Salegram, my driver friend of the last 40 years, arrived at 04:30 am for our trip to Rajasthan. We were a little slow to get ready but we were off by 05:05 am. (I realised how much Salegram knew of my life when he asked me where my Charminars were. I used to smoke 80 per day till I gave up 27 years ago!)
As we drove by, Annikki and I were astounded by the sight of Gurgaon skyline. The development of that part outside Delhi, on the Haryana border, was amazing, but obviously, like in Bangalore, fraught with problems. Unplanned development, not adequate resources provided, and even with 6 lane highways connecting Delhi to Gurgaon, the entire situation is in shambles.
When we had originally planned to visit Rajasthan, the idea was to visit Jaipur and Udaipur, to see the Royal splendour of those cities. But after my talk with Anil Ruia, I had other plans. I wanted to see how the framers in India are surviving and I wanted to see something which would motivate ME!
I can see Palaces and Heritage Sites everywhere, but to get a close-up glimpse of Indian farmers, who makes up over 70 % of the population of this great country, to me, was much more valuable.
Once we were in Rajasthan, we left of National Highway No. 8 and turned off it to Nim ka Thane, where we had agreed to meet Bhupendra Singh, who was to show us the work being done on Check Dams in Sikar District.
The terrain was harsh with stone and rubble strewn everywhere. Many roads are impassable. Bhupendra Singh had thoughtfully arranged a Jeep to take us deep into the interior of the District. The bumpy dusty roads were indeed the first eye opener to how our farmers are living, far away from our "modern polluted crowded civilisation".
The air is unpolluted and even the harshness of the climate and surroundings is forgotten when one meets the warmth of the genuine hospitality of an Indian farmer.
A Check Dam is exactly what it suggests - a dam built to check the flow of water after the rains so that the water can percolate into the water table slowly and it can be held behind the dam till it is needed. If the rains are too much, the overflow will go on till the next Check Dam, and so on.
The difference between the Check Dams constructed through the assistance of Aaker Charitable Trust, Mumbai, and those built by the Government, is that the farmers who want the Check Dams constructed, indicate where it should be, pay almost half the cost themselves, the other half being met by some generous donor, and the farmers construct it themselves. Hence, the farmers have a stake in their Check Dams and maintain it to the best of their ability, while also using the water exactly how they want to use it.
Yesterday, on a long hot dusty day, Annikki and I visited 8 Check Dams.
- Kaalakhet ka Check Dam at Gadrata
- Futtipal ka Check Dam at Laadi ka bas
- Purani Chadar ka Check Dam at Garnaw
- Nichli Chadar ka Check Dam at Garnaw
- Rai ka Check Dam at Kaalakota
- Khet ka Check Dam at Buja
- Goyala ka Check Dam at Bujiwala
There was one thing in common with all of them.
to sit on the charpoy and have a hot tea!
Happy farmers.
The farmers, and all their families whom we met, were so happy with the results of their effort. They expressed it in many different ways. One said that the previous year his income had been about Euro 1500, while this year, because of the Check Dam it was already Rs. Euro 9000 - 6 time greater. A second one told us that the acreage under cultivation had increased 30 times because of the Check Dam. A third one told us that he had no loans, his income had increased, and now he could build his new home and get married!
In short, all of them were so happy, and looked it.
They thanked God for their good fortune, as this year, even with just one rainfall, the Check Dams had worked wonders and there was still plenty of water available. The water table during the last two years had come up by as much as 50 feet in some places. In one case an open well, which was almost dry, was full to the brim.
Farmers were cropping new profitable crops as tomatoes, brinjals, onions, and they were getting good prices. They are also planting a wide variety of trees which will provide cover to harsh terrain, preserve water and prevent erosion.
My thoughts ran through what they had and what they did not have. There is so much work to be done still on the social and civic front, on the education and health front, on the communication front, as most of the farmers do not have even radio contact with the rest of India or the world!
But they do have Nokia Mobile Phones. When I explained where we came from, I said whether they knew the name, Nokia. A farmer proudly pulled out his mobile. They were in raptures when I told them it was just the name of a small town in Finland and soon the world would also know the name of their village too!
To them, a visit by Bhupendra Singh, the enterprising young man (an MA graduate from Meerut University) working for the Aaker Charitable Trust and his two assistants, Vinod and Ravi, bring out the best of our Indian heritage - hospitality and the hand of friendship.
The very mention of Amla Ruia is as if they have heard the name of their Maataji! But above all they thank God for their good fortune.
this offering to us!.
This is an example of an NGO which has found the right combination. Projects that cannot be shaken by corruption, farmers who are willing to put in the effort, field workers who believe in what they are doing, donors who have hearts of gold to uplift their fellow men and a figurehead who can motivate all levels to give their very best.
Can this be duplicated on a national scale. The answer is a simple YES, but this is only the first step in a long process of rural development. There are many NGOs working in the field and I am reasonably sure all of them have some special features. It is important for these NGOs to learn from each other, cooperate and implement what is the best for the entire rural community.
I do see that the possibility of the Rural Urbanisation concept that Ebbi and I wrote about 30 years ago, could even see the light of day in the next decade! Let us hope!
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