MIGRATION FROM VILLAGES TO CITIES

                                

The country, for last over a quarter of a century has been facing a strange scenario of villages being empty and cities growing over populated. Previouly a lot of fuss was being made and that being rihtly so, over uncontrolled demographic rise. The planners complained that all their welfare projects were being infructuous because the fast rising population made them inadequate. The hectic steps and publicity appear to have restrained the pace. Whereas the population of all the four southern states has become stagnant, the scene, though improving, has yet not reached a satisfying point in the North. Juxtaposed to this big picture is another problem of demographic imbalance due to migration of people from villages to towns and cities which is baffling the town planners.

If we go into history, we shall find that before Independence, villages followed old feudal system in which the labour class people were very mercilessly exploited. They did not enjoy a bette treatment than the cattle of the landlord. Residing at the small plots of land of the landlord, they could never say no to any duty. Even the virtue of their womenfolk was in jeopardy. The payment for the day’s labour was in kind (food grain) and its weight depended on the whims of the land owner. If they fell ill, the entire family went on the street. Against this outrageous scene, when the country became free and communications improved, these farm workers started going out of the state in search of better payment.

 To start with, they moved to the eastern areas of Bihar and contiguous regions of West Bengal for a few months in a year for jute harvesting. The payment made them happy because they came back with some saving for the family. When they found better avenues elsewhere, they moved for wheat harvesting to Punjab, Haryana and western UP. Still they were returning to their native villages.Then came the age of huge constructions in cities like Mumbai and Delhi and their influx took route to these metros. Today, the minial work in these mega cities are done by the labour from Bihar, Rajasthan and Odisha. There is a new change. These workers started earning enough to change the life conditions of their families left behind in villages. Some years later, they built Jhuggies on govt land and started living with their families. This trend made the rural areas vacant and the cities receiving these unwanted guests. Some 25 years ago, the population of Delhi was nearly 50 lakh which today is 2.5 crore. All the public services like hospitals, transport, schools etc are crumbling under this demographic pressure. It is not true that the civic authorities have not done anything. The ever rising population growth is negating their efforts.

In this backdrop, the govt. has to evolve an effective remedial measure to stop this city-bound migration. For this the best way is to improve the agriculture on which even today over 70% people depend and establish factories so that the have-nots are not compelled to leave out in search of livelihood.  

PLIGHT OF MINORITIES

                                                

For nearly last three months there has been a sudden row in the country as a class of people have been clamouring over the alleged outrages against the minorities. In this connection they quote the incidents like the murder of two literary persons and cow slaughter. These incidents have come handy to the intellectuals who were leading an ignored status after the new dispensation at the Centre, to suddenly wake up and steal the limelight. In an earlier blog here, the subject had been touched upon. Today, after seeing the miserable condition of some Hindus of  Pakistan on a TV channel, I thought it better to post a blog for the friends who might have missed the show.

Some months back, after applying for a religious visa to go to Haridwar on a pilgrimage in 2014, they were obliged by the Pak govt. Accordingly 88 Hindus of six families came here on a 6-month visa. Their visa has expired and the Indian authorities who are persuading them to return to their native country, have extended the visa for a fortnight. Now these unfortunate people are clustered in a village in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. As a matter of fact these people, prior to 1947 were having settlements in the region which got divided into India and Pakistan. When the division took place, they were stuck up in the area which formed the part of Pakistan. Actually they are originally from a village, now in India. So they are ready to die but not to go back to to which is worse than a hell for the minorities. The plight of the Hindus there, as narrated by these sufferers is so heartrending that reference to it here may be disturbing. But the most objectionable part is that any Hindu girl entering into teens is forcefully abducted by the muslims, converted and married. Even in schools, Hindu students are forced to sweep the floor, wash the toilets and not taught anything.

