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12/1/1996 - A Village Journey, Part II by Pramila Jayapal

AVillage Journey Part II VARANASl India December ByPramilaJayapal The Harijans ofKamalsagar Ithadbeen sixmonths since anyone Chatturvedi familyhadbeen Kamalsagar Layers coated tables chairs cobwebs corners Leadingthe cleaningbrigadewereBaijnathandhiswife Baijnath Bhu When IaskedVidhuinsurpriseifthiswasreallyhername helaughed No itisjust thewaythatwivesareaddressedinthe village Sometimes ifamanisconsid pecked people tease calling Bhu BaijnathandBaijnath Bhuhadworkedwith Chatturvedis forover years tending their fields doing domestic Theywere Harijans The Chatturvedi family relationship Harijans legendary village AsfarbackasVidhu sinfamousgrandfather SwamiSatyanandChaube family maintained progressive attitudes towards Harijans Swami Satyanandwasararecombination apolitically activesanyasi Hehad asVidhu perimented social issues being upliftmentofHarijans Hemanagedtohavelanddonatedthroughcharity tothe Harijans thattheycould settlethemselvesinKamalsagar IntheHarijan basti Swamibuiltahugeconcretedeep providingHarijanswitheasy access precious commodity often denied In resis tance other Brahmin families Kamalsagar Swami systematically broke rules existed around concept caste pollution In Swami house Harijansatefromthe family sowndishes camewithinscandalouslyclose distances ofBrahmins sometimeseventouchingthem Swamispentmost ofhis small about north Mau where established Harijan ashram retreat Because Swami involvement Harijans KamalsagarHarijansweresaidto belong tohim Vidhu parents taken active interest Harijan matters During ourvisit numerousHarijanscametopaytheir respects toMrs Chatturvediand advice Just recently Harijan killed leaving childrenandthe ofhis familybehind Representatives ofthe familycameto visit andMrs Chatturvedigavetheminformationonhowto fileinsuranceclaims receive compensation death The Chatturvedis attitude toward Harijans remains source unspokendisapprovalformanyoftheirneighbors noticedthatmanypeople whocame visit drinktea Chatturvedi Vidhu toldme later thiswasbecause theyknewHarijans drankand vessels WhereVidhu mother always treated Baijnathand respect Asanyasi issomeonewhohasrenounced world fourth stage oflife tradi tionalHindu cycle considered referring often asthemanagersof theirland Inoticedhowothers treatedthem tangible condescension Onenight aBrahminvisitor littledrunk remptorilyorderedBaijnathtomaketeaandthenrefused totake teacup hishand tellinghi putiton thechair Oldhabitsdiehard Ithought Alcoholperhaps loosened chains proper behavior village political correctness enough bringback attitudes toward Harijans I mentioned incident Vidhulater andheshruggedhisshoulders Yes still At least agreed drink whichhadbeentouchedbyBaijnath That forhim thing Had situation changed Harijans years Had modernization improved discriminatory attitudes upper castes condition Harijans Pappu Vidhu cousins theanswerwasyes Before Harijanswere mercy Brahmins In pitifully economic social condition whatever asked Todawiththechangingstatus oflowercastesand simultaneous improvement their general economic condition particularly Kamalsagar Harijans Harijans toPappu atleast seemedtobecallingthe shots Today refuse domestic labor For culturallabor theydecide forwhomtheywillandwill notwork In Kamalsagar unlikemanyother villages across In Harijans stillworklargelyonasystemoflabor crops In olden workers could whatever theycouldcarrythemselves Todaagreements aremore structured MostKamalsagar Harijans notworkfor harvest reaped those fields Sometimes provide motivation deals lucrative Alandownermightagree tokeepsome minimumamountoftheharvest forhimself givingany thing overand above workers Vidhu motherwereevenmoregenerous takingonlywhatthey neededfortheirownconsumptionandgiving Baijnath andBaijnath Bhu CASTEANDTHEJAJMANISYSTEM The system oflabor crops originalformat oftenreferredtoasthejajmanisystem Interestingly oftenusedasanexampleofboththe stabilityoftheold caste system exploitative stagnant nature Underthejajmanisystem lower castes services orgoods tohigher castesinreturn foranannualwage