From rags to riches: Two success stories from Tangla

From rags to riches: Two success stories from Tangla From our CorrespondentTANGLA, May 4: At a time when youths of Asom and the country as a whole have been hankering after Government or company jobs and in the process getting frustrated with no future prospects, at least a few youths of Bhergaon subdivision in Udalguri district under the Bodoland Territorial Area District (BTAD) have attained self-sufficiency and self-dependence through hard work devoted to agriculture, sericulture and cottage industries like handloom and weaving. These youths are now satisfied with what they have done and have been earning rich benefits out of their own projects. Of course, these youths have not been alone throughout and have been guided and assisted by the Agriculture Development Wing of the Assam Branch of the Indian Tea Association (ABITA).

Bimal Boro is a youth of 26 years and he studied up to class X, but could not pass the High School Leaving Certificate Examination. But that did not make him stay idle for a miracle to happen to give him an opportunity for employment. The ABITA Mangaldai branch under the leadership of Agriculture Development Officer Mohan Deka came forward to help Bimal in taking up horticulture as an employment at his village No. 3 Dimakuchi. For starting the self-sponsored scheme, Bimal had to sell his family’s chickens and pigs in the year 1999. But, prior to that he underwent training at Nagaon and in Nodia, West Bengal being deputed by the agriculture department. He undertook training in horticulture for one week each at Nagaon and Nodia. The local MLA, Kamali Basumatary, also gave him Rs 15,000 from the Individual Beneficiary Scheme (IBS).

Initially, Bimal started his horticulture project by somehow managing an amount of Rs 7,000. Now, he is the owner of a plot of land measuring 12 bighas where he has grown 5,000 pineapple plants, 200 coconut trees besides having a nursery for lemon trees, including the gol nemu and the kazi nemu. He also has about 40,000 orange saplings ready for sale. Besides these, he has also planted tea at a plot of about 8 bighas. “This small tea garden is a by-product of the nursery,” says Bimal.

Speaking about his guide throughout his project, Bimal says that his 70-year-old mother has been his best guide in his life so far. Bimal’s mother — Phaneswari Basumatary — is still physically fit to do all kinds of domestic work. Bimal further said that people from Nagaland, Manipur, Nagaon, Hojai and Jorhat besides local people come to him to buy his nursery products. Now, he has employed permanent labourers to look after his nursery and other related work. He also says that at least 10 youths of his locality have been inspired by him and these unemployed youths have followed suit.

Bimal is also an activist of the Dimakuchi Anchalik Committee of the All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU) for which he needs to engage himself in organizational work from time to time. Bimal, who was a young unemployed youth at a time, now has over 60 bighas of land bought from the income of his nursery, in which he has already invested Rs 1.5 lakh. When asked about his source of technical expertise, Bimal replied that the Mangaldai branch of the ABITA through its Agricultural Development Officer Mohan Deka, who is a London-trained retired Government agriculture officer, rendered him all possible help including technical know-how.The people of the locality have highly hailed the venture of Bimal who, according to them, has shown a good example of self-dependence and thus proved the truth of the maxim “where there is a will, there is a way”.

One Dhiren Boro of Sadhubasti No. 1 Dimakuchi village in Bhergaon subdivision in Udalguri district is a teacher of Uttar Sekhar ME School. He graduated in Arts from Tangla College and joined as a teacher 13 years ago. He later married Tarulata Deka and is the father of a child.

Dhiren was satisfied with his job at the school and also with his small family. But then, he developed a keen interest in “som” cultivation and reeling yarn. Most importantly, his wife became an active partner in turning his dreams into reality. After his school duty in the day, Dhiren devoted his time to som cultivation.

Besides, a four bigha plot of paddy cultivation, he has, at present, five bighas of land for som cultivation.Dhiren has been doing som cultivation for the last 12 years and his wife has been reeling yarn for the last eight years. He has got four yarn reeling machines — two purchased on his own and two bought through the 50 per cent subsidy scheme from the Central Silk Board. Dhiren says that in a year he sell an average of 20 kg yarn at Rs 4,000 per kg. When asked as to where he finds the market to sell his products, he replied that he sells his products in the local weaving centres and for large-scale business, he often goes to Sualkuchi.

As to the number of som trees and their management, Dhiren informed that he has now 550 trees and he engages seasonal workers on daily-wage basis to take care of the same. In the same breath, Dhiren also said that he has already invested Rs 2.5 lakh in his venture out of his monthly salary as a teacher and from the income gained from his paddy cultivation.It is worth mentioning here that Dhiren Boro’s wife Tarulata Deka Boro is also a graduate and even being a housewife, she has been contributing actively to her husband’s projects in this remote village. Replying to a question as to why she being a graduate, did not opt for a Government or other jobs, she said that she was very happy with her husband and her married life, and, therefore, she preferred, in these days of scarcity of jobs, to help her husband in cultivating som trees and reeling yarn besides remaining a true housewife.

In the case of Dhiren and Tarulata too, the ABITA, Mangaldai Circle, through the Agricultural Development Office offered assistance free of cost. The ABITA has provided this young couple disease-free som seeds along with necessary technical know-how. This was gratefully acknowledged by Dhiren and Tarulata before this correspondent. Thus, this couple of Sadhubasti No. 1 Dimakuchi village has become an ideal educated couple, though engaged in cultivation, and an inspiration for many people like them.