Heat, rain and cold have not deterred the armed force personnel and DeSuups from guarding Bhutan’s porous border amid the pandemic. It has helped bring down illegal trade and trespassing which threatened Bhutan’s effort in fighting the pandemic. However, the old pandemic affecting the farmers along the border continues to haunt them; It is the never-resolved issue of livestock from across the border damaging their crops which has even forced some farmers in Samtse to leave their once fertile fields fallow.
It has become a daily routine for the farmers of Rinchhenphu-Samtenchhu chiwog in Yoeseltse Gewog of Samtse to guard their paddy fields against domestic animals that enter the Bhutanese land.
“We have to guard our fields during the daytime. And at night, since we are not allowed to come out of our homes, Desuups and the army help us with the guarding of our fields,” said a farmer in Yoeseltse. But this is not always successful as the animals find a way to damage their crops when they have to leave the fields for some other works.
Today, paddy is at the growing stage and if exposed to such damages frequently, farmers fear that the yield will be poor.
“Domestic animals from across the border have damaged our crops for more than three times now. Currently, the paddy plants are at the growing stage and if it is damaged at this phase, it will not grow well. We have been severely affected,” said Tshering Zangmo, a farmer in Kuenzangling of Yoeseltse Gewog.
Without any concrete walls or barbed wires along the border, cattle and goats from the Gatia village in West Bengal of India are set free on Bhutanese land. At times, a few of the residents deliberately send their livestock for grazing across the border.
According to the farmers in Yoeseltse, Indian farmers also grow paddy on Bhutanese land in the past and such issue was minimal.
“Few Indians also used to do farming here before the pandemic. But now, it is as if, they are not happy that we are only growing crops. They release their animals deliberately towards our land and they damage our crops. As such we have to leave behind all other chores and guard our fields,” said Santi Udan, a farmer in Yoeseltse.
Frustrated by this, farmers are now discouraged to continue the practice of growing paddy. Already acres of paddy fields are left fallow in the area.
“If the concerned agencies and departments don’t intervene and solve the matter soon, I don’t think we will be able to cultivate paddy next year. No matter how much we work hard, it is futile in the end,” Tshering Zangmo said.
“Some of the Indians are sending their animals deliberately to our side. When we request them not to do so, they challenge us. They threaten us by saying that when lockdown opens, they will see us,” added Bholanath Giri, a farmer in Rinchhenphu in Yoeseltse Gewog. He also said he is planning to stop growing paddy as he could only harvest half of what he used to harvest, last year due to the same reason.
The Samtse Dzongkhag and the gewog administration, last year has also constructed about four kilometres of trench to block the movement of animals. But it has failed to serve its purpose.
“The Dzongkhag Administrative has been very supportive and helped us build a trench to solve the problem. Accordingly, the villagers have started to grow more paddy this year. However, our Indian neighbours have not been very supportive. They are sending in their domestic animals deliberately and causing harm to our crops,” said Ganga Prasad Limboo, the Yoeseltse Gup.
And the problem is not only in Yoeseltse Gewog. Other bordering gewogs also expressed similar concerns during the recent Dzongkhag Tshogdu.
Ugyentse Gup Karna Bdr Thakuri said the same problem is troubling the people of Jareythang village. “Neighbouring Indian villages release their animals in our areas and damage the crops. They cannot come to get their animals back and we cannot go to their place to return their animals due to COVID-19 restrictions,” he said.
According to the Yoeseltse Gup, there is a strict rules against cross-border livestock movement if the livestock happen to belong to Bhutan.“If our animals cross the border, they do not return the animals unless we pay some fine. For a cow, we have to pay about 800 to 1,000 ngultrum. They have a separate penalty system.” He said, “It would be better if we also have a similar system introduced in the border gewogs with prior approval from the Dzongkhag Tshogdu. If this is done, I don’t see the necessity to find a separate solution for this problem.”
The Dzongkhag Tshogdu decided to write to the Panchayat in West Bengal and also inform the SSB, the border force of India concerning the matter. The Dzongkhag Administration will also see the possibilities of constructing trenches or installing barbed wire facilities along the affected areas.
Passang Dorji, Samtse
Edited by Sonam
