Dharohar s dividends
The legend in Bastar is that there was a clash between dhan (rice) and human beings. The winner would feed on the loser. First, they compared varieties, and discovered that there were as many varieties of rice as there were human beings. However, all these varieties were of one form. Humans, on the other hand, differed in form and appearance. Humans won, and fed on rice ever since.
The tribal-dominated region of Bastar, an interior district in Chhattisgarh, has achieved tremendous success with their bold rice varieties conservation programme. Dharohar Samiti, the non-governmental organisation (ngo) based in Golavand village, is spearheading the programme. The samiti has set up a seed bank that works towards conserving traditional rice varieties (Bastar, it is believed, has over 1,000 varieties), as also ensuring that seeds are readily available to farmers.
The main tribes of Bastar