DO WE NEED TO PROTECT GOCHAR LAND?
Dr. D. N. Mohanty, A veterinarian
Cow and cattle wealth protection is not a new concept in India. It was associated with Gaushala movement from Vedic period. The Rishies maintained Ashram Gaushalas with hundreds of milking cows – a parallel found nowhere in the world. It was ‘Go-Sansktiti’ at its best. That was the Hindu custom to venerate cows as harbinger of wealth. Social customs strengthened it over a time line of several centuries. In days gone by, possession of herds of cows was considered as a measurement of economic esteem and prosperity of households in rural areas. Cow being the backbone of rural life and economy in India care was taken for their overall wellness. Grazing areas and Gochar was reserved and preserved everywhere. It is no longer so at present. In a changed scenario of economic development and burgeoning population the ground situation has vastly altered. The Human Animal has begun to poach Gochar land under various pre-text. Astonishingly in a recent development Government of Odisha has proposed to reduce the reservation limit of Gochar to accommodate the requirement of land for housing schemes and declaration of new revenue villages. The Animal Rights groups mostly focus their activity on cruelty issues and do not raise voice against encroachment of Gochar land or its utilization for other purposes. There is no stringent Act to protect cow’s right to live. The question now is do we need to protect Gochar land for pastoral animals in face of unending onslaught on the preserve of livestock as maintenance of village herd is dependent on pastoral grazing?
https://www.pashudhanpraharee.com/dry-dairy-concept-to-tackle-stray-cattle-problem-in-india/
In the past, every village or cluster of villages in India had 5 -50 hectares of grazing land depending upon the cattle population and availability of such land. With passage of time with increased human activity and growing livestock population the pressure on ‘Gochar’ land has increased resulting in shrinkage of land for community grazing, many a time leading to acrimonious act of violence and court litigation. Besides, a number of such areas are specifically given to landless people by the government or encroached upon by individuals. As per 1999 National Sample Survey Organisation estimates there has been continual decline of common lands at a quinquennial rate of 1.9%. The same survey report also indicates the dependence of rural households on grazing lands. Simply said Gochar lands referred to as village ‘commons’ have some attributes for the households around in addition to grazing of animals. The livestock agriculture-commons is a complex system practiced over centuries and constitutes the bulwark of rural livelihoods. Though the livelihood pattern has changed over the years yet the old system makes some sense even today in view of soil conservation and to maintain eco-balance.
Well managed ‘Gochar’ lands provide desirable vegetative cover, prevent soil erosion. In this connection the final Report on “Revision Survey and Settlement Operations in the District of Santhal Parganas” submitted by Mr. J. F.Gantzer in 1935 is worth mentioning. It highlights the object of Gochar land or grazing land – (a) “It provides rights to Jamabandi Raiyats (Poor Tribal Agriculturist) to graze their cattle free of cost, and without money. These tribal people are very poor and illiterate and cannot afford to purchase feed and fodder for their domestic animals to provide them good health and nutrient food. Grazing land provides economic support to these indigent people, and it is a very source and means of livelihood for them (b) Grazing land is a part of our ecology, and helps a lot in maintaining our ecological balance by providing domestic animals of the tribes, their habitat, natural home, natural environment and natural vegetation, where they eat food (grass), drink water, get pure air, sunlight, rest, move freely and enjoy freedom, freedom from shackles of farm-house, freedom from the fetters of rope, and freedom from every iron bar. Their habitats are necessary, and necessary to be preserved, as otherwise it would be a perpetration of cruelty, torture, exploitation and degrading treatment of domestic animals unbalancing our ecological system.”
‘Gochar commonly referred to, in Odisha, is an area where domestic animals can graze freely without inviting individual or public wrath. Livestock rearing is an important and integral component in rural livelihood patterns as bulk of the livestock resource belong to the small and marginal farmers whose number exceeds far the most. Therefore, not unnaturally all governments under different Land Settlement Act reserved 5% out of total area of the village as Gochar land with a rider that the land cannot be used for any other purpose or at best should be compensated. The law is getting diluted in the interest of human beings whose preserve takes precedence over everything else. The dire consequence is global warming, climate change, degradation of eco-system to the detriment of all other life on Earth.
National and state governments have realized the importance of livestock rearing to mitigate the stress emanating from the agriculture sector driven by external input, intensive production models and marketing variability due to pull and pressures of external environment as this has become expensive including uncertain monsoon. Notably another key factor that influences income from agriculture is the arid and semi-arid regions in India where crop production is possible for three to six months. In contrast livestock rearing is more resilient and contributes nearly 40% of the rural GDP across India. The scenario of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh is exemplary. Sadly in spite of such virtues do the intelligentsia and the government care much about the welfare of livestock as a whole with regard to easy and cheap accessibility to their natural food? Unfortunately families, in Odisha, though dependent upon livestock as a low input enterprise and steady source of income, do not grow fodder as most of them are disinclined to do so.
In India, cattle rearing dates back to centuries and traditionally milk production has been confined to certain section of people and they depend upon pastoral system and crop residues for maintenance and production. In fact there is symbiotic relationship between livestock and crop production. Whereas about 70% of fodder requirement in arid and sub-humid regions are derived from crop residues, more than 60% of fodder requirements are met in semi-arid regions. Odisha has a mixed picture. Diversion of Gochar land for other purpose and shift from food to cash crops has become a serious threat for economic livestock production. However, advent of intensive production model has changed the whole gamut of husbandry practice. Crossbreeding with exotic breeds having emphasis on higher milk production has its own disadvantages like heavy dose of external inputs such as feed concentrates, probiotics, and antibiotics. It adds to the rising cost of production in a volatile market of perishable products. Lately the Central government has realized the perils of indiscriminate cross breeding to the detriment of comparable indigenous breeds.
Another important aspect of animal rearing in rural pockets, the main stream of milk and meat animal production, is feed and fodder which make up to 60 to 70% of total production cost. Most rural animal farmers are at mere sustenance level and the poorest in the community. Therefore, for economical production and to save the poor, Gochar land or village commons should be developed to full potential and not de-reserved or utilized for other purposes and preserved for the benefit of the voiceless and people dependent upon them for livelihood. Will Government wake up?
E mail Id. dnmohanty2018@gmail.com Mobile phone No. 9437113581
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