The TV anchor quoted some demographic figures which are unbelievable. In 1947 there were 15% Hindus in Pakistan which in 1998 got reduced to 1.6%. In Karachi in 1947 there were 51% Hindus and 42% Muslims. In 1998, the Muslims increased to 96% whereas the Hindus got reduced to nearly 2%. It may be added here that Pakistan has not conducted any census since 1998. The latest data are bound to surprise anybody.What is the explanation of the Pak authorities on these strange demographic figures? The Hindus living in Pakistan are looking for opportunities to flee to India. On the other hand, no Muslim, even the Kashmiri wants to go to Pakistan. That tells the story.

In 1990, all on a sudden some four lakh Pandits of Kashmir had to desert their home and hearth. Since then they are living like refugees in different cities of the country. For last 25 years they have been leading a wretched life. How many Sahitya Akademi laureates surrendered their laurels? Are the said scattered incidents of India more painful than the above two.  Did Munnawar Rana, the Urdu poet who wrote a poem in praise of Mrs. Sonia Gandhi ever think to compose some lines for the Pak minorities and Kashmiri Hindus?Let us think.   

SAHITYA AKADAMI ROW

Since after the recent Dadri (UP) lynching incident, which was shocking enough, it appears that it has stirred up the hornets’ nest of a particular type of Sahitya Akadami awardees. By now 22 of them are reported to have surrendered the awrd. Mrs. Nayantara Sahgal, niece of Pt. Nehru who earned this achievement in 1986 has declared also to return the amount accompanying the citation. They also took strong objection to the murder of literary persons in Maharashtra and Karnataka (Kalburgi) and called upon their fellow writers to join the protest against the Prime Minisster. Strangely enough, while the law and order is a state subject and all the three incidents occurred in the said three states, why they have targeted their well orchestrated protest singularly against Narendra Modi. Yet they have not spoken a single word against the concerned three chief ministers. The educated and politically conscious people smell a rat in this mysterious opposition to the Prime Minister.
First of all we have to trace the track record of this bunch to delve into their motive. All of them, by and large are aged people who had a heyday during nearly 45 years of Congress rule at the Centre and in several states. These Congress sympathizers are having leftist leanings. Therefore, all the academic government run institutions were exclusively occupied by them. The worst sufferer was the Indian Council of Historical Research. Such elements not only enjoyed unchecked  the comforts of the key offices but also indulged in tendentious history writing. Mrs. Romila Thapar, Irfan Habib, Dr. D.N. Jha, Ram Chandra Shukla, Dr. Ram sharan Sharma, Dr. Nurul Hasan left no stone unturned to give a tainted picture of the Indian history. If any other scholars differed, their works were denied publication and they were sidetracked. The fund defalcation is a separate story. A former editor of the Indian Express and later a minister in Atal government had published a detailed account of sorry state of affairs in the ICHR.
Now when the regime has changed and their rampant trivializing of facts got ignored, they have become restless. Since they are no more in the limelight, they have turned to this trade union type activity to draw public attention. Let me ask a question, the butchering of over 3,000 Sikhs of 1984 in Delhi was worse or the Bisada/Dadri incident ? Then why Mrs. Sahgal accepted the Sahitya Akdami award in 1986? Was the Muzaffarnagar riot less despicable ? Where were they when inhuman Bhagalpur blinding incidents took place ? Please see the list of these awardees and know the regimes which oblized them. Did any one  of them receive during the rule of Atalji or Modijharmai? Moreover, some days back Sh. Mahesh Sharma, Central Minister for Culture told in an interview that whereas the Padma awards are given on the recommendations of the Government, the selections for the Sahitya Akadami awards are made by a separate committee of  eminent literateurs without any interference from the Govt.
Now the question arises as to why did they prefer this method of protest to defame NDA rule particularly at a time when the Bihar Assembly election was round the corner? Since they have ganged up to pursue their ideological game plan, it is the duty of the common people to expose them by not only paying any heed to them but also telling the people that these rewarded literary persons, really having no love for the minorities, were just manoeuvring to bring back their erstwhile patrons to power.