Bhandardaha
Imperatives, Conflicts and Interests
Subha Protim Roychowdhury
Aamra, Ek Sachetan Prayas; Kolkata
Email: subhapratimrc@gmail.com
“This is our Bil
Our Bil belongs to our people,
Belongs to all kingfisher, heron and millions of
migratory
Belongs to all fish, toad and earthworm
There is no need to prove this
With a legal entity of the Bil-
We deserve to call it our ‘Mother’
to occupy its everything
to face its flood, sediment, sub-aquatic life
This is our water
Unchallengingly our”
[Extract from a poem of Basudeb Halder, an
activist of Bhandardaha movement, resident of Cassipore village, Murshidabad,
West Bengal.]
The extensive family of the Gangetic rivers
(like the Ganga, the Yamuna), their tributaries, river-branchs; one of the
largest alluvial plains in tropical region had already achieved substantial
concentration by the national and international field-researchers. Though the
environmental study of small rivers has not yet gained such needful recognition
and support. The riverine community, their dependency on river-resources,
geomorphic challenges they faced and the geo-political obstacles jeopardize
their livelihood, all are often neglected by the researchers, academicians. The
river draining the Eastern Gangetic Plains (EGP) have higher sediment yield due
to lower stream power, that impact in aggradations.
Bhandardaha, branch of the Padma as opined by
the river-expert Mr. Kalyan Rudra, contradicts local folk who call it as ‘Bil’
or Swamp. On behalf of “Aamra- ek sachetan prayas” (a Socio-Economic field
study group of Kolkata) we envisaged the region on 8th December, 2007 for the first time. That
ephemeral tour followed by series of socio-economic field study on consecutive
years up to 2010. Near 70,000 populace faced environmental degradation,
conflict and forced migration in this part of Murshidabad District.
In this paper, I would like to expostulate the
actuality I experienced with the Bhandardaha people in a vivid vocabulary. This
paper may focus on how environmental change and disparities of administrative
ranks persuade the decade-long conversion between capabilities and
vulnerabilities.
Bhandardaha Swamp and the beginning of a change
Murshidabad is divided by the Bhagirathi River
into two geo-historical regions, one is Rarh and another is Bakri . Bhandardaha Swamp comprises of 4 blocks of Bakri- Murshidabad. This water-body which is 85 kms in length is probably
the largest in West Bengal. The source of this water-body is from Akhirgunj by
the Padma River. The waters later flow through Bhagwangola – Lalbagh , then
through Bali Khal (Canal) and Bandardaha khal , further flowing through Dara ( Flow of water)of Shalmara – Kodalkati and then finally crashing into the water the
River Jalangi. The four blocks that this swamp covers are – Beldanga,
Berhampur, Hariharpara and Naoda. On the northern part of the Swamp is
Hariharpara and Naoda block and towards the south is Berhampore and Beldanga-1.
The swamp covers a wide area from north to south. In the villages on either
side of the swamp reside almost 70,000 fishermen and farmers whose lives and
livelihood are linked to this swamp. In this area, the markets, selling
agricultural products, the haat (weekly rural markets), the Arot (Godown), the fish-markets and other related businesses are
directly or indirectly linked to Bhandardaha. The financial matters of the
twenty seven villages belonging to the four blocks are revolving around the
Bhandardaha Swamp. The villages are –
Beldanga 1
1. Kalitola, 2.Fatehnagar, 3.Anandanagar,
4.Maniknagar, 5.Pohopar, 6.Dayanagar, 7.Pilkhana, 8.Zafarabad, 9 Radhanagar, 10
Kheyali, 11.Jorgacha, 12.Bet Beriya, 13.Ratanpur, 14.Shahapur.
Berhampore
1.Simulia, 2.Paanchberia, 3.Sreerampore,
4.Sanyasitala,5.Katabagan
Hariharpara
1.Tekpara, 2.Daulatpur, 3.Bhandardaha,
4.Mahishmara
Naoda
1. Ghoramara, 2.Kedarchandpur, 3.Chandpur,
4.Bagartapara.
