The season of transplantation in Kashmir valley seems extremely ebullient and exquisite from the month of May till the end of June. It sets out in Kashmir as if it wakes us up from long winter hibernation. Everyone gets geared up to start working in fields and apple orchids. In the first week of April, sowing of seed grains commences for which seedbeds are prepared. These sowed grains take almost 40 days to get turned into seedlings under proper care. Searching out of tools and implements in homes like spades, Mattocks and reeks to get them repaired from blacksmiths. We also buy some new tools of the same kind if required so that they can be used in fields for different purposes. Members of the families would love to help each other for doing field chores and children also feel happy to work with their parents. All are looking very excited to be part of this work. These moments are intriguing and ravishing that nobody wants to miss them. Indeed, we love to visit fields frequently to check what has been left undone. So it creates a strong passion in us that develops a sense of willingness for doing work. On every side, there is seeing a rush of carrying seedlings from one place to another in Autos, Tata mobiles etc; even employees in Govt and Private sectors take leaves for one or two days to help their family. A single family member is not liable to do all field chores since it is a complex work that needs a joint effort to share the burden with others. It is considered a major part of economic sources for big farmers to earn their livelihoods.
At the initial stage, unwanted grasses are removed out that usually grow in fields. It is a pre phase for cleaning lands by giving a sharp cut obliquely on sides (Baren Heun) and digging out of corners in a triangular shape (Koonje Kaden) before the first stage of tillage. After that distribution of manures over dry fields that get mixed up with soil for increasing soil fertility. It enables saplings to grow and keeps them erect that leads to increase in annual production of grains. In next few days, tillage gets started over dry fields. There after comes a time when fields have to irrigate with a huge supply of water that probably lasts for two or three days till the soil gets fully saturated. Then again final tillage process begins to operate over wetted fields in which Tractors and Tillers are being run to prepare fields. These have replaced oxen ploughing since technology waded into public domain. In Kashmir, there are two types of paddy fields; Dry and Marshy depend on the availability of water. In marshy fields, it usually remains saturated by having plenty of water throughout the year but in case of dry fields that need to irrigate with water constantly through canals and drains for the growing of paddy plants.
After tillage process, fields have to be leveled by using a number of tools so that the water will move uniformly without creating bumps and grooves. It should be done on each side in such a way that it can be quite fit for paddy plantation. Besides putting mud on four sides (Bare Berni) and polishing smoothly from bottom to top in order to thwart them from leakage of water. A type of fertilizer is used after leveling fields. It prevents weeds and grasses from growing after plantation. Following steps to be taken later to finish the final work i.e. the plantation of paddy seedlings in fields which is the most beautiful and glorious time for us. These seedlings are uniformly distributed in fields. Women in Kashmir have been traditionally got experienced to plant the seedlings. They sing songs of the famous Kashmiri Sufis saints while planting these seedlings. Such moments are filled with joy and happiness. Men usually were very shy to work with women in fields but now they equally participate with them in plantation.
From last one decade, we have become either disinterested to work in fields during this season or got much busy with our daily schedules. We dislike working in fields particularly in the month of June when transplantation season gets started. It is not good to do away with this tradition as it has a great significance in Kashmir. Evidently traditions have descended from our forefathers over generations to generations but now it seems a constant decline in Kashmiri traditions owing to deep negligence. There is a heavy downfall in preserving of such important traditions in future when people consider for having no importance in them. It represents Kashmir’s own culture and traditional identity. The death of such traditions and customs is the death of Kashmir’s legacy. Thalkaden and Thalruven, a beautiful work but now it has been given to outside laborers as nicknamed (Baher). They come in soldiers and take out seedlings from seedbed and then transport them into fields. With the advent of science and technology, the way of living in Kashmir has got little more changed that eventually affects our lifestyle and work. It has immensely brought an irreversible change in all walks of life.
Therefore, such new styles rekindle us for selling lands to set up businesses. Even big farmers have sold good amounts of land to invest money in businesses. Trade and business avenues are regarded as important sources for earning high profits. Nowadays everyone is in rush to earn by legally or illegally due to harder challenges of life. People find new opportunities by selling lands but it is not good to go to any extent to do whatever seems good to him. Lands are such assets whose value always gets increased and there is no depreciation over it. Lands are naturally gifted to us for agricultural activity; livestock rearing and so on but selling of lands unwisely or used it for commercial purposes has a great negative impact. Our upcoming future generation at least would understand that our parents had much land for procurement of rice grains and other produce but at the end they have sold even inches of land thereby causing us to suffer.

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