Jum (swidden or shifting cultivation) is a form of agriculture practiced by the indigenous communities of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, whose economy, history, and culture are closely intertwined with it. While a significant percentage of the indigenous hill peoples are still directly involved with jum, contemporary jum cultivators or the jumias are in tough struggle for survival because of the government policy to restrict or limit this traditional agriculture.
The smaller indigenous groups in the remote areas are particularly affected by the government policies and initiatives as regards plantation, militarization and development activities that put tremendous pressure on the land formerly used for jum cultivation. There is a general tendency to identify jum cultivation as a harmful practice. Moreover, official policies to change the way of life of the jumias through "rehabilitation" programs and related measures also raise questions.
Starting from the very definition of swidden agriculture, the book PARBOTTYO CHATTAGRAME JUMCHASH (Swidden Cultivation in the Chittagong Hill Tracts) authored by Prashanta Tripura and Abantee Harun contains information about some of the most complicated matters concerning jum. The book describes how, from the beginning of the British rule, the jumias of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) had started facing opposition and discrimination. The British rulers and then the national governments have established mechanisms and taken legal measures to limit jum cultivation.
The authors have strong arguments in support of jum and jumias. One is, although jum cultivation has been a practice for many centuries, the forests had remained unaffected until recently. Consistent extraction of raw material for paper mill, construction of the Kaptai Dam, growth of plantation economy, illegal logging and timber trade, in-migration of the Bengalis, militarization-all these have contributed to quick disappearance of the forests. These have also disrupted the life of the indigenous communities whose lives without forest are doomed. These factors in which the jumias have no influence have actually heightened the competition for jum land and have drastically shortened the fallow period. This has also led to decrease in production and has adversely affected the already helpless jumias.
Reliable literature on jum, especially in Bangla, is scanty. This book will certainly contribute in filling that void and encourage others in further research, investigation, analyses and documentation on jum and jumias.
Authored by Prashanta Tripura and Abantee Harun
Published 2003
117 pages in offset Price: Tk.150 US$5
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