Owing to geographical factors, there are steep
slopes on either sides of the swamp and this is known as khari or inlet. From the inlet, tiny streams emerge, known as dara (flow of water) and pass through the villages. From the beginning
till the end of the Bhandardaha Swamp, there are eight inlets. The names of the
inlets are – Lalbagh topkhana, Khagrabormuri, Dakuri, Baushkhali, Pechaidala
Pohobil, Durman, Gangar Khari. There are countless daras. Most of the time there is water in the inlet but it may not be
so in the daras. Let us take for example the Shalmara dara
wherein there is no water for 6 months from the month of January till June
July. For this reason navigability and irrigation disrupt.
Bhandardaha is the den of the fish varieties.
Once Bhandardaha was called as Ratnakar or the mine of Jems. Every day local people used
to be a catch of khoira fish of almost 20 to 24 quintal. Shells used to
be found, out of which buttons used to be made. Besides, fishes like shoal ,boal (sheat-fish),puti, tangra and other fishes found their
natural habitat in this pond. The tools as well as the style of catching fish
are multi-varied. The tools used for catching fish depend on the depth of the
water, the quantity of the fish as well as the size of the fishes. Baansjaal (bamboo-net) , kochal(It is a big net and
takes 14 people to lay the net),kheyajal (ferry-net), tyogi( together a lot of people throw the borshi or fishing-hook into
the water, there is a phatna or buoy in every hook), ghuni or fish-catching cage. Here a lot of folk song, folk-play inspired
by the varieties of fish, fishery and net were a popular amusement medium.
Other important habitats of this swamp are
medium sized, short-tailed decapods, crabs. Their nearest neighbors, tortoise,
the herbivorous once had a dense population. A daily transportation of 2
quintal of crab and tortoise on the year 1978 (in winter season) - as we
received data from old records of an Arot of Kalikapur. Prawn,
shrimp, snail, water-snail all the varieties of deep and medium-deep water
levels of Bhandardaha had a potential of diverse bio-diversity. Here livelihood
pattern presupposing ecology and economy as an indivisible continuum in the context
of human interferences with nature.
Carapaces, shell of snail are used for the
production of shell-lime. Villages like Mahishmara, Bagartapara had a
traditional cottage-industry of lime. Persuasively those are not felt down,
though the productivity faces an all-time decline due to low supply of
raw-material.
Bhandardaha also contains a varied species of
rotifers, the ‘Nature’s water purifiers’. About 2000 species of these
microscopic, multi-cellular, aquatic invertebrates are spread throughout the world.
Here in the slow-moving water area these incessant hunters perform an important
cleanup service by eating algae, crustaceans and other big rotifers.
We know that, sediment is important because it
often enriches the soil with nutrients. Areas rich in sediments are also often
rich in bio-diversity. Sedimentary soil is usually better for farming. For
thousands of years, the Gangetic rivers flooded yearly and brought with it
million metric tons of nutrient-rich sediment. The banks of Bhandardaha, the above-mentioned
villages, where suspended sediments are deposited are rich in paddy, jute etc.
In our field-research the relationship among
land use, erosion and sedimentation is not clear and probably beyond our
capacity level. The only substantive progress we gathered, the historiography
of mass-movement since 1956.
Mass Movement of 1956
During the zamindari (land lord) rule under
British Raj in accordance with the arrangements of fish-catching process and
tools taxes had to be paid.
The Roy family in Bhagirathpur was the zamindar of this water resource. It was the year of 1956, though zamindari system was abolished long ago but Bhandardaha belongs to a
different world. Ijaradar (lease holder) Sudhanshu increased the taxation
system of the zamindari era. The income of the fishermen reduced a lot as a
result of the cost incurred for fishing equipments and increased taxation. The
fisherman started to revolt. Torture was inflicted on the fishermen and there
was immense pressure to pay high taxes. Land lords recruited Lethel (club-men). The nets were taken away and their homes pulled down.
