First Portrayal

It was my first trip to Madhya Pradesh(MP) in last year. My job at ASER Center translated into field visits to different states of India. I have not visited MP before. As a child growing up in Assam, I had just done the round of North Eastern states , West Bengal, Odisha, Karnataka, Tamilnadu, Andhrapradesh, Jharkhand and Delhi at different times for different purposes.

I was taken aback by the backwardness of MP on most of the development parameters. And yet, there was population explosion in the state. For example a household has more than four children of same parents and the overcrowded public transports. Basically I visited two districts of MP, Balaghat and Dindori. In Balaghat, on one of my field visit I had to go to Lodama a village often visited by Naxalites and situated on the border of Chatishgarh. That was horrible! Can you believe that an eight seater jeep converted to 25 seaters. No it was not my first experience of that kind, this situation is very similar Bogibill ferry Ghat of Dibrugarh of Assam. Same Pan spitting passengers on your every sides. You just have to hold your grip to ensure you longevity.

Balaghat was a very dry district where I based for 15 days. You can't imagine the hardship of the villagers to get drinking water. But you have to admire their endurance power and their laboriousness. They were harvesting one crop and preparing the land for other crop. Temperature was more than 40 degree in those days. When I came back fom Lodam i was coated with a thick layer of Ivory dust from head to toe. I went to Kanha tiger sanctuary,but did not saw any tiger their.

After spending 15 days in Balaghat,I went to Dindory a hill station very near to Amarkantak, the origin of Narmada river. Comparatively Dindory was cool. Here I got a Scooty Zing from Yugeshwar. He was also working with Pratham. Those were the days of my freedom. I use to ride between the small rocks, during the field visit.

I notice few things, like despite much touted Pradhanmantri Gram Sadak Yujna, roads connecting villages were non existent. Electricity situation was very poor, frequent and long power cut are part of life.

Peoples were politically quite conscious. Not only were they critical of the government, they knew the positive and negative of past and incumbent regimes.

Spending all together 24 days in MP and from the past experiences of rural villages, not for the first time, made me a question, as a nation are we developed? What are the indicators of development? What will we change by working in an NGO related to education, health etc? Are we going to extinct like dinosaurs?

Given the problem of every problems of the country only government can make a significance. But as a member of the civil society we can take the responsibility of our do and don't. It will help us to make our country more livable.