Madhya Pradesh: Seeds that Keep Traditions Alive for Tribal Families in Shahdol
For the tribal families living in Salaiya Tola of Majhgawan village in Shahdol district, grain is more than just food. The small seeds carefully stored in their homes are symbols of their heritage, traditions, and memories. Every crop grown from these seeds not only feeds the family but also keeps an age-old agricultural tradition alive.
At a time when hybrid and modern crop varieties are becoming commonplace, farmers from the Baiga and Bhumia communities continue to cultivate and preserve traditional varieties. Indigenous paddy varieties such as Jholar, Banspor, Tharri, Saraiya, Gurmatia, Karan Phool, and Bhejri are still found in their fields today. They also grow millets and small grains like Kodo, Kutki, Kangun, Sama, and Milo.
Seeds Are a Farmer's True Wealth
Farmer Bholli Singh has preserved several traditional crops on his land. Alongside various indigenous paddy varieties, he cultivates Kodo, maize, Milo, Kangun, and Kutki. He finds true happiness when the grain grown in his fields reaches his home and becomes part of the family's daily diet.
Bholli, who is over 60 years old, links traditional dietary habits to an active lifestyle. He says he can still cycle distances of 20 to 25 kilometers and believes that traditional grains have played a vital role in his diet.
For Biranmatia Baiga of Salaiya Tola, every seed tells a story. Her fields yield crops like Sama, Kutki, Sikia, and Kakun, as well as traditional paddy varieties such as Saraiya and Tharri. After every harvest, she carefully preserves the seeds so they can be sown again in the coming season.
For her, preserving these seeds means safeguarding the agricultural knowledge and culinary traditions inherited from previous generations. The grain harvested from their fields not only feeds the family but also fosters a deep sense of connection to their land and ancestors—a shared community tradition.
Dhanvati Baiga preserves a variety of traditional crops, including Jhunjaru, Pailhai, Barbatti (cowpea), maize, Kodo, Kutki, and Kangun (foxtail millet). She notes that if a specific seed is unavailable in her village, it can often be found in neighboring hill villages. This demonstrates that seed preservation is not limited to a single family but is a shared tradition of the entire community.
Food Security through Traditional Crops
These families cultivate diverse crops and store grain for year-round consumption. Home-grown rice, Kodo, Kutki, Sama, and other millets ensure food security and reduce their reliance on externally sourced grain.
Agricultural scientist Dr. B.K. Prajapati states that the Baiga and Bhumiya communities in the Majhgawan region have been cultivating traditional crops and millets for generations.
Thus, their modest seed collection represents far more than mere agricultural resources. These seeds serve as a living link between generations, preserving local biodiversity, traditional knowledge, and the simple joy of consuming grain grown on their own land.