The relationship extended several generations andwaspartofawider patron client lationship According scholar G K Karanth specialist right demand patron ideally exclude competi G K Karanth CasteinContemporaryRuralIndia PJ others Service specialists duties patron shouseholdon ritual occasions aswed dings funerals In other words lower caste bershadthebenefitofstable relationshipsthatprotected exploitation economic backers intimesofcrisis andevenmadethempartofthepatron family Others added argument jajmani system provided clearer sense identity gardingone srolein Occupationswerefixed andit certain sonwould perform tasks father patron With decline jajmani system disso ciation castes tradi tional occupations specialist castes forced trainthemselves forunfamiliarworkwithstrangers This newcompetitiveenvironmentisparticularly difficultfor lower uneducated castes Onthe other scholars claim thejajmani temwasnothingmorethaninstitutionalizedoppression system advantage lower castes ensured perpetually their place created dependenceonuppercastesthatwasconvenientforthese castes maintain their power prevented bilityamongcastesandoccupations Withthebreakdown jajmani system opportunity castes bargain equitable wages exploitative owners greener pastures Whether follow jajmani system formostlower castevillagers achoiceanylonger Ithas largely disappearedfrom rural India least origi Modified versions exist labor crops exchange rates Kamalsagar However wider implications traditional links between client patron surance competition longer remain For today generation upper lower castes jajmani system their grandfathers great grandfathers It thing andtherefore beyond relevance Some improvements Harijan status Pappu spoke visible Of approximately Harijan families Kamalsagar about managed purchase agricultural Brahminswho hadcome underhard economic times decided cities TheHarijan basti likeHarijan bastis invillagesacross India situated appropriate distance upper caste lands It clean pleasant settlement contained largelywithinanoriginalacreorsoofdonatedland Some Harijans Baijnath family seven children whodidbetter forthemselves built theirhouse outsid original basti The houses basti clusteredtogetheraroundcentralshared facilitieslikethe concretedeepwell shredderandacom munal fisheries The families large numbers children around clothes spite ofthe coldwinterweather Thehouses without doubt smaller built lower ground Brahmin houses Yet difference houses seemed muchlessvastthantheperceivedandexistingdifferences insocialstatusofthetwo castes As walked through basti greeted gaily Oneforthrightoldwomancameoutandbeganrib Vidhu about attention Harijan Yourgrandfatherhasdonesomuchforus andyou doingnothing saidinamock reproachfultone See houses falling apart What doing about Vidhu replied similar serious house falling apart hewas unable anything about could As walked I wondered aloud whether joking Vidhu given grandfather slegacyandattachmenttothevillage No AFGHANISTAN PAKISTAN Rajasthan Jaipur Hyderabad ArabianSea replied I meaning And actually theyare right Weshouldbedoingmore difficultsincewedon tlivehere Evenourown lands sufferingbecause RESERVATIONSANDSOCIALCHANGE Oneofthemoretangiblechangesthathascomeabout intermsofchangingsocialpoweroflowercastes atleast onthe surface reservation village panchayat villagecouncil seats forHarijans Acertainnumberof panchayat seatsarenowreservedforHarijans Ontop separate reservation quotas exist forwomen Thisyear inthepanchayatarea towhichKamalsagar belongs forGramPradhan thepanchayathead double reservation meaningitisreservedfor anindividualwho isbothaHarijanandawoman For years wealthy Yadav lawyer Kamalsagar Pradhan Bai jnath Bhu stood election forPradhan another Harijanwoman CHINA CHINA TIBET NEPAL UTTAR PRADESH iLucknow Gorakhpure Kanpur Mau Ghazipur Bandae MADHYA PRADESH Institute CurrentWorld Affairs fromaneighboringvillage Shehad however beenelectedas amemberoftheGramSabha orgeneralpanchayatbody Onemorning asBaijnath Bhu satwashingthedishesin courtyard I asked thought reservations Harijanswereagoodidea Predictably herresponsewasyes However asourconversationprogressed