“ Journey from village to.....”
Have the elderly Prajapatis( or in general, Gujaratis) living outside India, ever thought of the days spent as youngsters in some villages in Gujarat, India?
Going back down memory lane, one would undoubtedly visualise the varied experiences one has had and would like to relate those times with the present. The elderly surely feel that the present generation learn and appreciate the background from where their fore-fathers had come, the life style in those days and the struggles they had to go through.
Mahatma Gandhi’ s famous quote at the start of the 20th century:“ The soul of India lives in villages” tells the true feeling and value of an Indian wherever one is. As per the 2011 Indian census, of the population of 1,210,854,977, 68.84 % of people( about 833.1 million people) lived in a variety of 640,867 villages of which 236,004 villages have a population of less than 500 while 3,976 villages have a population of more than 10,000. So, what is the concept of a village? How has it been formed? Is it still there? Has it changed? If so, in what ways? Why did we leave the villages? So many questions arise. This article tries to look at some of these aspects and the journey made from our roots- the village.
India, being a vast country with the majority of its total population still living in the villages, has its society divided into two divisions- the rural society and the urban society. Villages have always been an integral part of the Indian society.
No specific timeframe is documented about the conception of villages in India. During the Vedic era the kingdoms comprised a major city and several villages. The villages were a cluster of houses and the surrounding land was cultivated by the villagers. They were administered in a structured way, through a Gram Sabha during the Maurya Dynasty during 323 BC primarily dominated by the Hindus, especially the Brahmans. However, during the reign of Muslim emperors like the Mughals or Afghans, the villagers were influenced by Islam. During the British period, the Christian religion brought its own influence. Thus, the social structure in the Indian villages changed accordingly with the change of administration, religious and cultural scenarios.
Concept of villages
• The village is a mass of human settlement. Where there are few houses and fewer people, it is called a“ Gamadu”, while with comparative more population it is called a“ Gam”. Basic necessities may or may not be available in a“ Gamadu”, but having a few shopkeepers and artisans fulfil the basic necessities in a“ Gam”. The population of the village is several hundred to several thousand
Reasons for settlement in villages
• Some of the common reasons: location of water sources( spring, river, lake), agriculture and farming( fertile land), landholding, on or close to major roads for easy transportation, close to major town or city, people who went to perform carpentry work or such tasks, liked the place and settled there
Some of the ideal features of a village have been
• Freedom from the hustle and bustle of a city life. It is peaceful, calm, quiet and full of greenery where one can breathe fresh air. People happily live in small huts or a home, made from clay or mud. Village houses are mostly built of bamboo with thatched roofs. Walls and floors of the village houses are painted by a mixture of dirt, grass, and cow dung. Before and after rain, these houses need maintenance
• Socially knit together, with evening gatherings where talking goes on till late in the night. Most of the people are farmers; others work as potters, carpenters, blacksmiths. Bulls are used for farming and other activities. Women work planting the rice paddy, while the men work pulling bullock carts, tilling new soil etc
• Educational status of the people is not so good; some of the villages even don’ t have a school. River water, wells or hand pumps are the main source of water
• Life style of villagers is simple. They don’ t dream for big houses, vehicles, money etc; whatever they get that is enough to live their life happily
Are these ideal features still there? introduced by successive of India by casting their votes
• Maybe in rare areas governments during general elections
• Changes have taken place with • They actively participate in the and participate in the local many development schemes democratic political system governance system vol. 41 | Prajapati Sandesh 2016 55