Education: Still an Illusion

I once visited a local government school. Can you imagine the chaos I found myself in!!!

There were two three kids washing their 'guruji's' motorbike, there was a another boy who was singing for the 'guruji' while the 'guruji' was snoring in his chair and all the other students were doing something or the other waiting eagerly for the afternoon meal to be served.

This is no story. It is a stark reality that faces rural India. Government is trying all that it can to boost elementary education in villages under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, except providing education. Government should take appropriate steps to provide quality education to the villagers along with the meal they provide. Because of 'gurujis' like the one mentioned and the education as poor as being taught nothing; 9/10th of the students who have joined schools have done so for the daily meal and not for education. The remaining 1/10th put in a lot of effort to study on their own to qualify their 8th and 10th board exams and study further. According to me, we do not elect governments for charity but for empowerment.

What is your take? It is time for us to ponder and take up the challenge for ensuring better quality education to the rural folk, if we want to include them in the Indian growth story.

Poor infrastructure

There has been much talk about improvement of rural infrastructure which is yet to materialize. Rural infrastructure is horribly backward and in need for attention and it is a big question that the government needs to answer: What happens to the crores of allocations towards rural infrastructure?

The roads are in bad shape. Only the highways and few other roads are metalled, pucca roads. All the other roads are either kachha roads or cement ones that the government boasts underPradhanmantri Gram Sadak Yojana. These cement roads are rough ones and in very less time the cement and sand start coming off and eventually, there is no road in sight. These roads are not capable to bear much load and meant basically for walking, cycling and light vehicles to a very less extent. Frequent use of motorbikes and motor cars also chips off the road. There is a heavy dearth of bridges across rivers and people use boats or bamboo bridges to travel across during rains.

Residence facilities are also not adequate. Most of the houses are kachha houses with thatched or tiled roofs, there is no pipe water connection and people have to carry water from hand-pumps, wells or rivers, ponds, etc.

Telecommunication has increased to a great extent with a lot of private players coming in. People have started using mobile phones.

Electricity is another big problem. The villages are poorly electrified and for those villages that are electrified have poor service. The power cuts are frequent and downtime is pretty long.

However, irrigation has improved in a number of villages. Yet, it has a long long way to go.

The time is ripe for public-private partnerships in infrastructure projects as well. When, our potential lies in the villages, we need to wake up to rural development. Villages hold huge resources especially in terms of agri-based products. Improvement in infrastructure will improve procurement , logistics and supply chain capabilities.

Second Big Problem: Desperate Borrowing & Exploitative Lending

In the last article,we saw that the biggest boon which is also the biggest problem in villages in the concept of satisfaction with what people have. The next biggest problem is desperate borrowing and exploitative lending.

Numerous reports have brought to light the exploitative lending through unimaginable lending rates by the unorganized lending sector comprising of local money-lenders. There are instances where the lending rates have exceeded 100% on a monthly basis. The villagers who mostly depend on agriculture, cattle-rearing or small cottage industries require credit when weather conditions are adverse, for marriages and similar family functions and even for paying fines when they go against the village rules. In most cases, the local lenders provide credit at higher rates especially because the villagers require quick access to credit and banks take time to process even small loans of Rs.10,000. At the same time, most of the villagers are illiterate and they shy away from the hassle of paperwork. along with this, it becomes difficult for the villagers to understand the concept of interest payments + installment payments of the principal.

Since, the villagers do not get to see the bankers regularly or on a daily basis, it becomes very difficult for them to trust the banks.

On the other hand, the money lenders in the village are generally the wealthy class in the village who are highly influential.

This type of desperate borrowing and exploitative lending has led to many villagers losing their land, cattle and other property and at the same time a vicious cycle of inheriting debt and bestowing debt to the offspring.

What can be done to remove this problem is the big question?

First, there needs to be awareness amongst the villagers. We need to educate them to take advantage of the multiple benefits that the government is inclined to provide them through cheap financing.

We also need to address the credit needs through innovations in microfinance.

Operational efficiencies of the rural banks need to be developed to cater to the villagers.

What do you have to offer or say???