Laying the Kochal net was prohibited and it was burnt. And the
people revolt against this. They refused to budge on tax payment and strongly
mentioned that water and its product are the gift of nature, no person or
family should be its owner. In the mean time, news came in. Locals of
Baushkhali were victimized by the decision of the Izaradar.
A tank fishery project was undertaken in that
location. Tank fishery is a system where kharis are divided by walls to
convert it into several ponds. Tank Fishery Project was a total violation of
existing land ceiling act. Adjoining roads of Baushkhali were blocked by lethels. Police force was deployed around the Khari. People gathered,
hundreds of boats took the villagers from different corner and a huge
demonstration was launched. Police and lethels forced to flee. People
destroyed the barricades and freed their khari from Zamindar and his men. News spread around neighboring area, demands to give
fishing rights was shaped with a mass movement and finally State Government
came to an agreement which gave the people their right to fish.
The movement in the year 1956 gave the
people their rights, right to livelihood and the right to additional
responsibility of Bhandardaha. Fisher-men’s co-operative system was formed. It
was the beginning of a united revolution which the people of this region still
proudly remember.
The story should have ended here, but
practically that didn’t happen. As polemic exhausted itself and after few
decades of journey co-operative societies became more powerful holding the
central and undemocratic authority of power. Out of 400 members of the
Bhandardaha fishermen co-operative society a maximum numbers are fakes and fans
of the powerful lobby. The eligibility to be a member of the society should
depend on his or her professional involvement as fishermen. No hereditary
rights were permissible, all these rules were mandatory. But these are nakedly
violated. Now the post of Secretary, Treasurer, Asst. Secretary become too
lucrative. The annual election of the co-operative society proficiently follows
the pattern of Panchayet poll; full of political tension and power-sharing
mechanism. Membership of the poor fishermen is not renewed. Without intimating
all committee members, Annual General Meeting and election are used to hold.
Only coterie members are timely informed to confirm their attendance. Since
1990 the power of the society was vested in the hands of few members, who had a
better liaison and obedience with the Administration and Multi National Company
(MNC).
Bhandardaha now
The Bil is gradually drying up. The khaira fish which was reputed for its taste and availability has now
disappeared from the Bil. There is no shell too. There is heavy
accumulation of silt on the banks of the Padma at Akhriganj and civilization
has come up there. Embankments have been done at Bhagwangola. The Bhandardaha
has not been cleaned, alluvial deposit crossed the limit and it has become a
wasteland. The water has dried up and irrigation with Bhandardaha water is no
longer possible.
The river pumps do not work and winter crops
have been badly affected. To improve the condition of the pond and make it free
flowing, few propositions were placed to the Central Fisheries. The plan is to
bring the water for the source at Khagra Boromuri and fill up the swamp and
linking Bhandardaha with the River Bhagirathi. None of the plans have been
materialized. At present there are 5 fishermen committees in this area.
Bhandardaha Bil co -operative Society was the pioneer one. After the year 1974,
other co-operative societies were formed. A competitive atmosphere was created
by the Ministry of Fisheries amongst the societies to collect higher revenue. Nexus
among the political force, Govt. personnel created a detrimental atmosphere.
Life of the Bhandardaha and livelihood of the community were collapsed
simultaneously.
When there was plenty of fish the tax was Rs
20,000, now the quantity and variety of fish have reduced but the tax is 7 lacs
per annum. But there is no initiative by the Fisheries Dept. to improve the
water-volume by dredging. The ordinary fishermen are facing difficulty owing to
the reduction of the fishes. The people in power remain standstill. In spite of
being the lease-holder of the Swamp, the society was sub letting the pond to a
Multi-national company who got the rights to do a business in the swamp for 5 years.
On 04/05/2006 Tri Fisheries and Tourism Company
gave 3,30,000 to the Secretary of the Co-operative Society and received the
rights to do fishing. An agreement was done in a non judicial stamp paper of Rs
10, between Tri Fisheries and Society at Min Bhawan (office of the dept. of
Fisheries) at Berhampore. From the day of this new agreement fishermen’s right
and the agreement of 1956 have been ignored and violated. Under new system
fisherman’s share on Bhandardaha fish was reduced. Bil was demarcated by bamboo
fences and large fishing net.
