Ever wondered how the smoking fish tikka ended up on your plate? The story is not limited to a kitchen and some condiments; it intricately laces the sweat, dreams and aspirations of hundreds of men and women whose lives depend on how much you enjoy your fish delicacy. And if you do, you ought to be thanking Neelkanth Mishra, the man who single-handedly pioneered a revolutionary change in the inland fisheries industry of India, generating ample employment opportunities for thousands of landless farmers and labourers.

Jaljeevika, the fishery-based non-profit organisation operated by Mishra and his team is the first of its kind, creating an elaborate network of aquaculture enterprises in India. Ashoka honoured Neelkanth Mishra in 2017 for his groundbreaking work, which is yet unnoticed by most of the Indians. In an exclusive conversation with The Logical Indian, he shares his journey, struggles and the millions of smiles he brought forth.

Introducing science and technology in fish farming The youth icon of hope

Born and brought up in the steel city Jamshedpur in Jharkhand, Mishra had consistently been a diligent student. After graduating in Mathematics from the prestigious Banaras Hindu University (BHU), he pursued his higher education in social work and rural development from abroad.

During his school days, he joined hands with his friends to set up a General Knowledge and Debating Society. Thousands of job aspirants from his town, who lacked exposure to the global news, benefited a lot through a platform for group discussion. He organised a literacy club for slum children, collecting funds from the local community, which also encouraged co-curricular activities among underprivileged kids.

He also operated the Akanksha science club in college, which survives in all its glory even after two decades. While still in college, Mishra got actively involved in youth politics and participated in many student movements, paving the way for his full-time dedication to a variety of social causes in later life.

Freshly graduated, Mishra engaged himself with the tribal community in Bihar where many women were being ostracised and tortured in the name of being witches. He realised that the underlying reality of witch hunting was merely to acquire the properties of widowed and single women without a family. Registering the help of a legal association, Mishra advocated these helpless women to stand up for their rights. Through community theatre, he extensively spread awareness about this malpractice. He collected over 150 case studies which served as ground evidence in his report to the State government. Within one and half years, the Bihar government became one of the first states to pass Anti Witch-Hunting Bill, which was soon replicated in Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, Rajasthan and a number of other states.

In 2001, a lot of media reports were surfacing about hunger deaths in Jharkhand. Determined to find a solution to this painful crisis, he pursued a meticulous social audit for two long years. Unscrupulous land-owners were taking advantage of the illiterate tribal farmers and deceiving them of their rightful land. Mishra talked and listened to the helpless families, promising them a healthier tomorrow. His active participation in the “Right To Food Movement” bore fruit when tribal farmers were successful in exercising their land rights.

Later he joined Hyderabad based NGO Centre For World Solidarity and co-ordinated their human rights campaigns in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand and Bihar. “I learnt a lot about the socio-economic rights and how to exercise them. I realised that a decent livelihood is also one of our fundamental human rights”, shares Neelkanth Mishra.

In 2006 he joined Oxfam where he was exposed to fisheries and aquaculture-based livelihood opportunities.

The journey of Jaljeevika

Working with Oxfam in drought-ridden Bundelkhand, he urged the grieving farmers to turn to inland fishery, utilising the unclaimed water bodies in the area.

“I approached many NGOs working in Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka to promote fishery among the unemployed population. Lack of technical know-how in pisciculture was the biggest challenge.” Mishra shares, “With minimal resources, it took me 5 to 6 years to scan through remote tribal areas, where I found over 15-20 lakh unused water bodies and even a greater number of small-scale farmers in pangs of hunger.”

Starting as a small team, Jaljeevika began their work with the landless farmers in Andhra Pradesh. On top of being severely exploited by atrocious landowners, these farmers were displaced from their homes due to a dam construction project.

“With no other option, they were collecting fish from the local reservoir and selling it to local traders at a meagre 35 rupees per kg. With our intervention, they learnt about the actual market price and negotiated with the unscrupulous traders. Finally, the traders agreed at 75 ru…