itbecameincreas inglydearthattherewerenowell thought outreasonsbehind answer She Pradhan because Jai Ram formerYadav Pradhan encouraged He allmyvotesforme arrangedforeverything dealt withallthe politics shesaidproudly Sheneitherharbored resentmentagainstuppercastes forholding politicalpower forsolong feltthattheyhadnotansweredtheneedsof lowercastes Shedidnotseemtohaveinmindspecificactions shewantedtotake thatwouldbe directedtothewelfareof Harijans As itturnedout shedidnotevenknowwhatthe reservation meant orwhyitexisted Sheseemed toall intentsandpurposes tobemerelyamouthpiece forJaiRam Crudely Baijnath Bhu being Pradhan asanopportunitytomakesomemoneyonthe kapaise moneyfromabove itissaidobliquelyin Hindi I could really blame politicswasthatpeoplemademoneyfromit Thevillag others perhaps realities velopment schemes meant villagers ended withlargeportionsofallocatedfundssiphonedofftothe politiciansandeveryotherlevelinbetween JaiRam Baijnath Bhu PJ concrete house substantial lands oftherichestmeninthevillage Hearsayhad itthatnot wealthcame legal practice MyconversationwithBaijnath Bhu depressedmeat beginning When asked could Harijans amemberof theGram Sabha shrugged hershouldersandsaid nothing Thenwhyis reserva tionforHarijansinthesebodiesagoodthing pressed Shecoveredhermouthwithherthreadbare anddid respond About teenage youth stack ofinvitation cards Therewastobe apanchayatmeeting andhewasdelivering notices topanchayatmembers Baijnath Bhu snameontheinvitationwasincorrect Someone written Lakshmi instead Parvati perhaps surprising given people called Baijnath Bhu Parvati The teenagerwas reluctant notice toBaijnath Bhu herself hewantedtogiveit toher husband instead In teenager Baijnath realPanchayatmember theonewhoreadsandwrites theonewho callstheshotsandmakethedecisions THEPANCHAYATI RAJACT The issue reservations women political parties highly controversial As follow Panchayati Raj Act whichreserved33 percent village level panchayat seats women newly installed centralUnited FrontGovernmentpromised andisnowdraggingtheirfeet passne wlegislation would require third representation women State Assemblies Parliament However OBCs BCs resentful reservations womenarebeing given separate statusfrom caste reservations areprotestingloudly Interestingly noteven women groups agree effectiveness reservations women highest political levels Manyfeelthat reservation level farce Madhu Kishwar known feminist editor respectedManushimagazine haseloquentlypointedout ifwomenweretrainedandempoweredtobepart political process lower levels natural qualifiedwomenleaderswouldemergeatnationallevels without reservations Thesewomenwouldhavemuch credibility thisenvironmentthanthose selected result reservations Incontrast almost allwomen sgroupshailthe1989 parliamentary Panchayat Raj Act passed subsequently separately individual states positive Starting political empowerment local panchayat level makes sense They argue stage ofwomen proxies theirmale counter parts thoughobviouslynotdesirable isaninevitable first process change Outside women groups however continue doubt women anything other I EORORS IAROUND RESETIONS W0men Panha U U AI f0seda loton ender P bighl undeal O ec6ur legat aionif hisorher heahd therepOe requk tandonthe SCuyis largescalepositive discrimination ofwomen Gender Pohhcs C Jayanth mouthpieces theirhusbands other sponsors Effortsbyvarious governmentaland governmental organizations train ruralwomenpanchayatmembers intheirresponsibilitiesandthepoliticalprocessitselfhave taking repeated longperiodoftimetohaveanysubstantial effect Given persistence gender divisions place menin charge politics finance andwomen thehouseandfamily itisnotsurprisingthatmanyrural women Baijnath Bhu transition thinking themselves independent voices States GujaratandMaharashtra wherewomenhave tradi tionally played greater politics small scale industry financialmatters tendtohaveabettersuc participation women political bodies Similarly literacy levels positively correlate withwomen spoliticalparticipation InKeralaandTamil Nadu whichbothboasthighwomen sliteracy rates participation women In U P however where fewer percent women