With a new Government set to be formed after the counting of votes on March 10, people of Bundelkhand who have been battling crippling crises like water scarcity, financial crunch and even hunger for decades have high expectations from the new regime.
While the common public refrain is that the area did witness a certain amount of infrastructural development, little was done to address the agrarian crisis even as a large populace is dependent on farming which has been hit by frequent drought in the region. Despite the presence of at least seven all weather rivers, the region has been arid and has been affected by 13 droughts in the last two decades. The consequence of these recurrent calamities have been pronounced on the not-so affluent masses.
Professor of Social Work at Bundelkhand University (Jhansi) Mohammed Naeem opined, “The next government will have to seriously work on rejuvenating traditional water bodies to cut the costs of farming in the region and make markets available so that farmers get remunerative prices for their produce. This will help in increasing the per capita income of farm-dependent locals. High deposits of granite render natural water recharge difficult in the region and it has been a bane for the locals. Even as the government has been providing free ration to the poor, the quantity supplied to each family is much less than their need. Shortage of food becomes acute for poor families in the first three months of a year before the new crop hits the market. I can readily refer to the Adivasi colony of Bhadana where most families sleep without a proper dinner in these months. Also, officials present on ground zero have to be more sensitive to these burning problems so that the government can formulate and implement people-centric policies for the region.”
Social worker Gopal Sahriya has been working in Jhansi, Lalitpur and adjoining areas to alleviate the condition of the poor families for over a decade now. When asked on this score, Sahriya said, “Poverty and hunger are realities in Bundelkhand which have adversely affected the purchasing power of the common man. The condition is so pitiable that poor families munch on dried grams as vegetables are out of their reach. Cattle-rearing has been a traditional occupation here but due to scarcity of fodder, most owners let their cattle loose, as a result of which they graze in cornfields, inflicting losses to farmers. Such incidents often lead to disputes and even clashes. The government has to focus on such incidents and address these problems.”
Principal of Arya Kanya Women’s College Dr Alka Rai highlighted the lack of industries despite there being vast swathes of land in the region, forcing locals to depend on agriculture.Dr Rai pointed out, “If the state government is serious on improving the plight of the masses it has to focus on setting up industries as there is ample barren land. Even a little industrial development will lead to organised employment and effectively prevent exodus of poor families to other states for employment. In the last few years, the seven districts of Bundelkhand have been witness to large-scale employment-linked exodus and several villages have become ghost settlements. I feel the worst casualty in this scenario are children who are deprived of education due to displacement and the region has become home to an army of people with little or no education. The government should give a serious thought to this social problem.”Farmer leader Mahendra Sharma felt that more than expressways and airports, Bundelkhand residents needed proper employment and improved form of farming. “Generation of employment will translate into welfare and prosperity of the locals. Instead of Kisan Samman Nidhi, the new regime should come up with a package for improving farming and implement welfare schemes transparently. The revenue earned from Bundelkhaand’s abundant natural resources should also be put to use for its development to turn a new leaf.