in standard 3 and 2 respectively.
As SFI launched vegetables promotion program in around
twenty villages, Pradip was the only one from Hanspahari
to volunteer to try out hybrid tomato growing. He took
seeds of two varieties viz, 'Anup' and 'Trishul' and
planted them on 2.5 cottahs each (1 cottah = 67.4 sq
m). Pradip kept in touch with SFI project people, followed
their guidelines as much as possible and raised a very
good crop.
He made several pickings and took them to the nearest
wholesaler. He made a total harvest of ~1000 kg tomatoes
from 337 sq m. As the market in 2006 - 07 was consistently
strong, Pradip made a net earning of ~Rs 10,000/- from
this venture. With that money, he has cleared most of
the debts left behind his father who passed away three
years ago.
He is now more committed to growing
hybrid vegetables - not just tomato but also cauliflower
and a few other kinds, to earn more and also diversify
the risks. He wants his children to get educated, find
decent jobs and get out this life of drudgery. Fellow
Santhal farmers of Hanspahari village who were initially
sceptical and did not take Pradip's success to be real,
have since realised their misjudgement and many more
going to go his way in the coming season and thereafter.
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