608
The fi shermen now realise the gross imbalance which exists between poor income from fi sh
trade and the hard labour put in. In view of this,
there is a burgeoning tendency among quite a
large number ( c 59 %) of the fi shermen to motivate their children against taking up fi shing
profession. As a result of this, it is found that
only a meagre percentage ( c 20 %) of the youth
wish to keep faith with their parental avocation of
fi shing. Others aspire for varied types of profession like banking, agriculture, defence, medicine,
engineering and teaching. As a remedy against
such undesirable trend, a cross section ( c 12 %)
of their society advocates in favour of setting up
of ‘Fishermens’ Training Institute’ in their locality
which could help making fi shing profession
attractive towards the fi sheryouths.
During the dry season, when Sone Beel shrinks
to 409.09 ha, and fi shing becomes less intensive,
fi shermen cultivate ‘Boro’ paddy (winter–spring
paddy) within the Beel itself in order to tide
over the adverse situation. The area of their cultivable land ranges from 0.07 to 4.2 ha (mean:
0.02 ha ± 0.105). The Kaibartas possess big quantum of land and Namasudras the least. c 7 % of
the fi shermen do not have any cultivable land.
Nevertheless, during the off season, some of
them associate themselves with livestock and
poultry farming, pottery and carpentry, net and
boat making, beverages, etc. Some of the affl uent
fi shermen, who possess big areas of cultivable
land, raise also the ‘Sali’ paddy (monsoon–
autumn paddy) in addition to the ‘Boro’. In this
way, they involve themselves in paddy trade in a
big way. In addition to paddy, they also grow
vegetables and sungrass on a commercial scale.
Incidentally, religion forms a part and parcel
of the daily life of the fi shermen living around
Sone Beel. Among the Hindus, there are both
‘Vaishnavites’or devotees of Lord Vishnu
( c 33 %) and ‘Shaktas’or devotees of Goddess
Durga ( c 30 %). The Muslims, however, belong
to one sect only. Being illiterate, by and large,
the fi shermen have peculiar beliefs about supernatural things.
It is very Amazing to note here that there is an
ancient Hermitage of a Muslim Hermit, called
‘Sond Peer’ or ‘Hond Peer’ (after whom the Beel
had been named ‘Sone Beel’) at the village called
Mokam tila (Anandapur) along the east shoreline
of Sone Beel. There is also an equally ancient
temple of Goddess Kali situated just adjacent
to the Muslim Hermitage. Both Hindus and
Muslims are said to pay equal homage and are
said to be equally regardful to both the religious
institutions.
In fi ne, it could be said that the fi shermen of
Sone Beel have been struggling against poverty
since a couple of decades. In view of the nature of
economic constraints faced by the fi shermen, it is
strongly felt that elimination of unscrupulous
middlemen by organising credit facilities,
marketing of product and purchase of domestic
as well as production requirements through
cooperatives would go a long way in the emancipation of the fi sherfolk. Further, encouragement
of IMC culture in the confi ned ‘Bundhs’ at the
DSL of the Beel could lead to a potential IMC
fi shery. Concomitantly, fast conveyance of the
catch from the fi shing centres to the fi sh landing
stations and the urban markets would accelerate
fi sh trade. Provision of cold storage facilities in
the landing stations and the urban markets would
be an added advantage to prevent loss of fl esh
due to decay. Moreover, popularisation of the
recent fi sh culturing and fi shing techniques and
proper rehabilitation of the fi shermen could
enable them to give up nomadism and paddy cultivation in the event of hardship and help gear up
the upliftment of the anglers in the long run (Dey
and Kar 1989 ).
