Hafizur Rahman
In the heart of Arakan, Myanmar, the monsoon season sweeps across the land, bringing life and renewal to the paddy fields that have sustained the Rohingya people for generations. Over five months, this transformation from barren plots to vibrant green expanses is nothing short of remarkable. For the Rohingya community, these fields are more than a source of food; they are a vital expression of heritage, resilience, and unity.
Each rainy season, as the sky darkens with clouds and the first raindrops fall, the Rohingya people come together to prepare the fields. Side by side in the flooded earth, they plant seedlings with a dedication and reverence that reaches back through generations. The process, involving long hours of labor, is a collective ritual, weaving bonds between the community and their land, and reinforcing connections between neighbors, family members, and friends. In these shared moments, the Rohingya find strength and solidarity.
Throughout the monsoon, the fields flourish under the nurturing hands of these farmers. With each passing day, the seedlings grow taller, nourished by the rain, transforming the landscape into a sea of lush green. By the season’s peak, these once-empty fields have become symbols of life and abundance—a beautiful sight that stretches as far as the eye can see. When the rains begin to fade, the fields turn golden, signaling the harvest. For the Rohingya people, this is a time of gratitude and fulfillment, marking another season of hard work and a new supply of rice that will feed their families.
The significance of these paddy fields runs deeper than their role as a food source. Each season, as families gather around meals made from the rice they have grown, they are reminded of their heritage. Elders pass down stories of past harvests, instilling in younger generations a sense of pride, history, and responsibility. In these shared narratives, the youth find a connection to their culture and a duty to carry forward the legacy of those who came before them.
Despite the many adversities they face, the paddy fields offer the Rohingya people a symbol of hope and stability. Cultivating these fields sustains them physically, yes, but it also uplifts them spiritually. Each monsoon season, as they nurture the land, they are preserving their heritage and passing it down to the generations who will carry on this centuries-old tradition.
The paddy fields of Arakan are not just fields of rice—they are living symbols of the Rohingya’s enduring spirit, their cultural identity, and their unbreakable bond to their homeland. In every green shoot, every handful of soil, and every grain of rice, the story of the Rohingya people is written. As they cultivate these fields each season, they are planting seeds not only of rice but of resilience, ensuring their heritage lives on, season after season, for generations to come.
