The daily struggle for survival

In 2012, I was deputed as an expenditure observer for the four Assembly constituencies located in eastern Uttar Pradesh. These were rural constituencies and two of them shared the border with Madhya Pradesh. We were staying in the Circuit House in the district headquarters at Allahabad, but part of my job included extensive travelling for supervision of surveillance teams and other staff, deputed for estimating the expenditure incurred by candidates on their election campaigns.

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One day, we decided to venture out in the interior areas of the Koraon subdivision. It got late and we encountered a rough patch of about 5-6 km on the narrow road leading back to Koraon. The vehicle was swaying violently even at very low speed. The road was almost non-existent at some points and the drive was nothing less than a roller-coaster ride.

I asked the liaison officer about the main source of income of the people in that area. ‘Sir, this area lies in the semi-arid type of climate and agriculture is the main occupation here. Due to low average annual rainfall and lack of irrigation facilities, natural vegetation is poor. The main crops are gram, bajra and arhar but the yield is low and there is shortage of fodder.’

‘Some people of this area may be living below the poverty line?’ I asked. ‘That’s correct, sir. But the situation in the adjoining areas of Madhya Pradesh is worse. The tribals populating the Bundelkhand areas of Rewa and Panna are mostly landless labourers. They face extreme exploitation and are often forced into bondage and have very low literacy rates. Most tribal families are engaged in seasonal collection and sale of non-timber forest produce that primarily includes tendu leaves, gum and mahua flowers. They earn about Rs 25-30 per person per day,’ he added.

I was stunned into silence. The potholed road had suddenly become very smooth. The daily struggle for survival, sometimes not even a bowl of rice a day, lack of education, malnutrition, high infant mortality – that’s how extreme poverty impacts families in different ways in many parts of India. Approaching even the state capital was a distant dream for the majority living in such conditions. It is another matter that very little is needed to lead a happy and contented life!

Back into the safety and comfort of the Circuit House, life again started moving forward with regular meals, retinue of helping staff and occasional get-togethers with colleagues.

In the humdrum of our daily lives, we hardly spare a thought for the underprivileged and destitute families living in abject poverty. The least we can do is to feel a sense of gratitude for all that we have and become a source of support, guidance and motivation for those who spend their lives keeping us comfortable.