मेरा गाँव मेरा देश

written in 2010 

Family, Village and the Nation these three basic institutions have created my existence, nourished the soul and shaped my personality to live a meaningful life. My family and village happily accepted my identity as a free Man, thoroughly supported my desire and dreams to flourish. Here, I heard the saga of the great human civilization. Here I learnt to respect proved facts. I interfaced my position in that society, who are the streams of great Vedic civilization, who expresses Vasudaiv Kutumbakam and Satyamev Jayate in letter and spirit. Here I observed freedom, equality and fraternity. I learnt its glorious past in human history. Neither I faced scarcity nor bad standard of minimum life requirements. Always got a green Signal. These institutions led me to love the three colours. I accepted the wheel on Tri-colours as proved fact. I saw Ashoka as an ideal with minor differences, less on means  and more on mode. I appreciated the direction of development which is precisely scrutinized.

I respect the nation in true sense like all. But I want to mention here that is family and village which brought me to this affair. When I see more than half world’s population under direct or indirect authoritarian regime, majority of developing and underdeveloped nations suffering from tyranny and Human abuse, I feel fortunate being Indian. This is why for most of the differences at national and International level, I consider my family and village as a complete unit for scaling the national progress.

India is the country of villages. It is designed as a complete and smallest economical, social and political unit of the Nation. That is family and village where I got identity and got recognition for a Bright future. In return, they expected only to be the flag bearer of the Society’s ethos. But sadly, all were not as fortunate as i became. Maximum surrendered upto primary education, very few competed secondary and higher studies were highly rare. Now I am not in continuous affair with my village since a long time. Higher education have highly separated me from this affair. In this period, Villages have witnessed metamorphic changes at economic, political and social level. Family structure is at crossroad in a transition stage between composite and nuclear structure. Village is still a cast based society. Economic growth of underdeveloped classes has unbiased the gap at economic and political level. But the ill effect of growth steplessness has polluted the rural atmosphere. Castism and cast politics is on its peak. One can not smell its presence through election results and data. But liberal stand can be recognized easily in village society how it do absorb the cases of inter-caste marriages. Like majority of Indian villages, my village never hang such couple, no matter if neglects. Such kind of liberal stand in majority of Indian villages reflect the maturity and strength of Indian democracy. Authoritarian stand is exceptional. But one who breaks the law come under jurisdiction. As far girl’s foeticide is concerned, it’s a family level problem. Village society do not support such ill practices. Slavery, untouchability and child marriages are history now with some exceptions.

Arrival of Banking in rural sector has developed it effectively. I see my village with increased purchasing power. Modern houses, enormous increase in two wheeler, and modern agricultural machines, are the evidences. Villagers are serious about child education. Inequality between boys and girls have drastically reduced in conduct and appreciations.

Besides all these developments, I see the village in complete helplessness on political front which is highly corruptionized. The lack of accountability and the extreme rivalism are common. Village politics is repleted with ill practices and it is not structured to breeze between economic and social life. In simple words, neither it is dealing with village economy nor with village’s social life directly. Village politics is either cast politics or part of state level politics.

Village politics in its pure meaning must be structured to look after the village economy and society. But each and every village in India is the mirror of state developments, so mine also. Lack of cultural promotions, healthy social practices and economy centered politics at state level in Bihar shaped a replica of its own at village level.

Government comes to the door of a family via village and in village via local government. But the monsters of local government are not equipped with abilities to address the village sufferings. Villagers are in a state of dissatisfaction with unidirectional governance. Village politics have no plan for meaningful utilization of its resources. They express no concern for degrading greenery, arrangement of basic amenities like education, health care and playgrounds. It has structured itself only to catch government policy and fund skillfully.

To some extent, reservations for women in Panchayti Raj have empowered women to contribute their best to the society. However, husbands utilizing wives political status and stature are not uncommon. I do not find panchayti Raj in lines of its historical distinctions in my village. It differs in formation, formulation and aims.

Village demography suggest for a comprehensive and integrated attempt to develop the village. Individual and solitary attempt may create imbalance and it can hamper the idea of a dream village. Village of my dream is a unit of society where modernization reflect but not at the cost of natural beauty and rural essence. I see the village’s Gram Sabha as the replica of our parliament. I want to see it dealing with a plan for all and for meaningful utilization of resources in a village. Gram Sabha must work for providing social, economical and geographical identity to the villagers. It should formulate a better production and distribution system inside village and then marketing of surplus product outside village. Gram Sabha must work on financial inclusion programme for villagers. It must formulate plan to establish the term “the villagers” as a respectable identify. It must have plan for meaningful implementation and execution of different government projects under fixed head as health, education and basic amenities.

There are several villages where there is no banks, post office, internet café or information centre and many other essential institutions. Gram Sabha can establish their

own facilitation centre and it can merge their services with distantly available post office, bank and other institutions. It can make attempt for direct establishment citing them the need of villagers and the profit to the institutions. It can generate credit for its population. Gram Sabha must have plan for village beautification. Proper housing, Green belt, land management, transportation, Plantation on the bank of rivers and along roadside, boating, agrotourism must be the concern of an ideal Gram sabha. They must have their own census and a well defined annual budget. They can establish herbal and organic market they can come with new ideas like a rural and community restaurant at field serving fresh and hygienic, seasonal and regional tastes. Gram Sabha can establish itself as a training institution for college students by assigning them project on census and survey. Survey of land, resources, flora and fauna. They can develop micro industries like food processing , medicinal products, and many others. It can formulate strategy against natural disaster, drought and flood by designing its aim, structure, budget and account as the replica of the nation’s apex institution.

Approach of designing an ideal Gram Sabha is far better than planning ideal villages here and there. Let them attain stability at their own effort. Just shape the Gram Sabha, it will mold an ideal village automatically. Let the village be called India.