00:00The barren paddy fields stretching between the valley and the hills of
00:04Manipur stand as silent witnesses to the deep scars left by the ethnic violence
00:09that erupted on May 3, 2023. Once a shared space where both Kuki and
00:15Maiti farmers cultivated paddy side-by-side, these fields now lie abundant.
00:23The miles-long buffer zone carved out in the aftermath of the conflict has
00:28turned fertile farmland into no-man's land, off-limits due to constant
00:33security fears. In Ching Pai village, we met Nagul Sangh, a farmer who like many
00:39others in the region is living in quiet distress. For over two years he has been
00:44unable to return to his land, his source of livelihood lost to a conflict that
00:49refuses to fade.
00:51Due to these classes, we are living hard. The source, the family source, the whole area,
01:12source is coming from agri. So due to these classes, we cannot, we are not be able to
01:23cultivate our entire area. So personally, myself, the source of my income is very
01:34shortest now. It is very difficult to live.
01:37In Manipur, rice cultivation is more than just agriculture, it's a way of life. As the
01:44state's staple food, rice is grown by nearly 2.3 lakh farmers across approximately 1.95
01:51lakh hectares of land. The vast majority of these cultivators are marginal farmers, working
01:57on small plots that sustain their families and communities.
02:01However, since the outbreak of ethnic violence, Manipur's agricultural heartbeat has been disrupted.
02:08The ongoing conflict has severely impacted farm productivity, leading to significant economic
02:13losses across the state. The worst-hit areas lie along the sensitive foothill regions connecting
02:21Kangpokpi with Imphal East and Imphal West, as well as Turachandpur and Bishnupur. In these
02:28fertile, yet now fractured zones, fields that once flourished with paddy, now lie uncultivated,
02:35victims of fear, displacement and deepening divides.
02:39For Turachandpur district, the area is very large. Because we, Turachandpur face two districts.
02:52One is Bishnupur and the other is Kaksing district. And here in our area, the area covered is Kangwai
03:02block and then Samulamlan and then Changaikot. So, mostly in Chushanpur, the paddy fields are located in this area.
03:15So, for farmers, the uncultivated area is very much large.
03:24The futility of violence is etched into these barren fields. When farms are destroyed,
03:31it's not just crops that vanish. It's food, livelihoods and the fragile hope for peace.
03:37For Manipur's paddy farmers, the land is more than soil. It's survival, identity and dignity.
03:44The longer it lies abundant, the deeper the divide grows. Rebuilding won't come through conflict,
03:50but through dialogue, protection and support. Only then can farmers return to their fields
03:56and reclaim their harvests and their future.
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