Saturday, April 25, 2015

Calling the NRIs

A House 15 km outside the Town
Happiness is derived from the comfort of life. Living standards determine the way of life besides the earning potential and other expectations. In a recent study, Switzerland is termed as the happiest nation in the world. Swiss have shown the world how to be the leader and keep its people happy. It is now left to other nations to learn the best practices from them and move ahead.

Among various issues faced by India, the huge population and its impact on urban life is the matter of concern. People slowly start deserting their villages in search of green pastures. The sudden spurt in Urban population has caused many challenges including housing, sanitation and Transport. It is highly difficult to expand a city which has already reached the saturation point. Yet the Government is trying all possible ways to meet the challenges posed for the next decade. Smart Cities are planned adjourning major cities to accommodate more entrants to cities. Now it is time to think more about smart villages.
The thought of converting the villages into ‘”smart’” ones should have occurred and implemented long back to prevent the exodus of people. The existing people are like ‘” cat on the wall ‘” who seriously think of leaving the villages and migrate to metros where their children live. Since the agriculture is monsoon specific, more failures frustrate the agriculturists to look for lucrative ways. Agricultural sites are being converted into housing colonies. This dangerous trend has to be checked immediately and alternate solutions are to be implemented to create confidence in the minds of the villagers.

It is a known fact that most of the villages have improved in the last few decades due to the availability of infrastructure, technology and transport. The only missing thing is the absence of earning ways that match the standard of urban population. If the location is wholly dependent on agriculture, more agro based industries may provide employment to them. It is nice to see good educational institutions coming close to the villages and provide transport to pick the children right in front of their houses. If the gap between urban and rural lives is narrowed, people will love to live in their villages.

Good housing was the concern of the past. Gated communities are coming up some 15 km away from the towns and independent houses are built to meet the requirement of the customers. Good access to the nearby town is available to enable the occupants to spend their valuable time. Alternately, one may prefer going back to the native place and live a comfortable life. Lot of community services can be extended by owning a property there. A good backyard can be converted into a good garden with flowering plants and a part can also become a grove of many trees. To possess a cow adds value to the life as it is a step towards self-sufficiency. Going for a Gobar gas plant provides cooking gas round the clock. Thus the village life provides ample ways to think innovatively.

We come across friends who work abroad remembering the roots and bringing their families to their native places. It is a proud moment for them to show the family members the place where they lived and the school where they studied. They create a passion in the minds of their wards to visit the native place and stay for a week or ten days. Unfortunately, they do not have the ancestral home now as the same had been sold early when the previous generation migrated to Urban areas. It is therefore necessary for the NRIs to look for a house of their taste and buy them. By doing so, they provide a breather to the village which is on the verge of becoming a no man’s land.

The return of the NRIs can turn the events of the village magnificently. The village Temples will regain the glory of the past and the cultural festivals can be restarted. Sustainable growth of the village can be planned with the help of like minded people and these steps will bear fruits in the long run.