literate andfewer stillhaveeverparticipatedinpolitics politicalawakening ofwomenremains scent stage One organization Varanasi which conducts train ofwomen panchayatmembers documentedcom ments women neither understoodthepoliticalprocessnorwereabletobecome trulyinvolvedinit Corruption forexample wasentirely foreign tomanyofthewomen Theyviewedtheprocess ofprovidingwhatwereconsidered financialnecessities tothosehigherupinthesystem usuallymen distaste andyet iftheyfoughtagainstsuchpractices found theywerealienated threatened andworst ofall ineffec accomplishing anything their constituencies Left political process centuries largelyignorantofandoverwhelmedbytherequirements process rights responsibilities beingpanchayatmembers Manywomen facedwithan overwhelming sense inadequacy perfectly relinquish their political voice their husbands orothermalemembersofthe family Menoftenattended panchayat meetingsand votes thenames their wives Even ifwomenwerepresent theyrarelyspoke their opinions Baijnath Bhu inherbrightyellowpolyester blouse white seemed firmingonce again arguments forwhypanchayat reservation women Harijan women wouldneverwork But aswetalkedmore Isawadif ferent picture emerge Clearly woman power intelligence shebegan sound example exactlythosewomenwhothe processcanandwilleven tually empower As slowly recent complishments Gram Sabha member realized ofher earlier rather helpless sounding words werejust modesty Not talking about accompl ishments shemayhavejustbeen underplaying achievements Now shebegan telling abouthow shehadstoodupto contractorwhohadtakenabribe tobuildtheroadonVidhu sland latercomeback andtheroadwasbuilt stillthepowerthattheinter actionhadgivenBaijnath Bhuwasevident Sheseemed intuitively understand deficiencies I learn finally emphatically Just watching Baijnath being involved meetings beginning learn And Baijnath perhaps other husbands teaching swering questions ThroughmyconversationwithBaijnath Bhu Isaw possibilities reservations women Although longroad oncewomenstartedbecominginvolvedinthe process therewouldbesomewho likeBaijnath Bhu would eventually opportunity become truly involved reality And perhaps could whole womenwhowere ready tomoveup political ladder higher posit It still remained clear however thislevel reservationalonewasnotenough Ithadtogo handwithothersocialcommitmentsforimprov status ofwomen simultaneous training accept women roles Still could produce results combination Institute CurrentWorld Affairs other social strategies change THEKAMALSAGARBRAHMINS What Brahmins Kamalsagar Being ofthe caste ladder ensure happiness economic prosperity I found Brahmins although agriculturists In olden hiredlower castepeople todotheirwork Todathe laborandnewindependence ofHarijans forcedmanyBrahminstobeginfarmingtheirownfields This Brahmins especially regardless caste neither status norprofitability Thelure ofthe cities ofblue collarjobs service meaning working company shine bright Agriculture seems undesirable manymenofthe younger generation Add decline profitability PJ Technologies diesel operated water pumphave improved igation andyields contributed rising costs icultureand declining profitability Costs agricultural inputs labor fertilizer chinery seeds rising On other average landholdingsperfamily decliningaslandis divided moreandmoreamongsiblings thatchoosetofarm ratelyratherthanjointly Sadly inKamalsagarasinother villages across India people deciding agricul isnolongeraviablemeansofmakingaliving The actual decline agricultural profitability theonlyreasonthatmanyvillagers particularlythose higher castes agriculture longer enough Along tending fields somehow inferiorwork people needs haveincreased Whether istheneedtogetadiesel operatedpump foragricul rcycle transport television today generation seems previ generation The oldestmanin village nowover muttered quivery voice about whenpeopleusedtowalkfor hours reach somewhere He spoke detailing histor about changes thathadcome aboutintechnology gation devices technology significantly install purchase rarely produced sufficient creased yields offset increased costs Eventoday generation admitted freely their needs