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How is the chapchar kut festival connected to shifting agriculture?

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Map highlighting the northeastern Indian state of Mizoram in orange, with its capital Aizawl marked. Surrounding countries including Bangladesh, Myanmar, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and the Maldives are shown in relation to India, with major bodies of water like the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, and Indian Ocean labeled. — Mizoram Mizoram, India.

In Mizoram, the chapchar kut festival is deeply connected to the cycle of shifting agriculture, locally known as jhum.1

The festival is held annually, typically in March, to mark the start of the agricultural year. Its timing is specifically determined by the progress of the jhum cultivation process: it takes place after the forest has been felled but before the burning of the new fields begins. By celebrating at this juncture, the community observes a significant phase in their traditional land-use system, which involves clearing tracts of land, cultivating them for a limited period, and then allowing the soil to regenerate.1