This article discusses the effort of Ukhrul district in the fight against the scourge of drug addiction and the nefarious poppy trade through taking a new course of squash cultivation. Ukhrul is a beautiful district of Manipur with a rich agricultural tradition. Khamasom Phungdhar village, Ukhrul district, is an example in itself where this crop can replace poppy farming, thereby bringing economic stability, preservation of the environment, and a healthy community. This article attempts to deconstruct the implications of squash farming on the Tangkhul tribes: contributing the participation of the local festivals, community leaders, and organisations such as the Athia Integrated Rural Development Organisation (AIRDO) in encouraging this change, and analyses the socio-economic benefits of moving away from poppy cultivation by planting 1,000 squash in Khamasom Phungdhar.
Khamasom Phungdhar village, situated amidst green hills of Ukhrul, had the dual merits of rich soil and a temperate climate, making it apt for raising vegetables. Still, many villagers involved themselves in the drugs business as they started cultivating poppy, which paid handsome returns. The financial gains of poppy cultivation came at deep social and environmental costs. Poppy sucked in the local economy into global drug supply chains, leaving traditional crops like maize and potatoes to draught, thus threatening not only the livelihood of the villagers but the sustainability of their agriculture systems.
Poppy cultivation generated short-term profits but economic instability with the exploitation of narcotic cartels and dependence on a dangerous trade. The economically needed practice depletes fertility of the soil, causes widespread deforestation, and contaminates water resources through the use of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides. Soil erosion, loss of biodiversity, and drastic reduction in the productive potential of the land were the consequent environmental results. Equally grave was the socio-economic impact on poppy farming as it eroded communal bonds and contributed to drug addiction among local youth.
In this dark landscape, however, comes squash, an oasis of hope. Sustainably grown and economically viable, squash signalled a new beginning-the return of 'respectable,' environmentally responsive, and 'capital' farming.
The Legacy of Poppy Cultivation
The legacy of poppy cultivation at Khamasom Phungdhar is littered with environmental degradation, economic instability, and social fragmentation. For decades of continued monocropping, it depleted essential soil nutrients, made the land infertile, and less capable of sustaining future crops. Further, poppy farming consumed much water, including that of local resources and disrupting hydrological equilibrium in the village.
In addition to the strain on natural resources, poppy flower cultivation posed a number of health risks to farmers. They heavily relied on chemical inputs: synthetic fertilisers, pesticides, and herbicides that polluted the soil and water systems. This not only meant environmental degradation but also the health of the villagers who eventually suffered from respiratory ailments, skin disorders, and even cancer due to the noxious substances.
Socially, poppy cultivation brought forth new issues. The drug trade triggered a health crisis to the general public where a significant number of youths and others became addictive. Poppy culture also set off ethnic conflicts between the Kukis and Meiteis as these ethnics attempted to consolidate their strength over poppy trading. Whenever militant groups entered into it, the condition of farmers did not amend for betterment and tensions increased.
This has been the War on Drugs, and the development of squash as an illegal crop increase. The ever-rising threat of narcotics led to the "War on Drugs" initiative spearheaded by Chief Minister N. Biren Singh in Manipur. Such programmes hope to remove the farming of poppies and substitute sources of income for farmers with other means, such as special financial and logistical packages that can steer them into sustainable crops. The National Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act was also sharpened on a national level to suppress poppy cultivation and illegal drug trade.
However, most farmers did not want to leave poppy farming alone since it was more rewarding. There was a feasible alternative: squash. More so, local community leaders, such as the AIRDO, or Athia Integrated Rural Development Organisation were working at full capacity to promote this crop. The community group, while promoting the long-run benefits of squash farming—such as economic stability and health outcomes in addition to being an environmentally sustainable crop—led the shift from poppy farming to squash.
The Introduction of Squash Cultivation
Community leaders and organisations never give up, and they geared up in ongoing campaigns to make squash a sustainable and reliable alternative. They drew attention to the many long-term benefits: being an economic means to stability; healthy outcomes; and an environment-friendly approach. The region hosted the 5th Edition of the Squash (Chayote) Festival organised by Hunphun-Ukhrul SHG Federation on September 25-27, 2024, in Ukhrul boasting 52 varieties of squash and farmers, agricultural experts, and other stakeholders congregating to celebrate the need for sustainable farming practices. The workshops in advanced horticultural techniques, including drip irrigation and plastic mulching, and so encapsulated the regional attempts to modernise agriculture on the model of maximizing crop yields.
There was, however, a pride of place for innovativeness in agriculture, and women-led SHGs were poignantly highlighted as the nerve centres in an effort to move away from poppy cultivation, MLA Ram Muivah serving reminders for squash as an alternative, emphasising potential food security and self-efficacy in local economies. Originally hailing from Mexico, has found a second home in Manipur, he added.
Economic Benefits of Squash Cultivation
According to Awungshi Philip Soso, Chairman, AIRDO, Squash cultivation has proved to be a source of high economic benefits derived from the Tangkhul tribes of Ukhrul. Under AIRDO's initiative, 1,000 squash plants were planted last year in Khamasom Phungdhar. Unlike poppy, squash offers stable legal income to farmers without engaging them in illegal trade and volatility of prices. Squash has been made into a profitable crop due to high demand in the local and regional market, which has therefore enabled farmers to better their livelihood. Furthermore, since squash is used in soups (champhut), salads, singju, desserts, and even as the base for products such as juice and chips, new market opportunities have opened up for farmers to diversify their incomes.
Value-added produce, in this case, gives the producing farmers the chance to join agro-processing thus boosting and complementing their income besides contributing to a higher local economic growth. It is therefore an important step towards economic resilience in Khamasom Phungdhar since it transforms subsistence to market-oriented farming.
Environmental Benefits of Squash Farming
Aside from the economic gains that it offers, growing squash has much deeper environmental benefits. In contrast to poppy, which depletes the soil and is highly water-consuming, squash is a water-sparing crop with deep roots that rejuvenate the soil structure and improve water hold. Khamasom Phungdhar's farmers employ composting and natural pest control methods, similar to organic farming, which helps protect the environment while also increasing the fertility of the soil.
By Dr. Atom Sunil Singh
(The content of this article reflects the views of writers and contributors, not necessarily those of the publisher and editor. All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of competent courts and forums in Delhi/New Delhi only)
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