My Experiment with Truth……What I see….
Today on the Republic Day, I got an opportunity to visit one old place with which my emotion is related to. I am talking about the place, where I was brought up and almost spent my childhood days…up to the age of 12 years. I have started my primary education there and stayed up to the 7th class. Later I was shifted to the near by sub division headquarter that is Nayagarh, (which later declared as a new district) for my high school studies.
Since my father was a state govt. servant and was posted as a Village Agricultural Worker (VAW), almost his posting was at Gram Panchayat level. So, he got transferred from Komna (Budhi Komna, of Kalahandi district at that time) to Gadadhar Prasad Gram Panchayat under Nayagarh District (Present). Though I have already started going School informally at Komna, my actual schooling started at Gadadharpradasd Gram Panchay at the age of 5+ years. We used to stay at Govt. quarter present in front of the Gadadharprasad Gram Panchayat. A two room quarter, with broken latrine and a small kitchen. I remember, we used to keep wooden logs for fuel purpose in side the broken latrine room and used to go outside for defecation. There was an LI point (Lift Irrigation) point adjacent to our quarter. Behind our quarter there is a large open defecation ground in which all villagers used to defecate. Also, a small pond there inside the open defecation ground to complete the post defecation works voluntarily. I remember, we (I and my siblings) don’t have sandals (chapals) to use till I passed 5th class (Year 1988). There was no electricity in our quarter, however, after days of staying in that quarter, we used to get un authenticated electricity connection by hooking from that LI Point room and continued it for a longer period. We did not face any objection as the local Lineman from electric department was very much close to our family and no body used to complain against our hooking, as father was a govt employee and also used to work regularly for development of farmers in that area. So due to positivity, we used to enjoy the hooking electricity for almost a longer period. Also, the key of the LI point room lies with our family as the driver of LI Point (Pumpman) was staying at Nayagarh and switching on/off the LI point requires constant presence of a person, which was completely handled by my elder siblings. And that LI point room was used as a study room for my elder siblings and his friends and near age group students of that panchayat due to availability of electricity. So, as a whole due to this inter faiths, we used the freedom of electricity through hooking without any complain.
Our quarter was surrounded by some free spaces, in which my father used to cultivate all seasonal crops for our family consumption. Starting from potato, tomato, cabbage, banana, onion, garlic, chilly, jack fruits, ladies finger and so many seasonal crops. One can say, a sample demonstration of big kitchen garden for farmers. Also, since, our backside was a land of open defecation, the soil was very much fertile and the production was very good. Besides, we had full of different seasonal flower plants and most flowers were plucked for distribution to different temples and near by Brahmin villages (Gobindpur). From childhood, I was very well involved with different agricultural process as well as harvesting and plucking flowers daily. Even some near by people from near by villages used to take vegetables like papaya, banana etc free of cost without any permission from our so called big kitchen garden. Not to say more, we had 3 guava trees from which most of the village children used to pluck fruits throughout the year (As the trees gives fruit through out the year).
There was a duty chart plate in our frontage wall in which 5 days of the week was mentioned. Against the week days, my father used to mention a name of the village to which he tours. If any farmer or any seniors used to come for any query or official visits, we used to intimate them where father was going at that time, which benefits them to track my fathers work officially or resolve any queries. In some cases, we used to intimate father, about the person who was looking for his advise and father used to go to their village at his turn of that village to take follow ups and in some cases, he used to go immediately. This was the life during the child hood.
When we used to go to our native in any vacation, there was almost no buses…so we used to walk 5-6 kilometers crossing over a small river to reach at Itamati..near by bus stop. And during rainy season, since there were severe waters flowing in that river and no bridges on the river, we used to move around 8-9 kilometers through a bridged root via Chamatipur to reach Itamati. Else, we used to walk 6-7 kilometers to near by place called as Barabati, from where we used to ride through a Trekker to reach at Nayagarh to catch bus. So, Itamati was a seamless journey for us to go to anywhere by bus.
Why I am saying all these things…… Yes, this relates to todays experiment with truth…..thats why…
Today after almost after 32 years, I got a chance to go to that area, to attend some family friends functions in that area. Amazed ! Surprised ! Development….Alas….
Yes, development can be seen in naked eye. From Itmati to Gadadharprasad, pucca road is seen with bridges over the river. Just 5 -7 minute drive in a car. All villages on the way, say, Champatipur, Amkulipatana, Sukalagadia, Govindpur are having water tanks for supply of drinking water. No free spaces in between the villages as was seen earlier. All villages on the way seem to be different closed wards of a village. One can find 1-2 tractors, 3-4 cars standing in each villages. Almost 90% pucca houses at both the sides of the road. Some houses are having marbles, granite floorings and frontages. Iron/Steel grill doors are seen frequently. But as like before no agricultural activities found on the way, as almost no free lands in both the side of roads visible. All ponds on the way found to be unused, some with less/without water. Schools on the way found to be more developed with boundary walls and concrete structures.