According to new agreement another change took
place, out of 100% on tax received from Kheyajal and Panch jaal, 20% was allotted to society and balance 80% was received by the
company. High breed and non-formal fish species were introduced by the company.
Here is a chart showing the distribution of share on swamp fish-
Types of
fish Co operative share Fishermen’s share Company share
Company
introduced 10
% 20% 70 %
Natural fish 10% 50
% 40
%
On the name of eco-tourism concrete structure
was shaped. Conflict arose again and the situation was like that of 1956.
Fishermen turned down high-breed fish culture proposal and also went against
new fish sharing ratio. Company reacted promptly, the nets of the fishermen
were taking away and they were given threats. The local Political headship was
with the Corporate.
The fishermen held meeting in every village to
decide their future plan and to save Bhandardaha. Mass demonstration took place
in various locations of Bhandardaha banks. Fishermen submitted the following
demands to Dept. of Fisheries, District Magistrate and to Chief Minister of
West Bengal. (dated : 10/11/2010)
Their demands are –
1. Bhandardaha Bil must have free flowing water.
2. The creeks and the daras must be restructured.
3. The wooden plank at Bhagwangola must be removed.
4. There should be a feeder canal made on the
silt of the Padma or else a link must be done with the Bhagirathi waters.
5. All those who catch fishes must be a part of the
process. All the stake-holders of Bhandardaha have equal interest to save its
environment. No political nepotism and exploitation will be allowed. The main
objective of the 1956 revolt must be kept in mind.
6. Earlier when the pond was full of fish, the tax
levied was 10000 but now the tax is 7 lacs. It should be reasonable.
7. Bandardaha Bil is one waterbody and why
should we separate it with so many co- operatives? It is impossible to
distribute the fish and other water-recourses equally according to man-created
margins. In the name of competition there is politicization and increased role
of the middlemen. Ordinary fishermen have no role to play. All this has to be
stopped.
“They know not how to swim, they know not
how to cast nets. Perl fishers dive for pearls,
merchants sail in their ships while children
gather pebbles and scatter them again.
They seek not for hidden treasures,
they know not how to cast nets.
The sea surges up with laughter and
pale gleams the smile of the sea beach.
Death-dealing waves sing meaningless ballads
to the children, even like a mother
while rocking her baby’s cradle.
The sea plays with children, and pale gleams
the smile of the sea beach.”
[Gitanjali : Rabindranath Tagore ]
Although the people of Bhandardaha know how to
cast nets, how to swim, how to struggle-sustain-survive. Preserving Bhandardaha
for their sustenance – they know it better. But understandably they knew
nothing about Corporate-State nexus, the ‘Perilous Passage’ and the capitalist
transformation of their Water-World.
In the Corporate World water means raw-material,
fish means packed food and lease means hegemony and monopoly of State and
Corporate respectively. To convert a Bil, the natural habitat of fish, mollusk,
amphibian and numerous number of vertebrates to a branded fish producing
factory are their trade agenda. Initially they proposed to start with
high-breed fish but the fishermen community refuse to budge on their proposal.
They demand an immediate withdrawal of ‘Company’s Rule’ to re-occupy their
water. As Ansar Ali Halder, the octogenarian from Topkhana emphasized on our
last trip (February-2012) –
“We are supposed to be jaded by this time, my
son; by the corruption of our own people, by the politics and power. But I am
sure we will win the battle. After Jamindari it is the term of
bureaucracy which throwing challenges to terminate us. They are targeting our
fish variety, agriculture and our culture. Bhandardaha Bil is our lifeline. We
breathe, bestrew for it. She is our mother who feeds us.”
Presented in a workshop on Planet, People or Profit? The Perilous Passage
and the Capitalist Transformation of the Natural World, organised by The Institute of development Studies,
Kolkata.
