In a comical turn of events, I read how the Directorate of Panchayat had to withdraw its own directive given to the newly elected panchayats to constitute a Biodiversity Management Committee (BMC) at the village level during the extraordinary Gram Sabha which was to be held on October 2, 2022.
The reason for withdrawal of the memorandum was due to the hasty decision in the formation of a BMC during the extra-ordinary gram sabha, while it should have been done during the ordinary gram sabha which attracts more members from the village communities.
In a State that boasts of 88.70% literacy rate and stands 4th highest among other States in India (indiacensus.net), with such impressive statistics, it’s surprising that people with power do not apply their mind before taking a decision, thereby causing inconvenience to stakeholders and people who need to give a thought in selecting the right BMC. Bureaucrats in responsible positions, pass directives without considering the intricacies of the matter.
The trend of selecting an ineffective BMC was seen from the past two panchayat terms in Santo Estevam village. Either members are pre-selected and then appointed by show of hands, just by calling out names and at times self-nominated. Sometimes, a lone BMC member is seen representing the village in rare cases.
It’s high time that the panchayats follow a proper process of management to select the right candidates to become BMC members. Just like it’s done for normal vacancies, even though this membership is completely voluntary the Panchayats should call for applications from the eligible contenders of the BMC. I think a one-day gram sabha is a very short time to decide on the right candidate for membership, the scrutiny should last for at least a month before taking the final call. Along with their application a ‘statement of purpose’ should be solicited from all contenders. It’s important to know why the applicant wants to become the member of the BMC, as it is not a social welfare or an employment scheme it is much more beyond that. Some pertinent questions to be asked are:
1. Do the applicants have time to attend the meetings regularly?
2. Will they take active part in the functioning of the BMC?
3. Will they be able to implement activities in the village?
4. Will they organise or attend trainings if necessary?
It would be ideal to have a good mix of people for a proper functioning of the BMC. There should be representation from villagers who are either students or experts such as: Botanist, Zoologist, Microbiologist, Agriculturist, Administrators, writers, multi-linguist (ideally Konkani, Marathi, Hindi and English), and Lay people (with strong traditional knowledge of natural zones in their villages). They should love nature and have a strong will to preserve it in its natural form and also have an attitude to learn and share this information among others.
Santo Estevam village is rich in biodiversity of flora and fauna. One can spot butterflies, and migratory birds that visit the fallow Khazan lands throughout the year. And come December all the fields are burnt, there by destroying the rich species and their offspring that perish in the flames. It is a sorry state to watch the birds try to douse the fire just to protect their nest and little ones. Are people aware that they are burning herbs too that can heal them? It’s a great tragedy of modern days, that this traditional knowledge on how to conserve the flora and fauna which was passed down from generation to generation has got stagnated at the educational institutions with coded and bounded knowledge that does not allow its flow beyond the boundaries of the schools, colleges and universities.
In villages during the monsoon, one can observe otters, porcupines, mongoose, tortoise, bull frogs, peacocks, snakes, monitor lizards, chameleons, crowned sparrows, bar-wing fly catchers, kingfishers, bulbuls, owls, hornbills, kites, migratory birds such as wooly-neck storks, open bill stork, herons and even beautiful white-bellied sea eagles.
How lovely it would be if youth educated in these disciplines can spot them and tell us more about them through walking tours of the village; it’s our wealth and natural heritage waiting to be explored. And how wonderful it would be to set up a bamboo observatory to watch such marvels of nature.
There are so many things that can be done just at a village level, some of the ideas are: games such as spot, identify and name, book reading, bio-wiki creation, sketching competitions for school children based on their observation, create a QR code with all info about a local species of flora and fauna and training on apiculture and honey extraction. It is important to track and trace the herbs that naturally grow in some areas, document them and create a video log on how it can be used. Training for villagers on how biodiversity can prevent pestilence as these little flycatchers are there to help. Why try to destroy them and their off spring by stubble burning? It’s important to know how the pollinators can give a better yield for their farmland produce and enhance production. Animals and birds can help in seed dispersals and help protect the environment. For this we need to ensure mulching of the fields and not stubble burning.
We need to think forward and care for the soil and its upkeep. If all the above mentioned factors are considered, and implemented in letter and spirit only then we can say that there is an active BMC in the village.
(The author is an academician and heads the Dept of Tourism Studies at SS Dempo College of Commerce and Economics, Cujira)
