In Assam, ex-militants gun for eco-friendly glory

From wielding guns and grenades inside jungles to making eco-friendly plates from tamul leaves (betelnut leaves and barks), Sagar Daimary's life took a complete U-turn in 2018, when he bid farewell to arms after five-year's stint in NDFB-S, a militant group in Assam.

Daimary, a resident of western Assam's Nalbari district wanted to start life afresh, financially support his family and live with dignity. "I was clueless about how to earn my livelihood in my village where there is no proper work available," said Sagar, who along with three other former militants started a unit to manufacture eco-friendly tamul plates and bowls in December 2019 with the help of the army and Aseem Foundation, a Pune-based NGO.

The hard work and dedication started yielding results with four of them already producing first consignment for sale in the market. "We not only procured and transported the machinery from South India but also provided them training on how to collect the raw materials and make the products. The first lot of products fetched Rs 10,000 recently in local markets. We hope to increase the production gradually and help them sell their products in other parts of the country, as well," president of Aseem Foundation, Sarang Gosawi told DH over phone on Thursday.

"These products are used in serving food in offices, parties or big events. They are eco-friendly. So these products will not only help us check use of plastics but also provide employment to people like them and their families," he said.

Army, which helped in mobilisation of the youths and in transportation of the machinery and other logistics, is hopeful of transforming the lives of former militants and their families. "The raw materials are locally available but they used to go waste earlier due to lack of knowledge and skills about its potential. The local youths are happy after the initial success of the pilot project at Borrangajuli village near Tamulpur in Baksa district and they now want to replicate in other villages," said Harsh Wardhan Pande, public relations officer (defence) posted at Tezpur, the headquarters of Army's 4 corps.

Success of this project will lead to several such manufacturing units in the future for employment of local youths including former militants, who are normally clueless about their future after leaving the path of violence, Pande said.

Goswi said Aseem Foundation is also implementing similar income generating projects like bakery units for former militants in Jammu and Kashmir.