The traditional Meiyan (law of fire) practised by the Tangkhuls has played a major role in rejuvenating and replenishing the green hills and also safeguarding village settlements, not only from wildfire but also from invasion by wild animals.
By Tennoson Pheiray, TFM Ukhrul Correspondent
Since time immemorial, it has been the practice of our forefathers to set the forest on fire so as to rejuvenate the soil for propagation of more plants and to control unwanted shrubs. It also serves as a means to protect the habitat of flora and fauna and to protect the settlements from wild fire.
The traditional Meiyan (law of fire) practised by the Tangkhuls has played a major role in rejuvenating and replenishing the green hills and also safeguarding village settlements, not only from wildfire but also from invasion by wild animals.
On Friday, the Shirui Youth and Shirui Village Authority carried out a controlled burning at Shirui Kashong – the abode of Shirui Lily.
Speaking to this correspondent, Headman of Shirui, Khavangpam Wungsek, informed that “fire line has been created around the peak so as not to spread the fire to other place. Around 40 youth volunteers have been deployed in the peak to check the spread of fire.” Traditionally, the area is cleared before setting on fire. The soil is cleared as precautionary measures and effort to protect the area from wildfire or to prevent the fire from spreading to other places.
Locally known as “Maram” a short bamboo type plant has enveloped the habitat of Shirui Lily, and has tremendously reduced and shrunk the area of Shirui Lily habitat at Shirui Kashong. So in order to save the Manipur’s State Flower, ‘Shirui Lily’ and to multiply, to bloom undisturbed, to avoid the invasion from wild shrubs, and to protect it from extinction, the Shirui Youth Club and Shirui Village Authority on Friday has carried out the controlled burning at Shirui Kashong.
With many advocating against the use of fire as a means to maintain environmental balance, the traditional practice of maintaining the Shirui Kashong by setting on controlled fire was not carried out since 2017. A massive fire broke out on March 25, 2021 at Chihuirą, the base of the third and highest peak, where the highest numbers of Shirui Lily bloom. Around 120 acres of area was devastated by the raging wildfire. One MI-17 Helicopter was also put into operation to contain the wildfire. Many Rhododendron flowers and trees were consumed by the wildfire.
Khavangpam Wungsek opined that, “the massive fire on 2021 would not have happened and would have not spread to other place if only we had continued the practice of the traditional method of controlled burning of Shirui Kashong. In 2022, we witness more Horamwon (summer flower) and Shirui Lily blooming at the highest peak after the fire incident.”
Shirui Youth Club has given out a statement and clarification to avoid any question and objection in the future on the controlled burning of Shirui Kashong.
The clarification reads “For the Manipur State Flower, ‘Shirui Lily’ to multiply, to bloom undisturbed, to avoid the invasion from wild shrubs, and to protect from extinction, the Shirui Youth Club is giving out this statement of clarification to avoid any questions and objections in the near future.
“For hundred and hundred of years, our (Shirui Village) ancestors with a massive ‘traditional ecological knowledge’, eco-system across the land of Shirui has been well-managed. Indigenous practices and uses of fire is probably one of the main tools, if not the main tool to control or to keep balance the environment. They have been practicing this so-called, “prescribed regular burns” from time to time to prevent, control and balance the ecology and of the uncontrolled mega-fire so that it would never have done as much damage like today’s.
” If our ancestors were living with fire in a safe way, why can’t we?
“Fire has long been used to get rid of stuff we don’t want. Regular-prescribed-burns means less kindling on the forest floor and fewer smaller trees and shrubs that might make it hard to get through. And some plants and animals wouldn’t even be able to survive without fire. Thus, with an objectives of balancing the intensity of fire needed to kill some things we don’t want and to retain some things we do, and aware of the fire, it’s behavior, it’s effect and the time of when and where to burn the prescribed-regular-burns, and to avoid the accidental wildfires like last year (which we did not burn the regular-prescribed-burns since 2017, hence caused a massive damaged), we the Shirui Youth Club with the approval from the Assembly of Shirui has set the fire on the habitat of Shirui Lily for her own sake. And will be continuing with the practice of using fire (Prescribed-regular-burns) to balance, control, manage, and protect the environment and surroundings of “Beautiful Lily.”
It also added that “burning during this time of the month doesn’t affect the Shirui Lily as the root of the flower during this time stays underneath the soil. Also, the Shirui Youth Club has collected seeds and is planning to replant during the spring season.
The clarification was given out so as to subdue the hue and cry going viral on social media.
The Shirui Youth Club, within its capacity and resources, has been trying to mitigate the pressure on the state flower for the past many years without any financial or monitory assistance from the government. After much study and research, it was found that the most effective tool with the available resource to fight against the invasive shrub locally known as “Maram” is the practice of controlled fire.