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 10th or 8th 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!!!!!!!!!!!!
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