I like the rural life. I have lived in towns, cities, small
towns, metropolitans et cetera. And after almost two decades of living in all
these geographical varieties I have come to the conclusion that I like the
rural life. Now some people might say that I haven’t lived for long in any
rural area that’s why I am romanticizing it. Others also might accuse me of
being ignorant to the plethora of problems rural people have to face on a daily
basis. Maybe they are correct as well. It will definitely be annoying to travel
some 10- 15 kms to avail of basic facilities which we take for granted in
cities. Indian rural life statistically is not very high on infrastructural
amenities and when it comes to rural areas in Northern India especially Bihar,
the statistics descend to lower levels. Ambedkar believed rural areas to be a den
of ignorance and superstition. I definitely agree with him. The Indian rural
life is characterized by extreme caste divisions and laden with absurd
superstitions and dogmas. And it is wrongly believed that people here are very
simple rural folk who survive on modest things in life. Human nature I believe
is same everywhere irrespective of the geographical surroundings one resides
in. It might differ in limited intensities but largely it is similar. Either it
is Hobbesian or sometimes Lockean, or sometimes, only sometimes a little
different than these two. So in rural areas most of the people rely on mammoth superstition,
the area is small so everyone makes it a point in meddling in each other’s
affairs.
But even after this whole gamut of ills that plague the
Indian rural life, I am still fascinated by it. I have travelled through rural areas of most
of the Northern states of India viz. Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan,
Uttarakhand, Haryana et al. My parents have always made it a point since
childhood to make us (I and my brother) rooted. They have continuously and
consistently tried on their part to take us to our ancestral places, from where
it all began, where the roots lie stable and intact. So from very early on life
we have lived two lives, one characterized by the materialism and facilities of
urban India & the other drawn by earthiness and ignorance of rural India. And
we have become totally at ease with both the lives now. Sometimes we were in
cities, enjoying all the facilities modern India could offer at other times we
were looking at farmers slogging hard on their land. Sometimes we were in the
comforts of our house wondering which movies to watch, at other times we were
without electricity (now many villages have got electricity poles, which not
always functions) being bit my mosquitoes occasionally. This dual life made us
realize the perks of both the places simultaneously teaching us the values of
life and significance of everything which should not be taken for granted. It also
made us aware of the detriments of these respective areas. The most important
thing that happened was that we got the right to choose.
Having choices in life is very essential. Apart from being
democratic, having choices also gives one a little broader and wider picture to
decide from, unlike when one is imposed with something to one’s utter dislike. So
in possession of these choices we were on the beneficial side as I like to
think. It made us realize that there is more to life than just the things we
see in the finite comforts of life. There is always a sense of freshness
accompanying the rural areas. Probably due to less developed roads the loud and
brash sound of vehicles is rare to hear. There is a lot of greenery, everywhere
surrounding you. You can actually hear the little birds chirping in a fresh silent
morning. An ideal day begins with that gentle noise. Some people wake up, some
choose not to. There is no rush on the uneven branched roads to reach any
destination or meet certain deadline. Mostly people are carefree and have the
unthinkable of little innovations to carry on their lives (maybe scarcity of
resources has taught them that). If you are able to get up early, you can just
soak in all the Vitamin-D, sun has to offer while walking through the greenest
of fields. You can see people making their way to their respective fields with
few instruments in their hand always accompanied by someone or the other. The serene
atmosphere maybe occasionally interrupted by loud conversations, since it is
mandatory for everyone to speak to all those people who cross their paths. When
the sun rises a little higher, raising the temperature you are instantly
reminded of the cities and the various facilities it can offer that very moment
to cool you down. However you survive all that throughout the day listening to
chattering of people and just sitting their observing the surplus of never
ending topics, interrupted only by arrival of food. The evenings are usually picturesque
if you are again feeling active and want to take a walk to the fields. Now you can
witness people returning home, glistening with sweat and wearing a satisfactory
look (sometimes it just makes me think of dropping all the ambitions I have in
life and just become a farmer).
This old world charm where you have the liberty
to do everything, where you work hard and then feed yourself is bound to give a
sense of contentment. Reminds me of Tolstoy farms which Mahatama Gandhi had set
up in Africa that became witness to his Satyagraha experiments. Children there were
engaged in manual work and skill learning of fixed hours without any discrimination
on the basis of gender or class. It makes me wonder about this visionary that
Gandhi was. He must have realized the value of simple joys of life that’s why
he always believed that if villages perish India will perish too. In Tolstoy
farms all the basic facilities were available; there was cleanliness and
definitely no superstition. It was not a den of ignorance but of enlightenment.
What if something like that can be inculcated in our rural areas?
What if basic infrastructural facilities are available and one does not have to
travel few kms for smallest of things? What if in that limited area with less
population, people emulate the sustainable development models? The government, the individuals all the
stakeholders will have to work together to make that sort of a dream a reality.
The picturesque rural area will be a paradise to live in then. I am reminded of
the mesmerizing hobbiton village (New Zealand) in Lord of the
rings which has now become a tourist spot. That sort of a rural area is little
too much good to be real. But there are plenty of rural areas across the world
which possesses all the facilities of city and all the calmness of villages. This
old world charm seems to be always growing on me whenever I see and visit the
rural areas. Practically and policy wise also India can only develop
comprehensively and inclusively when the large no. of villages are taken care
of, when they are pulled out of their den of ignorance and endowed with a Tolstoy
farm like idea or maybe a hobbiton.
Probably I am
burdened with the extreme consumerism and rush of urban life and trying to find
solace in the unpretentious rural areas. But I am sure one day when the covetous
standards of cities reach its pinnacle, a whole cycle will be completed and
people will look back and return to these simple geographical areas from where
it all began. Maybe just to check whether the root is still intact. The idealist in me remains hopeful.
In the hope of a
better world!