Nabanna: The poor share the joy in their own way

Children of poor families, enthusiastic over the prospect of celebrating nabanna utsab, a traditional festival of rural Bangladesh marking the harvest of new amon paddy, gather fallen paddy at a field in Nilphamari Sadar upazila. `Photo: STAR

An aroma of new paddy fills the air as amon crops harvesting season is going on in full swing in the district.
Families of farmers are now preparing to celebrate 'Nabanna Utsab,' the festival of new paddy harvest, throughout the country.
'Nabanna Utsab' is arranged while bringing the new amon paddy home from fields after harvesting. It is usually held from last week of Bangla month Agrahayan and continues till mid Poush (December).
During the time, different kinds of cakes, milkrice etc. are prepared with new paddy. Folk songs are sung by female members of family. Children enjoy the day singing and dancing.
Mojibar Rahman, convenor of Nilphamari committee on culture and heritage said 'Nabanna Utsab' is part and parcel of Bangalee life. People celebrate it in many ways to uphold the heritage.
Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) sources said that harvesting has been completed in 75 per cent paddy fields.
On a recent spot visit, it was found that vast paddy fields in villages wore golden colour. Different kinds of paddy with different names and sizes like B.R-11, swarna, paijam, nenia, kalogira and katari vogue have covered the entire area.
The poor and marginal families were also trying to share the joy of the festivity but with a difference.
At time of cutting and carrying paddy from fields to farmers' houses on shoulder or by push cart, a good amount of paddy corns fall off and scatter on the ground.
Children of the marginal families collect the scattered paddy from fields to arrange "Nabanna Utsab' at their houses.
They go to the paddy fields after the harvesting is over with small jute or polyethylene bags, plates, bamboo made baskets to collect paddy from croplands.
Poor children like Nazmul, Rabbani and Beauty of Monthna village in Kishoreganj upazila Rahima, Kazol, Noor Alam and others of Bogulagari village in Jaldhaka upazila said that they will also arrange 'Nabanna Utsab' at their houses. They said they get 20 kg to 40 kg paddy each throughout the season.
They also said that they sell a portion of the collected paddy to buy other ingredients to prepare cakes.
DAE sources said that during harvest, around 4 per cent paddy usually gets wasted amounting to about 12,000 metric tonne (MT) as 3 lakh MT is estimated to be produced in the district this year.
A good portion of the wasted paddy is sorted by children from fields to use it in arranging 'Nabanna Utsab'. The rest are wasted completely or eaten by rats and insects, they said.
According to DAE, there are 70 thousand landless families in the district. They belong to low income groups. Usually, children of those families gather scattered paddy from fields.
"Our children are so enthusiastic to collect scattered paddy that they go to fields at dawn and return in the evening," said Ramzan Ali.
District Primary Education Office (DPEO) sources informed that there are about 2.57 lakh school going children in the district.
During harvesting season, attendance rate drops to 50% to 60% although it is 98% in other time of the year, said Mizanur Rahman, monitoring officer of DPEO.