Rural India is The Real India

It is well said that Earlier, people used to reside in villages, then they shifted towards cities and now they live on the internet(world of social media). But this Pandemic of COVID-19 has made us realize the importance of our roots. India is a country whose more than 70% population depends on agriculture and contributed 17-18% of its total GDP.

The situation of migrants laborers should have made us realize the importance of our land, our birthplace which we normally neglect. People from economically backward states like Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal migrates towards cities (Metropolitan like Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad) to find a better livelihood. But, this pandemic showed us that no place is better and safer than their native places. 

A lot of questions also arises ...............

Do we don't have enough employment for them in Rural areas?

Do they don't get a proper livelihood in villages?

Are governments failing to provide proper resources and employment?

What attracts them to these cities?

Why do only people from north Indian states migrate in a large number?

Well, I have the answer to some of these questions....................................

Attraction towards Cities

The biggest thing is the attraction among the younger ones. 

In rural areas, traditional values are higher. On the contrary, in urban areas, People have the liberty of unrestrained observance of modern values. The modern and western values are highly attractive to the youth. Therefore, this class of the population is more motivated towards urban-ward migration.

The effect of all these facts is very sad, most of them do not get the desired job. They mostly get engaged in small-scale jobs that pay them less than the amount they can earn by cultivating in their fields. The younger population migrates to other places like Punjab or so even if they have to work in agricultural fields.

They feel like working in their villages would not give them the proper dignity that they get in urban areas.

अब पहुंची हो, सड़क तुम गांव।

जब पूरा गांव,शहर जा चुका है।

Do rural areas don't have enough employment for them?

The answer to this question can be YES to some extent and NO to others. 

Today, there is an acute shortage of agricultural laborers in many areas of the Indian countryside. Take the example of eastern Uttar Pradesh, where the main reason for this is the unwillingness on the part of the villagers to work on the fields of the landlords of their own villages. The government projects get stuck due to the lack of laborers in rural areas. Providing employment becomes challenging because individuals mostly reside in poverty and backwardness, due to low educational qualifications and no skills they mostly remain unaware of the opportunities and projects where they can work.

Also, we cannot deny the fact that villages had always been underdeveloped and they suffer from a lack of educational facilities. According to an ILO report, cited by N.V. Sovani in his book Urbanization and Urban India (1996), the main push factor causing the worker to leave agriculture is the lower level of income. People migrate towards urban areas in the search of better Medical facilities and better education for their children.

The Vegetable Farming challenge

Here I have a very inspiring story.....

Since the lockdown was announced on March 21, the people of Vadakkekara village of Ernakulam district in Kochi, Kerala had decided to utilize this time. After a public meeting, they had decided that they will start growing vegetables in the vacant lands and terraces of their homes. In the first week, around 4800 families had joined and after some days 9417 families out of 10,312 have joined this movement. They have decided not to use pesticides and chemical elements in this process, instead, they accepted organic farming and they are growing vegetables in their homes. Now the agricultural department of the Kerala government also helped them by creating local markets where they can sell their yield. The local Panchayat government is rewarding them with awards of Best Farm and Best Farmer.

This is a story of Self Employment and "ATMA NIRBHAR BHARAT". Here the approach and willpower of people and government are quite appreciable.

Lessons for North Indian states

People from North Indian states should learn and inspire from the story of Vadakkekara village on how to get self-employed and self-reliant so that they could not suffer for livelihood in tough times like COVID. The government's steps are very crucial for their welfare. 

Bihar is the largest producer of vegetables. In fruit cultivation, it is the largest producer of lychee and a major producer of mango, guava, sugarcane. The net sown area is 60% of its total geographical area, which is much higher than all over India of 42%. 

Uttar Pradesh produces one-half of the total sugarcane of the country due to which It is also known as the sugarcane bowl of India. Uttar Pradesh's climate is so diverse that almost every kind of crop is produced here. This is the reason that this state is the leader in the production of many crops produced in the country.

But still, people reach out to urban areas in search of livelihood because they didn't get the required employment.

The need of the hour 

The current situation requires remarkable steps from the Government and the trust they build in the hearts of the poor class who is suffering a lot.

• Various government schemes could help them in the way of getting employed in their native places.

• Programs like MGNREGA can play a reforming role in employing those who lost their jobs.

• Skill development and Skill mapping of migrants are required so that they can get jobs according to their skills.

• We need to focus on non-agricultural industries as well. Poultry farm, milk dairy, dairy products, cold storage. 

• Promotion of nurseries to grow varieties of plants for sale. Encouraging local growers to grow exotic fruits and vegetables that are in demand under contract farming. Groups of rural youth can be given a job in cultivating medicinal and cosmetic value plants and supplies for companies in need.

• The farmers need to love and protect their fields.

• If the state policy does not put restrictions on the free movement of the population, the shift would be normal to the existing conditions.

• Improving infrastructure, education, health services is still a big challenge in rural areas.

" The soul of India lives in its villages" 

                                                    - Mahatma Gandhi

So, Rural India is the real India.