spurred exposure television easier access urban areas consumer goods greater those their forefathers If family girls marry monetary needs greater Dowry today longer means mother ornaments It includes growing requirements material objects televisions radios motorcycles furniture Driving roads I jeeps loaded allthesethings Dehez Vidhusaidtomethe firsttime wesawone dowry beingtransportedfrom family tothein Afterthat Inoticedtheseladentrucksquite often early December being auspicious weddings In Kamalsagar unlike other villages visited menwere generally lesseducatedthanwomen Manyof although immediately obvious conversation studied school Only handful studied further In contrast Kamalsagar girls studying passed proposing Bachelor degree Somewere teachers somehadtakentechnicaltraining Althoughthis necessarily would continue workaftermarriage thatmarriagewasgivenanyless priorit girlswerea sight dressed intelligent feisty They shone brightly Kamalsagar AcrossIndiatoday youngmenofhighcastes struggle carve their place society Kamalsagar excep Coming Brahmin priestly families theyoungmenseemtobe livingaccordingtoasystem longer exists systemwhere priests formal education system willwere accorded tremendousrespect fortheirreligious caste status How thesemenhavenotbeentrained priests norhave theybeen given tools findnewcareers One ofthe fewcollege goingyouthsinthevillageput ittomethis Many people education necessary Then becomes harder because education theycannot getgoodjobs Doingagricul turalworkis consideredbeneathus Intheend theyend inthe citiesdoinglowlyworkwhichtheywouldbe embarrassed their villages They cometruckdrivers ItisdifficultbeingaBrahmin concluded wryly The Kamalsagar I relatively wereallintelligent clearlycamefromgoodbackgrounds Yet theyseemed frustrated their lives Fewofthem actuallyworkedinthe fields Arvind acousinwhocame regular every evening wasagoodexample Ask ingus ifwewantedtoplaycardsoneevening heplain tively There nothing We constantly things Arvind handsome quitearticulate fatheroftwo hadnotgone college didnotseem toworkinthe fieldsorbepar ticularly interested agriculture He spent seemed roamingaround Atnight hewouldwhileaway hours Vidhu house discussing politics latest village gossip Recentl completed course mechanics local vocational college He Pappu Vidhu cousin wanted But I would least Rs month about U S IknowIcanlivemuchbetteronlessmoney village there opportunity Pappu exemplified pulland conflictbetweentra Theoldestman village years Institute CurrentWorld Affairs ditionand modernity The village forPappu friends stable boring status glamour opportunity Ibeganto dailyevening chats whichIhad first viewed expression camaraderie boredom people Without tivities discussions about village politics often gossipy stinging Vidhu controversyandthe called betweenhis family andthe relativewhohadencroachedontheirland everyone There little think Everywhere Vidhu I walked Vidhu would answer questions about dispute future strategy listening individual opinion ofwhat should should notbe I sensed large degree hypocrisy around issue ofBrahminical purity Brahmin though luctant allow Harijans enter their houses drink their perfectly content Harijan women satisfy their sexual cravings Affairs between Harijan Women Brah estab lished Kamalsagar immediately assumed wasexploitationofHarijanwomen butVidhudisagreed He quoted several instances Harijanwomen offering themselves toBrahminmenquite happily andofthelack ofill feelingthataccompaniedthese sexualexploits Per hapsitwasnottangibleexploitation Icontinuedtothink mechanism trying attain power usually powerlesswomen amoreintangibleformofexploita least expression desire lease oppression control Similarly Vidhu toldmethatmany Brah secretly openly consume copious amounts alcohol Perhaps rhythm almost inevitable One justi their drinking saying their wives liked little drunk As within houses womenpre paredonlypurevegetarianfood Forthemostpart Brah women stayed vegetarians The however partake bahar khanna literally tside Thefigurativemeaningbecame clear tomeonly after amusing incident One night Arvindcame overand ushewas bahar khanna night