IMPHAL, May 12 � While most people are running after pillar to post for a white collar job with an extra income through back door, some individuals try to explore alternative means of livelihood in diverse fields.
Among them is one Ngangbam Lelen Meitei, an educated youth of Kangla Sangomshang, a small village on the bank of river Iril, about 10 km from Imphal.
The fact that not only government jobs guarantee secure living is being proved without doubt by farmers of Kangla Sangomshang where varieties of seasonal vegetables are being cultivated for more than family sustenance after the rice growing period ends.
In fact, like other farmers who had transformed paddy-fields, that used to lie barren after harvest, into farming of Chives or �Maroi Nakuppi (Allium Adorosum), a tiny grass-like herb considered to have medicinal value and preferred by Manipuris, is one Lelen, a master degree holder in History from Manipur University.
Despite his enviable academic record and suggestion by his varsity teachers to apply for a teaching job in the same varsity, Lelen had an alternative vision.
Part-time he teaches history in Ng Mani College, which is close to his home. Lelen said from his first venture of Maroi Nakuppi plantation in the paddy-fields during the off-season in less than quarter of an acre of land, at present the cultivation has expanded to a little over two hectares, and more importantly income generation is satisfactory. Lelen started the Maroi Nakppi cultivation a decade ago.
For him farming is not only for self sustainance but to promote such activities among the educated unemployed youths. �You know education is the backbone of our society. But one should understand that first we need to have a sound economic background to achieve our educational goals in this modern era�, Lelen said.
Without any government assistance, Lelen took up Maroi Nakuppi cultivation in a piece of land along with his younger brother Wangba, who is also a Masters� degree holder.
Calling upon the educated unemployed not to be disheartened when the limited Government job slips away from their grasp, he said that the age-old tradition of abandoning fertile land after the paddy harvest is over should be discarded as time has come for increasing food supply to meet the demand of the growing population.
Lelen is now paying monthly wages of Rs 3000-4000 to about eight locals to assist him in the farming activities. He has begun to use water sprinklers with the nearby Iril river as the water source as well as organic manures such as poultry wastes, cow-dung, etc.
He pluck 200 bundles of �Maroi Nakuppi� daily on an average, with each bundle sold at around Rs 10 in his farm.Thus he is making adequate profit to sustain the family besides families of farm hands working in his farm. �We earn income similar to that of University professor�s pay�, claimed Lelen, who wishes to show the people that other crops can also be cultivated to earn more compared to paddy cultivation.
Lelen has also taken up multiple farming. �We want to show the farmers that we can grow other crops as well for our sustainance and livelihood�, he said.
The mutiple farming system include cultivation of brinjal, water melon and water mimosa, an aquatic plant preferred by the Manipuris, side by side with Maroi Nakuppi.
A resident of an neighbouring village in Imphal East district � Chingakham Sobha (47)of Kangla Siphai who works in Lelen�s farm, said, �I have been assisting him along with my wife and this job of plucking and caring the plant helps in maintaining our family of six�.
Till recently, �Maroi Nakuppi used to be grown in the kitchen garden or in the backyard. Now, besides Kangla Sangomshang village, the neighbouring villages in Imphal East district have taken up large-scale cultivation of �Maroi Nakuppi�. The dishes of Maroi Nakuppi with pea nuts occupy a vital role in Manipur�s social and traditional occasions.
