Vilas bhukh (Hunger for Development) has changed Indian Culture.

Vilas bhukh (Hunger for Development) has changed Indian Culture.

India is changing very rapidly. It has changed a lot in last 2 decades. The population pressure and their needs pushed the country on growth agenda with increase in economic activities all around. 

Literacy (unemployable), politics, share markets, daba trading, TV serials, media, mobile, bike, cold drinks and fast food have suddenly change the culture of the country. People are moving to urban areas and opt to live in slums for better employment, education and health facilities. 

Where is my village? Ravibhai was asking. In which cattle go to gochar land in the morning. Stay, eat and enjoy throughout the day and come back home in the evening. They were not the burden, therefore question didn't arise of their selling or slaughtering. Villagers used to milch them, and share milk and milk products amongst themselves. 

Morning of each house start with churning of curd. People from poor families come and stand in queue to get thick butter milk, in which they add some water and feed the family with lacto besilus for better nutrition and health. The home made butter and pure ghee with lovely aroma were their luxuries. 

The very second the churning sounds stop, and the lovely aroma wafting through the air, will bring the children where ever they are running to the site and demand for home made butter with delightful faces. "Jai Ranchhod Makkhan Chor". And the present children are demanding tea with biscuits!

Villagers morning used to start with halva made from pure ghee or rotala with butter milk. There was no scarcity of hemoglobin. All were healthy and ready to do physical work for whole day. And the cows, oxen, buffalos were healthy and beautiful. When they put the oxen to plough the farms, they feed them with pure cow ghee so that they work with better strength. 

Ghee to oxen? We are dreaming to give ghee to our children and you were feeding ghee to the oxen. I exclaimed.

Yes. We used to feed them a litre of ghee through a wooden pipe, when they are on work. Dairy took away our luxury of life in lieu of money. He explained.

And where is the present generation goin? Living in physical comforts with metal stress. Physically weak and carrying disease at early age. Their day starts with tea and ends with pizza. Their HB down, deficient in Vitamin D and B12. If invaders like Gazani come with swords, they will run away. They don't have physical strength to fight with the enemies. Thank God, India is an united country with the strong armed forces guarding it. 

The farmers are selling lands and building good houses or buying vehicles. Now their pockets are empty. The industries are utilizing natural resources and polluting environment. The peace from the life is going away. Day by day speed of life is increasing more than the speed of the hands of the clock.

And the Governments like a family head, with its red tap bureaucracy, trying to meet their needs of roads, water, electricity, health, education, employment, transport, drainage, solid liquid waste management, etc. Beating drums but gasping.

Where is my peace? Where is my deep sleep? Where is my tasty organic food? Where is my relatives of heart? Where is my inner joy? Where is my happiness? Where is my village? Where is my villagers? He was questioning, just go on questioning.

Cash currency is increasing but HB in blood is decreasing.

Is Vikash Bhukh (hunger for development) has taken away our happiness of life? Have we defined the "development" parameters properly?

Please respond and reply to Ravibhai.

Punamchand
4 June 2015