Vidhu started teasing saying Weknowwhatthatmeans Iassumedhe meant perhaps night drinking since Vidhu recently mentioned popular activity Wouldyouliketojoin Vidhuaskedme Ilaughed Idon tknowifI mupforit Isaid stillthinkingthat drinking party dreading having drinkthe local strongbrew Well tryand Vidhu urged I agreed When I askedArvindwhatwas specialabout bahar khanna He lowered voice Aj machli Machli Fish Istoppedinmytracksinsurprise Sothiswaswhat outside meant Not drinking preparing PJ vegetarian their wives would prepare thehouse IconfirmedthiswithVidhuandwehadagood laugh Both I vegetarians knownthat Iwasandsohadagreed othinkingthat I mightenjoyit PoorArvind wecanceledonhim seemedmore slightly disappointed disap peared night friends bahar khanna VILLAGES VILLAGERSANDTHEIRFUTURES Bythe year2000 according theUnitedNations An Urbanizing World Global Report Human Settlements almost percent world total population living towns cities Over years people willbe migrating urban areas hordes running their villages toward brighter Manyofthose willsurvive feedingonlyontheir hopesanddreams notonthe realstuff grown vegetables return matterhowbadthe situationmaygetinthe cities Loss offace Continualhopingthat things willget better Seeing another child doorneighborin yourslum findhimselfajob beitasrickshaw puller orgrocery storeclerk thatallowshimtomove That seems about moving Upwhere Whoknows Is itreallyup orisitjustup whenthe world hasbeenturned upside whichis happens tradition modernity conflict Inthewords ofjournalistJonahBlank arevillagersbe trade stagnation peace ofmind opportu frustration TheUN report extols virtue ofurban areas their scientific technologic innova culture education But warns urban centersconsume natural resources alarming One greatest needs ensure growing urban centers world sources linkhigh standards oflivingfromhigh levelsofresourceuseandwastegeneration Isthispos sible Itseemstomethathighlevelsofresourceuseand wastegenerationarethe pillarsuponwhichmodem nologicalsocietyisbased atleastatpresent Thecoun tries world moved village based society urban based society report points generall rapid economic growth economic power They highest rates consumption I suggest partly because defini community occurs cities Individual survivaloverridescommunitysharing responsibilityfor thecommunitybelongs tosomeanonymouscentralized government people longer muchless related their neighbors This attitude easily visible India cities people their utmost their quarters clean their garbage justoutside their gates Evenavillagerwhocomestoa changes hemaythrowhis cigarettewrapperonthe roadinsteadofburning thinkingthat isonlyatiny mounds already existing garbage And aspoor people slums outside sworking andliving radius canbe forgotten Somemonthsback myhusbandand Iwereinvited toaconferenceinDelhiputonbyaleadingmanagement consulting Thethemewas Buildin aNewVision India participantswere supposed repre sentthe diversityofIndia spopulation Perhapsthecon sulting rural people invite perhaps poorer portion population invited uncomfortable attending conference conditioned comfort luxury hotel perhapsthe organizershadjust decidedthat thesekinds ofpeoplewouldnot really flyingconver sation freezing conditioning Whateverthe reasons equallyurban found ourselvesintheironicpositionoftryingto raiseissues poverty rurallifeandothersocialissuesthatwefeltapo pliedtothemajorityofIndianswhowerenotrepresented In tiredandnotwantingto sound righteous listened while table members talked abouthowweIndians aresoinefficient wemustdosome thingaboutthepoweroutages Herewe having buyexpensive generators which bytheway pollutethe thickDelhi airevenmorewith noise heatandexhaust fumes conditioners houses Me conference seemed It allaboutmeandwhatwillmakemylife easier Withthemodernizationofvillages theseattitudesare seeping villages Take forexample issue electricity Kamalsagar Thanks Minister Kalpnath housespayonlyRs U S permonthtogeta electricalconnection nomatterhowmuchelectricity As result I noticed houses shops schoolskeep their lightson alldayandall night regard whether anyone there They connec where electricity comes produced