Gopalpur Memories – 29th Oct to 5th Nov, 2011

I got an opportunity to stay in a village after more than 3 years as a part of our Foundation Course Village Visit Programme where all the Officer Trainees are made to experience the grassroots realities for 1 week. I would have been happier had the course authorities selected more backward districts. We were divided into 9 groups and were sent to 9 districts across 4 states (Bijnor, Saharanpur, Bulandshahar districts in U.P., Haridwar, Uddhamsingh Nagar (Pant Nagar) districts in Uttarakhand, Bhiwani and Narnaul districts in Haryana and Sangrur and Mansa districts in Punjab). I got opportunity to stay in Gopalpur village of Bijnor district of UP. Four of my batch mates including me were staying here from 29th October to 5th November 2011. I also enjoyed celebrating my birthday here on 30th Oct walking around sugarcane fields, visiting several households, understanding jiggery making units, bricklins, tubewells, buffaloes and enjoying the sumptuous hospitality of the villagers.

It was indeed memorable to have been in Gopalpur and it added to my list of pleasant village stay experiences earlier. I have vivid memories of my earlier village stays in Surat, Dahod districts of Gujarat in the initial days of IRMA, later 45 days in Ondrajala village of Srikakulam district of A.P. during IRMA fieldwork, Harrapura, Pipalpura and Barra villages in Kesla block of M.P. when I was in PRADAN. Though I did not stay continuously in one village in Jatara, I still remember the countless times I used to sleep in the open air counting stars in those villages where I used to go either to sell poultry birds or monitor brooding of chicks.

Gopalpur – Microcosm of Colourful India

Gopalpur is on the borders of UP and Uttarakhand on the banks of Ganga river. The railway bridge on river Ganga near Balawali is only 2 kms away from the village. The old bridge constructed by the Britishers is still strong while the newly operational bridge has developed some cracks. Famous Ganga mela is held every year here on the full moon day after Diwali which we missed by few days (slated for 11th November). Though Gopalpur is far more developed than my PRADAN villages, it offered me new insights into rural India where I experienced a multi-caste & multi religion village seeing everybody getting mixed up so well. It was heartening to see Muslims, Hindus (Brahmin, Gujjar, Dheemar, Bunkar, Pal, Badhai, Harijan, Valmiki communities) staying together amicably for centuries.

Though different communities mostly stayed together (as I could make out after I drew the social map depicting the settlement pattern), we cannot easily draw an inference about the community by looking at the house. Probably, the strong agricultural base of the village ensured relative equality. But, it was even more heartening to see everybody sitting in others’ houses taking food and talking freely. I realized that the divisive politics taking the help of caste and religion only shatter the reality of one India where everybody mixes together so well. Education and economic opportunities are the real equalizers which must be promoted by the state more intensely.

Rural India in Transition

The village presented me the transitional phase of rural India in several respects. There were 2 government primary schools with full enrollment on paper and absenteeism on the ground in spite of reasonably decent mid day meals. There were also 4 private schools that charge roughly 50-100 Rs. per month per child with considerable attendance. Though the quality of teachers and infrastructure were found lacking in these private schools, the parents prefer to send their male children here while they send their girl children to government school. However, the overall learning skills of the children were very poor everywhere. I kept telling myself that it is a crime and shame of our society to let a child not being able to study and turn out to be a manual unskilled labourer.

The health condition also presented a similar picture. While the nearest Government Primary Health Center (PHC) had only few tables and injections to be given, there were 4 quacks (2 Bengalis and 2 retail pharmacists who also offer medical advice) practising in the village. There is huge shortage of government doctors and support staff. I kept wondering about how to ensure effective delivery mechanism when a Village Development Officer (VDO) and Panchayat Secretary has to take care of more than 25 panchayats in a radius of 20-25 kms.

Ensuring Performance without Corruption

Similarly, the local Police chowki had 3 constables who are expected to work for banks in the daytime, do gasti in the evening and do night duty as well in the nearby 18 villages. I am puzzled about ensuring corruption free administration when everybody like the Pradhan with 650 Rs. salary, anganwadi worker with 1500 Rs. salary, PDS dealer with 50 paise per kg. commission, and other employees with no TA & DA (though they keep travelling everyday on official duties) think that it is legitimate to take bribe to cover their costs.

At the same time, making somebody a permanent worker also does not seem to ensure performance on the ground. School teachers with sixth pay commission salaries and sweepers with decent emoluments are the most detested lot in the village for absolute dereliction of their duties. I am yet to find answers about the design structure and incentives needed to ensure performance without corruption.

Way ahead through Diversification

Gopalpur has a rich history in the form of Ganga Glassworks Pvt. Ltd. (a factory that used to manufacture variety of glass products with pristine sand on the riverbed). The factory that was operational in 1923, used to employ around 3000 workers from nearby villages in its heydays. Unfortunately, it got shut down in 1995 due to union – management conflicts. Gopalpur villagers recall how different it was altogether when many were working there along with additional economic activity due to the presence of the factory.

Hence, they kept telling us to press with the collector for the early commissioning of 40 MW NTPC thermal power plant which was surveyed but later on cancelled. The villagers were ready to accept lesser compensation also for the land foregone with the hope of getting few jobs and better power supply in contrast to the present dismal 6 hours a day supply. I realized that even in agriculturally better off villages like Gopalpur, there is excess farm labour who wants to move out given any better opportunity. On one hand, diversification in terms of crops is required to make farming more remunerative and productive. On the other hand, skill building of huge numbers of youth is needed to give such non-farm jobs which can match their aspirations.

Gender Perspective

Looking at the discrimination of women, I realized that gender is a tougher nut to crack than poverty also. Though I experienced purdah system in Bundelkhand, it was starker here. I expected the presence of Pradhan pati. But, I was shocked to see that women ward members never even attend panchayat meetings. They even do not know about the other woman ward members. I was even more disappointed when I noticed in the school that all girls are made to study home science whereas boys study maths after 8th class. I started feeling in Gopalpur that we need to make it our special mission to ensure gender equality in all respects.

Nature’s Fury

I was shocked to see the lateral erosion of Ganga banks that already swept away few villages and continues to threaten many more. When large masses of land were being swept by water within few minutes in front of my eyes, I was wondering about the solutions to such nature’s fury. Government constructed few embankments made of boulders. But, such piecemeal efforts could not withstand the fury of mighty Ganges. Similarly, continuous usage of land without any break led to soil erosion. Water intensive crops such as sugarcane and water sucking plants like poplar and eucalyptus also reduced the groundwater table to alarming levels. We need gar greater imagination to shift to other remunerative and sustainable avenues without endangering present day farm economics.

Sweet Memories

I could not as freely interact with the villagers as when I was in PRADAN. The villagers were directed beforehand to treat the young babus well and our interaction was definitely colored by the expectations and perception of the villagers about Officers. Moreover, the elaborate arrangements made for our stay and the contingent of government staff moving along increased the gap between us and the villagers. However, I could get genuine responses when I went individually to some households in the evening and early morning. I would have loved to eat more number of times in their homes than in the community center where we were staying.

As a whole, the visit only reaffirmed my love for rural India. I feel as if my inner self beats for villages. I continue to derive tremendous energy whenever I interact with poor farmers, children, women there. I cannot finish my account without mentioning about village Pradhan (Bramhapal Singh) whose wisdom, humility and affection made me gain valuable insights into village life. He reinforced my faith in Panchayati Raj Institutions as real vehicles of local self governance in spite of many shortcomings. I look forward to visiting Gopalpur again in few years to see how it evolves and also experience the affection of villagers once again and more often.