500+ Words Essay on Life in an Indian Village
“The soul of India lives in its villages.” – Mahatma Gandhi
Two-Third of India’s population, i.e. more than 60 percent of the people live in villages and other rural areas. In our country, there are a greater number of villages than all of the cities and states combined. It is rightfully said that god built the villages and man built the cities. The main occupation of people residing in Indian villages is farming. Some others also resort to professions such as carpenter, blacksmith, weaver, fisherman and artisan.
The Life of a Farmer in an Indian Village
The life of a farmer is not an easy one to lead. It is filled with struggle and hard work. Farmers get up before the sun rises and finish work after it sets. No matter how the weather, they have to keep working. The women work in the rice paddy fields, whereas the men take up roles that require more strength such as ploughing, tilling the soil and pulling bullock carts.
Most farmers do not have the finance available with them to buy machinery and technologically advanced equipment, and hence they are forced to do each task manually. Selling their harvest in the market for the right price is also a challenging task for the Indian farmers.
Many times they are paid less than fair amounts, are cheated and even extorted. Another factor that adds to the pitiful condition of the farmers of India is the country’s unpredictable and harsh weather. At times, the farmers lose all of their crops because of excessive flooding or due to punishing droughts. A farmer lives most of his life in poverty. All of these and many others are reasons why farmer suicides are becoming more common in the nation.
Advantages of Living in an Indian Village
Life in an Indian village is exceptionally peaceful and serene. One gets to enjoy the gifts of nature and takes time to appreciate it. There is no chaos or hustle-bustle present like in the cities. The villagers lead a very simple life.
The pollution levels in villages are quite low. The people get to breathe pure and fresh air. Hence, they fall less ill to respiratory problems and diseases. Because of the excellent quality of air, people here are physically as well as mentally happy and healthy.
The atmosphere of the villages provides abundant relaxation. There are ample time and opportunities for a person to introspect and take on the practice of meditation.
The people living in villages are closely knit together. They have long-lasting social relationships and bonds. All of them love meeting, chatting and celebrating with each other. They coexist in harmony.
Disadvantages of Living in an Indian Village
People in villages do not enjoy the basic conveniences and amenities that us city folks do. They do not get 24- hours of electricity and water supply. They have to walk miles to reach their village water well and carry it in buckets all the way home. Many villages do not even have access to electricity, but those who do suffer a lot of untimely power cuts.
People are not highly educated in villages. This is due to the fact that most villages have only a primary school for children. The teachers imparting knowledge there themselves are not very well qualified and lack in many aspects.
Another major disadvantage of living in a village is the orthodox mindset of the people. They are very rigid regarding gender roles. Girls from an early age are taught to cook, clean and weave. Most of them do not even get a chance to get an education.
There is a very limited career scope in a village, unlike in big cities where there are thousands of different jobs. In villages, the occupations are fixed and are only a few in number.
There is also a lack of proper medical care and facilities in villages. Mostly, 2 to 3 villages share a hospital. Reaching that hospital takes a lot of time, and hence, medical attention in emergencies is never received.
Some Progressive Villages
Although life in a village is challenging, our government is trying to make it smooth for them with various schemes and initiatives. The people themselves are learning about newer techniques and applying them in their day to day village life. Following are examples of some villages that have progressed in the last few years-:
Dharnai, a village in Bihar once struggled to meet their electricity needs, but now the whole village runs on solar power. The solar power plant successfully provides quality electricity to the 2,400 residents of the village.
Hiware Bazaar, a village in Mumbai, has found ways to battle water shortages and droughts successfully. The residents there have opted to practice dairy farming and horticulture instead of growing water-intensive crops. The water conservation techniques used by the villagers has led to the upliftment of the groundwater level and has filled their wells up to the brim.
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