BAFFACOS

Environment and Forest Department	964
Agriculture Department	640
Horticulture Department	1570
Soil Conservation Department	275
AH& Department	648
Fisheries Department	335
Rural Development Department	2403
Industries Department	1772
Sericulture Department	290
Supply Department	578
Health Department	335
Information Department	176
PWD	2000
LAD	50
Lakhs-	12036

BAFFACOS

(Bamboo Flowering & Famine Combat Scheme)

As reported by the local newspaper Vanglani, dated 13^th march 2008, a report from the Assembly session extract, the amount of money spent on BAFFACOS was Rs.12036. Lakhs. The chief Minister of Mizoram, Mr Zoramthanga added that the amount sanctioned for Baffacos is Rs. 12,500.00 lakhs. The amount distributed among various Department under Govt. of Mizoram are shown in the table. BAFFACOS is a pilot project financed by the Government of India to combat famine related to Bamboo flowering in Mizoram which happens every 50 years. During the last bamboo flowering, in the year 1957 records suggest that there was a widespread famine throughout the state and the Government of India and the then State Government, Assam failed to address the situation is one reason which led to the uprising among the locals to fight for Independence from India.

Bamboo flowers, it flowers every 50 years bearing seeds which will be the next generation bamboo. It’s a natural phenomena, the process of nature to refresh the genetic composition of the bamboo species. This genetic programme inside the bamboo leads to the expression of certain genes producing proteins and activate some hormones to trigger bamboo to flower. Certain genes are then activated after flowering to die, a mass suicide, in scientific term we call it apoptosis or cell death. It is a natural process occurring in every organism. A simple example is our blood RBC’s which die every 120 days or 3 months.

A widespread coincidence or common phenomena occurs in the last bamboo flowering period. There is a rapid increase in the rat populations which destroys all the cultivated areas in the state, renders the people helpless and starves. It is not known that this was a related or separate phenomenon. Is the state unlucky that the bamboo flowering coincides with mass migration of rat species? What type of rat species? We don’t know?

The sad fact is that the Government of Mizoram with this amount of money do not set up Scientific investigation team to look into the very much needed biology of the bamboo flowering. Stopping the bamboo flowering is out of question, since it is a natural process, but the nature and effects can and must be studied for future generations. Much needed investigation are the biology of the bamboo which flowers. Isolating the part, the genes, the proteins, the hormones and the nature of the genetic composition are a must. In this Genetic age, we must look into the genetic perspective to understand the biology of the bamboo. Secondly, the ecology. Since bamboo is the dominant population of many forest in the state, it is important to study their biology, in terms of their mass death and its effect. A mass death will have adverse effects on the Ecology of the region, fertility of the soil, the composition of many mammals, birds, reptiles etc which are dependent on the bamboo forest for their survival. Investigation must be done on the regeneration capacity of the bamboo and vice versa.

There are many aspects which have to be studied, which for a non science background will just be boring. The fact remains, which is that bamboo flowering needs more scientific investigation. But as shown by the money distribution, no money, not a single peny have been allocated to investigate this incident, which in fact is one of the greatest failure of this project, BAFFACOS.