Reasons for Backwardness

This week I will be trying to unravel the reasons behind the rural backwardness.

Studies reveal that rural India has failed to be a part of the phenomenal growth story of India that has caught the world’s attention. Along with this, the poor continue to remain poor. Questions are being raised as to the correctness of the per capita income information published by the research houses and it is very true that many of the rural India pictures that are being drawn by the erudite are just too out of place. The paradox is similar to that of eradication of poverty being discussed in five star and seven star hotels or writers becoming rich by writing about poverty in India.

The first major weakness which is in fact a strength for rural India to continue to remain rural is the concept of SATISFACTION.

Having been exploited and still being exploited by the urban rich, the villagers feel that their safety lies in being in the village. I have observed this stark reality very closely. I stay in a village in Orissa which is hardly 30 kilometres from the industrial steel city of Rourkela. Almost 70% of fresh vegetables in Rourkela come from the villages that lie in the rail route from Chakradharpur to Rourkela. Local Government hospital, schools, Banks and post-offices are available to the villagers. Almost all the basic needs of the people are met within the village itself. Though there are no fuel stations or proper telecommunication channels or electricity, people do not feel the need as they cook using wood or coal, travel on foot or bicycle, have most of their relatives either in the same village or in the neighbouring villages that takes about a couple of hours to travel by bicycle, people sleep early and wake up early...

People are satisfied with what they are and what they have. My village is basically dependent on agriculture and plantation of teak and sal. Almost everyone in the village owns their own land and have sufficient crop for themselves as well as surplus for selling. There is an active business of selling tendu leaves, cashew, madhuca indica and some forest fruits that are pretty expensive.

In short, it’s like a small world. I have seen a few other villages which are pretty much similar. Even in this self – sufficiency they are exploited when they sell the surplus to intermediaries who offer very low prices. This has created aloofness and they look at globalization as a weapon that is taking away what they have.

I was amazed when I found out that 90% of my village population has never been to Rourkela. Of the 10%, over 5% would have visited due to sheer necessity like better medical facilities, about 3 – 4 % visit Rourkela on a regular basis because they have opened shops and they need replenishments and about 1% like me frequently visit because we have moved in from the city life to village life but yet need our LPG requirements, Fuel for cars and generators and whole lot of everyday necessities because our needs go beyond Lifebuoy soap and few other things that are available in the village market. Others are satisfied with what they have...

A few times I have tried putting before them the need to globalize, need for education that goes beyond 10^th or 8^th grade and need for standing up for themselves rather than others reaping the fruits of their labour. But the response is sad because they are satisfied. All that they need is 3 proper meals a day, proper clothes to put on which is available to them at almost 30 – 40% higher price in the local market, a movie per week in the Video Hall (where a TV is put on a table and people sit on the floor and watch movie from a DVD). The movie is optional. They do not want higher bank balances or risk management tools because it seems they are born with Murphy’s law engrained in their brains.

Entrepreneurial bent is aggressively discouraged.

They do not want modernization to take place in the village because they are very nature friendly and do not want the greenery to go, the climate to become adverse and the air to become polluted. They are happy the way they are.

In a way they are right in being so protective about their village. What they do not understand is that globalization will creep in no matter how much they shut themselves and then they will be severely exploited by those who took their initiative to capitalize and gain advantage. Highways have started coming up and electricity and telecommunications is fast catching up. I have noticed infrastructure being developed with Mittal’s plan and visit to the nearby Iron ore mines. The villagers need to come out of their concept of satisfaction and start exploring avenues that will place them at an advantage.

According to me this is the biggest handicap.

Keep watching this space for the other problems to follow and perhaps you can be the one to help solve some of them.

Have a nice day!!!!!!!!!!!!

Starting the Tour

It is very easy to be in the comfort of the City life and speak about improving rural India because it all seems so fantastic...

It really is a fantasy... when you step into the village life and taste the reality things are different. Through this blog I want to share my experiences with you....

.... Straight from the Village - Rural India

Keeping watching this space for hard facts that will amaze you and draw you closer to the Village..

Regards,

The Villager