When the Tharus of Rajasthan migrated to the Himalayan foothills some 400 years ago as it is said, they left behind more than just the desert sands. From a diet based on wheat and millet, they switched over almost completely to rice, to such an extent that many in the Tharu community now believe that wheat and millet are fit only for poor people. Nowadays, wheat flour is not widely available in Tharuhat – the term for the region where the Tharus live – and wheat-based foods are never served to guests. Rice paddy became a lifeline for the community; a common sight in the Tarai is now that of Tharu farmers ploughing the land and singing traditional birhani songs, praying for good rains and the plentiful production of their paddy.
The Tharu as a community is today scattered across the Himalayan foothills of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand as well as in Bihar. Tharus are also found across the belt of the Nepali Tarai. In Bihar, the community is concentrated in West Champaran District, with its largest settlements in the area also popularly known as Tharuhat – a flat stretch of about 45 square kilometres, surrounded by the Dun and Someshwar hills. There are over 25 Tharu-dominated villages in Bihar's Tharuhat.
Due to sufficient irrigation and productive land suitable for paddy cultivation, the communities of the Tharuhat depend on rice not only as their staple, but also as their security and medium for transactions. Mahendra Mahto, the head of Naurangia village, says that in this area, paddy is still the preferred form of wage among agricultural labourers. Even barbers and blacksmiths are paid in measures of paddy, for services rendered to the community throughout the year. Here, paddy can be exchanged for anything, says Mahto – from turmeric, chillies and cumin, to silver and gold. Though the dowry system is not prevalent in Tharu society, before going to her in-laws house for the first time after marriage, a daughter is presented with paddy in beautiful handmade baskets of munj and khar grass.
Losing taste and ground
Rice production in India has increased by nearly four and a half times over the past half-century, from 20.6 million tonnes in 1950 to more than 91 million tonnes during 2001-02. This can largely be attributed to the advent of hybrid varieties of paddy. Like other areas, Bihar's Tharuhat has begun to lose its indigenous strains of paddy. "We have already lost some good varieties, like kala mansuri, kanak jeera and gurdi," says Ambika Mahto of Gobarahia village. Soon other varieties will also vanish, he warns, including basmati and anandi. As with other lost varieties, these last two are Agahani – 'late' species, which take almost four months to ripen, unlike the hybrids, which are ready for harvest in just three months.