New Delhi, India : “Proud of Lahari Bai, who has shown remarkable enthusiasm for food. His efforts will inspire many others.” When before this tweet by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, no one knew who Lahari Bai was. Today everyone has started knowing Lahari Bai as Millet Queen. The importance of having Lahari Bai increases even more when UNESCO has declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets.
28-year-old Lahari Bai, who lives in Silpidi village of Tour Bajag development block, about 60 km from Dindori, a tribal-dominated district of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, has been running Millets Bank for almost a decade. In one room of his small kutcha house, he has prepared a bank of seeds of extinct species. There are many grains among these which even people who know them are no longer there.
President of India Draupadi Murmu recently awarded Lahari Bai the ‘Plant Genome Patron Kisan Samman’ for the year 2021-22 for the conservation and promotion of grain species. Lahari Bai was honored with a cash amount of Rs 1,50,000, a citation and a memento at the investiture ceremony of the Farmers’ Rights Global Seminar.
More than 150 seeds in seed bank
Lives in Lahari Bai’s traditional three-room house made of mud. His family lives in one room. The second contains other household items and the third contains the community seed bank. It contains more than 150 types of seeds. To protect the seeds for a long time, Lahari Bai has also made a big mud hut.
They have four species of Kang in their seed bank – Bhursa Kang, White Kalki Kang, Red Kalki Kang and Kariya Kalki Kang. Three species of Salhar – Baiga Salhar, Kata Salhar and Ainthi Salhar, four species of Kodo – Bade Kodo, Ladri Kodo, Baheri Kodo and Chhoti Kodo, four species of Madhiya – Chawar Madhiya, Lal Madhiya, God Pari Madhiya and Maramuth Madhiya, of Sabha. Three species – Bhalu Sambha, Kushwa Sambha and Chhidri Sambha, eight species of Kutki – Bade Dongar Kutki, White Dongar Kutki, Red Dongar Kutki, Char Kutki, Birni Kutki, Sitahi Kutki, Naan Bai Kutki, Nagdavan Kutki, Chhotahi Kutki, Bhadeli Kutki. And Sikia seeds are available. Apart from this, seeds of pulse crops – Bidri Ravas, Jhunjhuru, Sutaru, Hirwa and Baiga Rahar are also available with Lahari Bai.
Lahari Bai gives these seeds to the children of nearby villages and takes them back when the harvest comes. In this way the extinct seeds get a new life in every crop. Due to this effort of Lahari Bai, rare seeds are being protected.
Till now, she has given seeds to more than 300 farmers from her seed bank and is motivating them to save their seeds. Lahari Bai cultivates these traditional seeds in the interior villages of three development blocks, Samnapur, Bajag and Karanjia. Especially Kiwad, Chapwar, Gaura, Dhaba, Jeelang, Ajgar, Lamotha, Dhurkuta ka Jamun, Tola, Kandwani, Tatar, Silpidhi, Dabra, Thadpathra, Pandpur, Limha, Domohani, Kendra, Ladra, Piprapani, Barthana, Kandtola, Saila. Farmers in villages are also cooperating in this work. Lahari goes from village to village and distributes seeds and when the harvest comes, she takes back equal amount of seeds.
It is noteworthy that three years before the announcement of International Millet Year 2023, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had started the work by creating a State Millet Mission. There is immense potential for millet based food items and food processing in Madhya Pradesh. It ranks second in the country in millet production. Dindori district is a district rich in millet. Lahari Bai is the brand ambassador of Dindori district.
Other News – PM Modi launches Pradhan Mantri Vishwakarma Yojana
