LIFE IN AN INDIAN VILLAGE
The cock crows, the cow lows and the whole village rise from a peaceful slumber. The life of people in an Indian village is generally drab and laborious. Most of them do not own land. Still they are farmers ploughing lands of others. Some work as landless labourers. Other who a bit better off till other’s land on contract. But they have to put in hard labour. Work begins with the crowing of the cock before the dawn and continues till it is dark in the evening.
Most of the villagers have their old plough. A few have tractors and other modern implements. But their number is negligible. As most of the lands are small modern implements can neither be used nor afforded. The 80% people who live in villages more than 60% lead a life which is almost a serf’s life. They have to depend upon prosperous landlords, moneylenders and petty businessmen. All exploit these poor men.
For the artisan life in a village is gradually becoming unbearable the Industrialization has snatched his bread. When he is at the verge of begging he either joins the rank of bonded labour or moves to cities in search of a job. In the city he loses his identity. About 30% of the villagers belong to scheduled castes. They live in small mud houses on the outskirts of the village. Even in this scientific age they are treated worse even than pet animals. They cannot move freely in the village and are hated by the so called upper caste people. The government passes laws for their freedom and gives them many facilities. The monetary help never reaches them.
Most of the villages have no school and have no facility of drinking water. Medical aid is not available. Poverty and ignorance are the two devils that hold the Indian villages in their clutches. Socially they are discarded and exploited. The scheming politicians take advantage of the situation and exploit them at the time of elections. Of late there is control of mafias in villages. Murders have become a common feature of Panchayat elections.
Under these circumstances the Panchayat Raj Amendment Act would aggravate the socio-political problems in the Indian villages. Their ignorance does not allow them to check their population. The rise in population, ignorance and poverty are a curse for the villages. For the politicians, selfish officials and rural mafias the villages have become a haven.