howmuchofthe earth sresources aretaken All Rs month matter If stead build fires chopped themSelves would certain minimal amounts ofwood would tokeepchoppingdowntrees eitherbecausetheyun derstand triba rural people using valuable resource least causetheywouldwanttominimizetheirownwork It wouldbebeyondimagination tokeep goingifone willnotbetheretoenjoy itswarmthortocookover blaze In cities seems almost everything equivalent distant power plant City dwellers source amenities withwhichtheyareprovided Theyonlyknowit isthe anonymous citygovernment sjobtotakecareofevery thing little sense responsibility there little guilt their inaction contributions disrepair Particularly after rigid confines village societal structure anonymity sponsibility canbe freeing dangerously When I arrived Kamalsagar I noticed quiet thenightswere Wewould Sitindarknessandfeelnight itdescendedonus Therewerenoloudharshsounds generators present cities Even though I varying accounts househol televi sions somesaidfourorfive otherssaidatleasthalf I televisions radios blasting No sounds ofautomobiles orrickshaws quietsounds perhaps nosed around kitchen searched through piles garbage scraps childrenplaying orhushedvoicesinconversation The villagewokeearly themorningandby8 P M seemed everyonewas In cities surrounded artificial things Arvind night Here natural things True forthemostpart Peoplekeptwarmwith woodfires cookedonchulas mudpits fueledwithburn sticksfrom fields picked freshvegetables their fields grewtheirownwheatandmadetheirown sweet thickmolasses syrup fromburnt sugar Thefamousanthropologist RobertRedfield defined The peasant intense attachment native reverent disposition toward habitat ancestral restraint individual seeking favor family community Another anthropolo Walter Lippman called solves piety villagerandhisknowledge thathe obviously scheme greater subject elements transcend powers surpass understanding Withoutpiet without triotism family place without almost plant likeimplicationinunchangeablesurroundings therecan benodispositiontobelieveinanexternalorderofthings Walkingthroughthe fieldsagainremindedmeofthe simplicityoflife TheyWeresetapartfromhousesorother structures formed their peaceful world The narrow paths divided elegant metricdesigns Icouldseearoundmethevariousstages newly sprouted bloomed fully cently harvested A flowering mustard fields nated their brilliant yellow miles purple eggplants peepedoutfromamongtallleafystalks Womensowed seeds plowed fields rhythm earth world It feltlikealongjourneyfromVaranasi longerfrom theevenbiggercities ofIndia andworldsapartfromthe IknowinurbanAmerica Ithoughtoften duringmy short village Mahatma Gandhi words abouttheneedformantostriveto fulfillhisneedsbut greed world enough resources former latter Even though things Institute CurrentWorld Affairs changing villagers still seemed always their ownchoice muchcloser their needs TheLateRichardCritchfieldandRobertRedfield greatauthoritiesonvillage culledfromtheirexperi ences ofvillagesaroundtheworldthenotionofauniver salvillage culture WhatIwasobservingabouttherhythm oflife theclosenesstothe realversustheartificialwas similartowhatIhave inothervillages across India Thailand AfricaandIndonesia Inallthese villages there isaconnectionandreverencenotonlyfornatureandGod certain groundedness family relationships Peoplecometogetheroften visiting talki establishing contactthatdisallowsisolationofindividualfromhis community Grandparents parents siblingsandrelatives carry childrenand responsibility issues baniteswouldshunasbeing notmyconcern Everyone isreadywithouta trace ofresentment todotasks urban areas West wouldbe obligations oraninvasiononpersonaltime Iamnottryingtoromanticizevillage Iamwont I confess The grass greener other orinHindi Durke dolsouhavanehote thesound offarawaydrumsaremorepleasant havenoticedthat manyofmyIndian friends inVaranasi nostalgically aboutvillage lifeandhowtheydreamsomedayofgoing settling their village homes eating etables their fields How lovely would somuchmoreaffordable somuchmorepeaceful Life hectic cities anything Mostofthem Iknow willnevermove There istoomuchonegetsaccustomedtointhe