Climate change adds to misery of harvest fest celebrations

Panaji: Tiswadi parishes reverberated with joy, as religio-cultural celebrations marked the annual harvest festival on August 24. Some locals were, however, hit by a streak of sadness, as fading agrarian traditions, climate change and other factors are reducing it to largely a ritual.

Novidade or Novem is celebrated with the usual ceremonial blessing of sheaves of paddy by parish priests, Eucharistic services, traditi-onal games and events. But some parishes were beset by their predicament of borrowing paddy for blessing from outside to prop up the festivities, despite large tracts of fertile land.

In one of the villages, parishioners even went home, sad and empty-handed, as there was no corn to bless and distribute to them.

“It was just a Mass, and the ceremonial procession to the paddy field was not held for the first time. The farmer (supplier) had not cultivated his field fearing birds and stray animals would destroy his isolated crop. We did approach other places, but the crop is delayed due to the unfavourable monsoon,” a parishioner said.

Though urbanisation has swallowed some fields in both Taleigao and Merces, local comunidades have kept the traditions alive. “The gaonkars of our comunidade are committed in this respect and we had raised the paddy crop for the festival in a land parcel reserved for festival crop,” said Xavier Almeida, attorney of Taleigao comunidade.

Sparse pre-monsoon rain and a delayed monsoon almost hit the festivities. “We transplanted the paddy late, but we got paddy at the milky stage for the festival and also provided it to three other parishes,” Almeida said.

In Merces, too, the local Morombi-O-Grande comunidade ensured a supply of paddy for the festival. But parish priest Fr Arnold Pinho pleaded with parishioners to protect their fields and sustain agrarian traditions. In days of yore, the Merces Church would hold three separate services for three comunidades instead of one now.

In Mandur, parishioners were thrilled as parish priest, Fr Manuel Gomes cut the corn in the church compound. “Cultivation here has been hit by salinity and stray cattle problems. Acting on our parish pastoral council’s idea, we raised the crop in the church compound, as it was easy to look after,” Viola Silveira, a parishioner said.

“Cortalim farmers were seen transplanting the paddy only last week. Paddy crop seems to have lost its time-table, showing clear signs of climate crisis due to an unprecedented monsoon pattern. The vulnerable Tiswadi taluka and its deteriorated bunds and sluice gates add to this stress. Agriculture and farmers will be the sole victims if we continue this approach of indifference,” Elsa Fernandes, an environmental architect said.


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