protection of lifestock and the environment

[Guest guest]

Dear prabhus

 

Here are some excerpts from a report in Down to Earth June 15 2002"

REsponsibility for Protection of Livestock and the Environment"

 

While the entire rural economy of India has been badky affected by the sad

plight of livestock, the worst hit have been the pastoral nomads. Community

after community of nomads is facing the after effects of government subsidies

on tractors and fertilisers that promote automation of agriculture tipping

the balance against the use of animals in agriculture. Clearly the government

does not understand the environment.

 

..... Nowhere is this more evident in the Banni grassland area of Dist. Kachchh

in Gujarat. This unique area was known for several varieities of nutritious

grasses that sustained large livestock populations for hundreds of years.

About a hundred years ago the ruler of the princely state of Radhanpur

introduced the fast growing tree Prosopis juliflora( called ganda bawal in

Gujarati meaning cerazy tree) to meet the rising demand for fuel wood. This

was promoted by forest departments to control erosion. Today it has spread like

a weed destroying the unique ecology of Banni and destroying the livelihood

of the famous Maldhari semi nomadic communities of the area.

 

There was a saying " It is real good fortune to be able to taste the dried

cream of Banni" A Malhari cowherd says the milk from cows fed on the grasses

of Banni was considered nectar. One good monsoon and 200000 animals could

feast on the grasses for 2 years. MILK WAS NEVER SOLD EARLIER. It was meant

for calves and we would take the surplus. There was no market for it as

virtually every household had cows, We used to earn money by training

bullocks for farm work and selling dried cream and ghee, I had a cow of

Baniyan breed who used to give 20 litres of milk but I had to sell her as

gando bawal has just eaten up our land.

 

 

Common Grazing Lands the Disappearing Act

 

The common grazing areas called gauchar had as special a stus in land

management as the status of cattle. Traditionally gauchar has been on

degraded land that is not fit for agriculture, It makes great economic and

enviromental sense to have gauchar as the total annual income from milk and

gobar from grazing animals would be 10 times more than if agriculture was

carried out there. A Muslim Maldhari says

 

" We would never go to the gauchar with our shoes on. It was sacred land ,

more sacred than the fields. Encroaching on the guachar was a sin and people

would leave portions of their fields for cows to graze. Everything to do with

cattle was sacrosanct as the entire economy was built arounf them.

 

Destruction of gauchar has been sponsored by the government, Forestry projects

have usurped forner grazing lands. Land reforms have divided common areas

among farmers, Rambhai Maali cultivates what was once gauchar when his land

came under a dam but his father said if they cultivate gauchar land the

generations to come would be ruined . They bought land at another place but

that too the government wanted back and they wer forced to accept the gauchar

land.

 

He says " I feel terrible about encroaching on land meant for animals. It does

not rain properly now and as there are no forests and livestock is emaciated

as there is no grass.This drought has been created, Breaking of socio

religious codes is rebounding as environmental disaster."

 

 

Ther is a lot more here ...later. My own comment is that I am very happy

village cows come through our property to graze even with our own herd when

the rice harvest is over as it is traditionally common grazing land everywhere

in this hilly area. I have been criticised by devotees for this but why

should I discriminate against them? ( Only our cows are kept in separate area

to stop indiscriminate breeding!)

 

 

ys labangalatika dasi