Jeevika: Law, Liberty & Livelihood Campaign organised fourth Mass Mobilization Activity in Jaipur on Wednesday, September 08, 2010. This activity was organised near Birla Temple and Temple of Moti Dungari. Being Wednesday, a day for people to visit lord Ganesh in Moti Dungari temple, the place witnesses a huge crowed. We took the advantage and decided to hold the activity and attract a the big crowd coming to Moti dungari Temple. We started the activity at 4 PM with a street play which got attention of the crowed. People were touched by the scenes and situations created in the play and got engaged in a small discussion immediately after the play. Ravinder Singh ‘Babbu’, the local leader of street vendors near the temple who sale Pav-Bhaji and other eatables helped us conducting the activity. Amit Gond, Campaign Associate and the local street vendor leaders addressed the crowd. There were more than 100 people who joined us watching the play and understanding/discussing the issue. Here are a few pictures of the activity:

Address of the Hon’ble Vice President of India Shri M. Hamid Ansari at the World Bamboo Day function held on 18th September 2010 at Kohima Naga Heritage Village (Kisama), Nagaland.

I am pleased to be in your midst here in the beautiful Naga Heritage Village, Kisama on the occasion of the World Bamboo Day celebration. I congratulate the government of Nagaland, especially the Chief Minister, and the World Bamboo Organization for taking the initiative to organize this important event. The World Bamboo Day is a day of celebration to increase the global awareness of bamboo and promote its sustainable utilization. It is also appropriate that the theme chosen for this festival is “Bamboo for Community and Livelihood”.

I hope that such efforts of the state and central governments, civil society, and the World Bamboo Organization would highlight the potential of bamboo to a wider audience to help protect natural resources and the environment, to ensure sustainable utilization, to promote new cultivation of bamboo for new industries in India and around the world, and promote traditional and community uses of bamboo.

The North East region of India, though underdeveloped in economic terms, is extremely rich in natural resources. Bamboo is a prominent natural resource of the region. The North East, with about 8% of the geographical area of the country, accounts for 66 per cent of the bamboo resources of the country spread over an area of about 3.10 million hectares and housing over 89 species of bamboo.

This precious natural gift has been integral to the life and survival of all the ethnic groups of North Eastern India over the centuries. The various uses to which bamboo has been put to, have made it an indispensable resource for rural India and it has been incorporated in their cultural and traditional life. The Nagaland Bamboo Policy of 2004 summarises it well, and I quote:

“From the cutting of the umbilical cord to the mats that have wrapped the dead for burial, Bamboo has been integral to the life of the Nagas.”

The raw stock of bamboo in the North East region is conservatively valued at Rs. 5,000 crores. Even with a modest target of two-fold value addition to the stock through suitable methodologies, an annual turnover of approximately Rs. 10,000 crores can be generated in the region. In the context of India’s economy, the market size of Bamboo is expected to touch a figure of Rs. 42,000 crores in the next fifteen to twenty years. This enormous potential for wealth creation in rural areas, if exploited properly, can truly benefit the people of the region and change their day-to-day lives for the better.

Ladies and Gentlemen

The importance of Bamboo is enhanced in the backdrop of global concerns of ecology and environment and the looming threat of global warming and climate change. Bamboo is emerging as the most viable wood substitute. Unlike steel and plastic, it is eco friendly, being not only biodegradable but also having enormous capacity to sequester carbon. Furthermore, as the fastest growing plant on earth, it is a renewable resource with short gestation. This new perspective of Bamboo is indeed a big change from its earlier reference as the “poor man’s timber”.

We are also witnessing an expansion in the uses to which bamboo is being put to. Apart from its utility as food and medicine, in minor tools, implements and daily utilities, bamboo is extensively used for handicrafts, furniture and even art. Its application has expanded to boards, ply and shuttering materials for use in buildings and construction. It has also been developed as an energy source in the form of charcoal, activated carbon and even to generate electricity through gasification.

Realizing the immense socio-economic potential of bamboo, the Government of India has launched the National Bamboo Mission (NBM) and the National Mission on Bamboo Application (NMBA) for its holistic development, cultivation and for developing the technologies and applications for bamboo based products. I am confident that the bamboo scenario in the country will significantly improve in the coming years through these interventions for the benefit of our people.

The state of Nagaland has been a pioneer and had adopted a Bamboo Policy in 2004. The Policy articulates the development of Bamboo in Nagaland along two approaches:

1. Development of Bamboo as a Resource, and
2. Development of Bamboo as an Enterprise

Developing bamboo as a resource is focused on optimal cultivation and management of bamboo resources, through development of natural bamboo forests and bamboo plantation development. Development of bamboo as an enterprise is focused on developing bamboo-based industries, service sectors and ancillary activities including tourism. The Nagaland Bamboo Development Agency has a mission to generate new employment opportunities based on bamboo. I congratulate the Chief Minister and the state government for taking such initiatives and call on other bamboo producing states to emulate this example.

In order to realize the full potential of bamboo, various technical, financial and entrepreneurial interventions are needed in the fields of forestry, land use, propagation technology for its cultivation and sustainable use, and in the areas of industry and finance. I am confident that the economic and technological capabilities of our nation can bring about a Bamboo revolution in the country.

I extend my best wishes to all the participants here today and once again thank the Chief Minister for inviting me to this function.

Jeevika Asia Livelihood Documentary Festival 2010 has got wide media coverage. Here is one such covergae.

Read the article on Dainik Bhaskar’s website.

We present you a glimpse of Jeevika Festival 2010 in form of Jeevika News 2010. Click here.

Missed Jeevika 2010 Festival!!! Don’t worry. Check out the photographs of all three days festival activities and feel part of it. Click here.

Check out all three professional category, one student category and one jury mention winner. Click here.

CCS organised third Mass Mobilization Activity in Jaipur on Wednesday, August 25. We conducted this activity at Khirni Phatak, Jhotwara with help from ‘Jaipur Mahanagar Thadi Thela Footpath Vyavasayi Union’. There is a weekly market at Khirni Phatak on every Wednesday and we chose to conduct the activity to make street vendors as well as common masses aware of the policy for urban street vendors. There were above 80 people watching the street play and participating in the discussion after the play. The play presented the daily life problems of street vendors & solutions. It connected with people well which created ground for healthy discussion. We also distribute pamphlets about the policy and talked about the provisions of the policy and how this can be one solution to all the problems of street vendors. We got senior street vendor leader Mr. Banwari Lal Sharma and Mr. Parmanand Salodia to participate in the activity and address the crowd. The audience was engaged and we urged them to participate on planned rally on September 30.

We had second successful Mass Mobilization Activity in Jaipur on Saturday, August 14. We did this activity in Shyam Nagar Market, Sodala. This time we had more local street vendors’ leaders participating and sharing their view with street vendors and common masses. There were around 100 people watching the street play which portrayed the problems of the lives of street vendors & solutions and listening to us on National Urban Street Vendors. We distribute pamphlets about the policy and talked about the provisions of the policy and how this can be one solution to all the problems. We urged them to be part of the campaign to put pressure on government to implement the policy/bill as soon as possible. Senior street vendors’ leader Mr. Nathu Singh Rathore also joined us apart from other several leader from different markets of Jaipur.