Is Rural India Glamorous?

Yesterday I received a phone call from one of my friends. After exchanging pleasantries he asked me “hey man, I have come to know that from last one year you are involved in rural kind of things, do you feel rural India glamorous”? I laughed and ignored his question. I could not fathom from his voice whether he asked this question genuinely or ironically. This friend of mine has been born and brought up in metro and has very little or negligible exposure of rural area. We had together so many nights out, DJ parties and thanks to his affluent dad; we had even access to a famous club of the city. Even though I accompanied him so many times, I felt alien at those places. Anyway it was long back, but his question brought all those memory back at once. “Why did he ask this question to me” I wondered. When I cogitated about it, I found, this is not the question of my friend alone but this is the question of whole ‘urban India’. I must not ignore this question, this question deserve to be replied.

What makes a place glamorous? What is the general sentiment about it? Skyscraper, beautiful buildings, numerous big malls, pub, multiplex, night club, fast life style – lists are endless which make a place glamorous. Those who want to find above mentioned things in rural India they will be  disappointed. Then again it cannot be said that Rural India is devoid of glamour. It has its own glamour, glamour which is completely different from urban area, glamour which is unique, unmatchable and simple but highly attractive.

SHG meeting

Three months back I had an opportunity to stay in a village V. K. R. PuramII of chittor district (A.P.) for five days. First time in my life I saw how self help group function in a village and then attended the meeting of self help group conducted by women of that village. I was burning with curiosity to see how illiterate or semiliterate women conduct the meeting, where they conduct the meeting and when?  I wondered where they would conduct the meeting (because I was told that they did not conduct the meeting in any member’s house) as I did not see any suitable common place in the village where meeting could be conducted. When they will conduct the meeting? As I saw, most of the women were either working in field or in home till 6.30o’clock.  Around 7o’clock evening 15-20 members of SHG group (it was combined meeting of two SHG) came out of their houses and decide to do the meeting on the road near by a house. Once it was decided, they all sat on the dusty and sandy road. They started the meeting with fervent pray which filled the atmosphere with holiness. The road which was looking deserted, forlorn and dead became alive in a jiffy. With the native and homespun wisdom these women discussed financial matter, some social issues and personal problems. The meeting lasted for two hours, during these two hours these women chatted, sang, smiled, laughed, giggled and pour their heart out among themselves. Their divine presence and spirited participation made an ordinary road animate and a happening place. I bet say the glamour which these folk women brought on road by mere presence cannot be matched in any way to any club party or coffee house of the city.

I still remember, in March I was in jhabua district (M.P) for project work for one month. One of my batch mate shayantan was with me. We stayed in a small hotel at meghnagar block. Everything at that place was anyhow manageable but food was a nightmare for me. Food was quiet spicy, oily and tasteless and it was a punishment for my tummy.  I thought why not I should experiment with my body. I made a deal with myself that I would not have spicy food instead I would take fruits and juice only.

Shayantan asked me “but how many days you will be on fruits and juice”  

I replied “As much my body can endure”

During those days I was visiting a village named ‘Futtalab’ and interviewing the organic wadi owner. I used to spend whole day in that village. Every household offered me for water and food which I politely refused. After three days in that village a woman approached me and said “I have been observing you from last three days, you do not eat anything, why”? When I explained her about my resolution she got angry at me. “How can a young man live hungry for a whole day” she said. Immediately she brought a glass of milk and almost forced me to drink. Making me drink a glass of milk became her daily routine which she followed till last day of my visit. I wondered why she did that to me. I was a stranger for her. She knew that I would not come back that place again; I would not be any help to her but then also she shown motherly love and affection to me. Now I realise, actually that was the glamour of her life to feed hungry, to take care of stranger without any expectation and self-interest. This glamour of rural life can be seen across the country.

These are the glimpses of glamour associated with rural life. Being a student of Rural Development Management, I am indebted to my institution National institution of Rural Development (NIRD) which has given ample opportunities and exposure to understand the realities, ethos, moral values and glamour of rural India. We had six field visits in a year and each field visit was a pilgrimage for me. During these field visits I had an opportunity to interact with living God in the form of farmers, dalits, disables, old aged people and destitute. Even though they are marginalised people for those who bear ‘biased lens’ but the glitz and glamour of their life can be seen through ‘humanitarian lens’ only. The glamour of their life lies in the fact that despite of all the odds they fight everyday for their existence of life with keeping all the humanitarian values intact.

My motto of writing this article is not to create a debut about Rural Vs Urban or to show the advantage and virtues of rural area over urban area, instead I urge people to see rural area with ‘humanitarian lenses’ so that they can see the realities and glamour without biased mind.

Ramanuj Dubey