27-year-old tribal woman builds bank of 150 rare millet seeds in MP’s Dindori

BHOPAL: At a time when the Narendra Modi government is working hard to make India a global hub of ‘Shree Anna’ (millets) cultivation and research, a 27-year-old Baiga tribal woman Lahari Bai, has emerged as a real brand ambassador of the coarse grains in tribal-dominated Dindori district of Madhya Pradesh in the International Year of Millets. 

A native of Silpadi village, the Baiga tribal, counted among particularly vulnerable tribal groups, Lahari Bai lives with her parents in a two-room Indira Awas house. While one of the rooms acts as the living room and kitchen, the other one has been turned into a Beej Bank, which conserves around 150-plus rare seeds of millets including Kodo, Kutki, Sanwa, Madhia, Salhar and Kaag crops (most of them minor millets). 

These seeds are sown by Lahari Bai in a part of her agricultural plot. Subsequently, the multiplied seed varieties are distributed to farmers in her village as well as other 15-20 villages, forming part of the 54 villages strong Baika Chak (villages native to the Baiga tribal population). free of cost. 

In return, the farmers gift her a small part of their produce. But the decade-long journey is far from being a fairy tale. Lahari remembers how as a teenager she was often ridiculed by her own community: “People ridiculed me and often drove me away, but I had only two missions, one to not marry and serve parents lifelong and the second to conserve millet seeds and promote their farming, Now no one insults me now,” Lahari said.

Dindori district collector Vikas Mishra who has nominated Lahari (who never went to school) for a coveted Rs 10 lakh scholarship of a Jodhour-based ICAR said, “If she succeeds in getting the scholarship, then she would be seen guiding PhD students.”