OTHER SIDE OF DEVELOPMENT

                                  

Normally we see dams, bridges, canals, factories, universities, communication networks so on and so forth and make our judgement whether the country is really progressing or such claims are simply hollow.  This line of thinking and then being judgemental is not wrong as the things mentioned above are well visible. But a reasonable man will tell you that certain aspects of developments are not visible but they are strong enough to be counted while making a statement in this regard.

Till the mid-2oth century, India was very poor. There was no family planning and no guarantee of maintaining a big family. The agriculture was the main source of income and that too being rain-based, was not dependable. The lack of cleanliness led to epidemics claiming large number of people not only in India but other parts of the world as well. Parents, in order to lighten their family burdens used to give their children to religious institutions. The Devdasi system of South Indian temples is known for it as the parents were impressed by godmen that donating a daughter to the temple would secure  a place for them in the heaven. Similarly, the Christian missionaries, chose to operate in farflung rural areas where they got men and women ready for conversion and use for alluring others. The wards of poor families got a reasonable living and paved the way for mass conversion. Later on, the Left extremists attracted the youth in such backward areas to bring about revolution by rooting out the capitalists.

The matter has, of late taken a complete turn. With the growing education, financial betterment and other such modern facilities, even the wards of the poor have started thinking otherwise as a better world waits for them. Now instead of being a nun, they prefer a government job. Only three days back, a curch father was expressing before the press that the number of ladies volunteering to become nuns was going down all over the world. He said that Kerala, providing the largest number of nuns has registered almost 70-75% drop. Exactly in the same fashion, a Naxalite leader of Andhra Pradesh told the press that due to a large number of surrender by their men to the authorities, the party was badly hit over the dwindling cadre. It is a fact that leading a forest life for years together is very difficult and partymen start suffering from boredome. The pressure from the security agencies makes their life further painful. Moreover, enjoyable objects available in the open society like residential house, mobile, TV, Photography, computer and other consumer goods attract them. To cap these all, the govt is offering good jobs to them who eschew arms and surrender. It does not stop here only. Even in J&K, the anti-national outfits are not getting required number of local youth. So Pakistan recruits terrorists in Arab countries and sends them to India. They are aware that the local educated youth are interested in career and chances of more and more Malala Yusufjai coming up are growing fast.

If adjudged from this angle, we may take sigh of relief that the other side of developmental activities are equally shining. The nation can feel proud of these indirect benefits.