Most people I met, used to recognize and recall me and my parents and siblings. Recalled and listened the child hood memories from other people, how our quarter was, how my father used to cultivate all types of vegetables and how he was doing his duty perfectly. Everybody asked me to come with my parents once to that area so that they can see them after a long period. Everything seems almost OK.
But things are missing….happiness…development…..peace….overall satisfaction. Most people have left the villages and migrated to Bubaneswar, Capital City for daily bread and butter. Some shifted to Nayagarh for the education of their children. Almost near bout 30-40% of village households are empty with lockouts. These people used to visit the native villages in case of any family function or and festivals only. Agricultural lands are leased to lease holders who still involved in agricultural works.
That quarter in which we spent our childhood memories were broken out and damaged completely. That LI point room was also broken and damaged. The pipes in which water used to flow to agricultural fields were no more. A small temple of Goddess (at that time was worshipped under a tree with a small curved house of less than 4 feet, that I remember) was built upon in front of damaged quarter adjacent to the Gram Panchayat office. I could not able to see the Post Office which was running in Gram Panchyat Office compound as the GP Office is also damaged. But a new health Sub center was built adjacent to the Panchayat Office, in which on ground floor, an ANM is staying permanently and the 1st Floor remains unused / unoccupied for the purpose of sub centre. A new GP office found under construction backside of the Subcenter.
After a long hour of discussion about the villages, present activities, I met the local Sarapanch of the Gram Panchyat, who also recognized me. Also there were 10-12 people joined the chit chat. A common complain that, after transfer of my father from that GP, no VAWs posted in that GP stayed in that quarter, due to which some local youths encroached that quarter for some days and after they left for their daily activities , that quarter broke down. The LI point was closed due to closure of that irrigation scheme and Lift Irrigation Corporation. And all the water pipes joining from the LI Point to different agricultural fields were stolen and some broken. The main economic activity of that are was cultivation of sugarcane which was using more water slowly waved out along with closure of near by sugar mill at Panipolila. So, most of the agriculture was shifted for Paddy cultivation. In absence of LI point and proper irrigation facility, economic activities shifted from agriculture to migration to near by urban areas. Even people those who were completely dependant on agriculture having agricultural land more than 1-2 hecters, their children have started migrating for employment near by. I queries about the concept of Pani Panchayat…but everybody told that a big failure concept. Above all water to agricultural field is a major problem in this area.
Regarding the health care services, complaints received that, the newly recruited Community Health Officer (CHO) is visiting the sub centre once in a week for 1-2 hours maximum. Never used to facilitate the health care services. Though many complaints and petitions and allegations raised to the Collector, CDMO office, everything is in vein. It is well identified, that, the Sub center was prepared and coloured for Kayakalp visit, but the day when kayakalpa team visited the sub centre, neither the ANM nor the CHO was present. No free medicines and testing kits available at sub centre. All efforts in raising the voice to CMO, CHC-Bada Pandusar and MO-Balugaon and CDMO-Nayagarh and DM-Nayagarh are in vein. In spite of all facilities given at sub centre level, local people used to visit Nayagarh DHH in case emergency as well as for any small diseases. People opine that all govt officers in health are corrupted. The posted CHO is misbehaving locals and reporting false and threatening to file sexual harassment cases against complainants. The Sarapanch replied that, the CHO is taking blank signature of Sarapanch to spend money in different activities as Sarapanch is the joint signatory of the local Jana-Arogya Samiti. It seems that, local Sarapanch is also involved with the corruption of CHO, which was discussed later in the absence of Sarapanch among the locals. Most people opined for a change in Govt. (Politics) to minimize such type of rampant corruption, but who will bell the cat..?
Most of the Ponds remain un used and disputed. People are well acquainted with tap water at door step and latrines at home. Surprisingly, it is found a small thatched cottage of a person named, Gundicha Nayak- a landless daily wage labour, just in front of Gram Panchay office without any pucca roof even after 32 years, I left that area, and found as it is during my child hood days, even more torn and broken, not likely to stay as a habitat. Not able to get covered under PM-Ayas yoyana. Fact is that the local Sarapanch is not able to see the house which is present just opposite to the GP Office and heath Sub Center.
It is found that, though Schools are well developed as compared to 32 years back, most children joining English medium schools and it is the main reason of urban migration among the job holders as well as middle class ones. Surprisingly, some are in good Jobs like OAS, Engineers, Bank POs, Good private jobs , those who have completed their education from the local schools, but in todays context sending their children to English medium schools and migrating to Nayagarh town in the name of education of their off springs.
While returning my work place, I was just wondering, what went wrong..? Why the Govt. stopped the LI Point scheme which was the back bone of sugarcane cultivation in that area ? Why no VAWs stayed in that locality when a quarter was present which ruined later due to non usage ? In spite of a good building health sub center, why the CHO is not doing her duty and getting a salary of 40K along with incentives of 10K per month by doing false reporting ? Why people who have made their career in studying in the same local school, prefer to send their off spring to private English medium school nearby or is it just a mania for urban migration..? How the system will be rectified when one can find changes in nature of people in the society….who can answer..?
Free Opinion 
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