cities stable peaceful Theslow pacedrhythmofvillages andthelackofactivi agriculturalworkis leads excessive interestinotherpeople slives anover analysisandtendency judge people somewhat insular focus thelatterasdestructiveasitcanbeproductive Lifeis changingsorapidlythatitisimpossibleforvillagersnottosee changesand compare theirownlives these zling fascinatingpossibilitiesthatneverexisted fortheirfore fathers And perhaps theyknowbetter others lifedoesconstantlychange beitinthestrengthofamonsoon fromoneyeartothenext thesocialstructureofcastethatforces Brahmin confront maybe forced somethingthathastraditionallybeenbelowhisdignityjustin orderto survive oraccesstobrightlypaintedtelevision tures places America Kamalsagar spared Beingintheinterior ithasyettoexperiencemanyofthe changes occurred villages closer urban So muchofthedevelopmentthathasreached Kamalsagar productive The roads serve people keeping family intact family membersleavethevillage Emigrationtocities though starting isyettodestroythevillageas ithasothervil lages Diesel pumps electricity irrigate fields increase yields without changing entire schedules andlifestyles Iwonderedoftenifthelackofobsession television akeyfactor inKamalsagar success preserving somuchof village culture Still evenhere sensed discontent struggle oncile sense world longer consisted immediate surroundingsbut ofwhatwaspossible fartheraway Stability becoming confining family connections burdensome tradition almost meaningless Critchfield dynamic conclusion Villagers sequel Vil lages written 15years later suffered fatalstroke Washington before scheduled ICWA boutthebook argues strongly fortheneedto preserve village culture He poignantly Our lives coming cacophony often thousand noises andamidst these noises whatdowehave inner ethicalguid religion supplied It debatable whether religion tradition perhaps Critchfield would evenhave distinguishedbetweenthetwo thatprovided theguidancethatseemedtokeepvillagers sohappyrela their urban counterparts But either there noquestionthatvillagerstoday IsawinKamalsagar beginning question their rural existence derifthere ismoreto lifethansowingseedsandwaiting shake shackles tradition certainty family responsibility footed children toward urban paradise This process change become inevitable Per paradise cities perhaps willreturnhomeand discontentthere dreamupanother paradise perhaps realize theyhad paradise onceandgaveitup A agriculture America comparison An Urbanizing WorM GlobalReporton HumanSettlements ashram B Backward Castes BCs Backward Classes Commission Baijnath Baijnath Bhu Benares See Varanasi basti BC See Backward Castes beetle Blank Jonah Brahmin Brahmins Kamalsagar caste See Brahmin Gujar Harijan Jat Kshatriya Kurmi Lodha Purohit Shudra Untouchable Vaishya Yadav Zamindar alcohol structure politics system Caste Contemporary Rural India Chatturvedi Chatturvedi Vidhu Chaubey Brahmins chula cities colleges universities Benares Hindu University Medical School Congress Party Critchfield Richard Dehez Depressed Caste See Backward Castes BCs development dowry cakes education forwomen formen electricity environment F family G Gandhi Mahatma Gender Politics Ghazipur Gorakhpur National Highway Gram Pradhan Gujar H Harijan hawalascandal India Today J Jain Meenakshi Jajmani System Jat Jayanthi C K kacca Kamalsagar Karanth G K Kishwar Madhu Kshatriya Kurmi L ownership reform Lippman Walter Lodha M Manushi Mau Mishras monsoons N Narayanan Usha Nehru O OBCs SeeOtherBackwardCastes OBCs opium OtherBackward Castes OBCs panchayat Panchayati Raj Act patshallah population priests 7Seealsopurohit pukka purohit R radio Rai Kalpnath Rajasthan Rao Narasimha Redfield Robert rickshaws rivers Ganga Ganges S sanyasi Samath Scheduled Castes SCs Shudra snake charmer Srinivas M N states India Gujarat Kerala Maharashtra Tamil Nadu UttarPradesh U P sugar Swami Satyanand Chaubey system labor crops T Taj Mahal ThePioneer U U P Uttar Pradesh See States India United Front Government Untouchable See Harijans V Vaishya Varanasi Benares Villages villages W wheat WomeninPanchayats ThePathAhead Yadav See beetle zamindars Institute CurrentWorldAffairs