28.3.6 In Chatla Haor
This is a seasonal fl oodplain wetland (locally
called ‘Haor’) which retains water generally
from May to October. It does not have any DSL
and is almost completely dry during the winter
season. c 15,000 fi shermen, belonging mainly to
the Kaibarta community, live in 22 villages
around the Haor. The fi shermen belonging to
other communities, and who fi sh in the Haor,
include some ‘Meitei’ (Manipuri) and some
‘Behari’ who are mostly labourers of the surrounding Tea Gardens. The Kaibartas, by and
28 Fishermen in Wetlands
The fi shermen now realise the gross imbalance which exists between poor income from fi sh
trade and the hard labour put in. In view of this,
there is a burgeoning tendency among quite a
large number ( c 59 %) of the fi shermen to motivate their children against taking up fi shing
profession. As a result of this, it is found that
only a meagre percentage ( c 20 %) of the youth
wish to keep faith with their parental avocation of
fi shing. Others aspire for varied types of profession like banking, agriculture, defence, medicine,
engineering and teaching. As a remedy against
such undesirable trend, a cross section ( c 12 %)
of their society advocates in favour of setting up
of ‘Fishermens’ Training Institute’ in their locality
which could help making fi shing profession
attractive towards the fi sheryouths.
During the dry season, when Sone Beel shrinks
to 409.09 ha, and fi shing becomes less intensive,
fi shermen cultivate ‘Boro’ paddy (winter–spring
paddy) within the Beel itself in order to tide
over the adverse situation. The area of their cultivable land ranges from 0.07 to 4.2 ha (mean:
0.02 ha ± 0.105). The Kaibartas possess big quantum of land and Namasudras the least. c 7 % of
the fi shermen do not have any cultivable land.
Nevertheless, during the off season, some of
them associate themselves with livestock and
poultry farming, pottery and carpentry, net and
boat making, beverages, etc. Some of the affl uent
fi shermen, who possess big areas of cultivable
land, raise also the ‘Sali’ paddy (monsoon–
autumn paddy) in addition to the ‘Boro’. In this
way, they involve themselves in paddy trade in a
big way. In addition to paddy, they also grow
vegetables and sungrass on a commercial scale.
Incidentally, religion forms a part and parcel
of the daily life of the fi shermen living around
Sone Beel. Among the Hindus, there are both
‘Vaishnavites’or devotees of Lord Vishnu
( c 33 %) and ‘Shaktas’or devotees of Goddess
Durga ( c 30 %). The Muslims, however, belong
to one sect only. Being illiterate, by and large,
the fi shermen have peculiar beliefs about supernatural things.
It is very Amazing to note here that there is an
ancient Hermitage of a Muslim Hermit, called
‘Sond Peer’ or ‘Hond Peer’ (after whom the Beel
had been named ‘Sone Beel’) at the village called
Mokam tila (Anandapur) along the east shoreline
of Sone Beel. There is also an equally ancient
temple of Goddess Kali situated just adjacent
to the Muslim Hermitage. Both Hindus and
Muslims are said to pay equal homage and are
said to be equally regardful to both the religious
institutions.
In fi ne, it could be said that the fi shermen of
Sone Beel have been struggling against poverty
since a couple of decades. In view of the nature of
economic constraints faced by the fi shermen, it is
strongly felt that elimination of unscrupulous
middlemen by organising credit facilities,
marketing of product and purchase of domestic
as well as production requirements through
cooperatives would go a long way in the emancipation of the fi sherfolk. Further, encouragement
of IMC culture in the confi ned ‘Bundhs’ at the
DSL of the Beel could lead to a potential IMC
fi shery. Concomitantly, fast conveyance of the
catch from the fi shing centres to the fi sh landing
stations and the urban markets would accelerate
fi sh trade. Provision of cold storage facilities in
the landing stations and the urban markets would
be an added advantage to prevent loss of fl esh
due to decay. Moreover, popularisation of the
recent fi sh culturing and fi shing techniques and
proper rehabilitation of the fi shermen could
enable them to give up nomadism and paddy cultivation in the event of hardship and help gear up
the upliftment of the anglers in the long run (Dey
and Kar 1989 ).
28.3.6 In Chatla Haor
This is a seasonal fl oodplain wetland (locally
called ‘Haor’) which retains water generally
from May to October. It does not have any DSL
and is almost completely dry during the winter
season. c 15,000 fi shermen, belonging mainly to
the Kaibarta community, live in 22 villages
around the Haor. The fi shermen belonging to
other communities, and who fi sh in the Haor,
include some ‘Meitei’ (Manipuri) and some
‘Behari’ who are mostly labourers of the surrounding Tea Gardens. The Kaibartas, by and
28 Fishermen in Wetlands